FISHES OF NEW YORK 327 



Cuvier and Valenciennes, taken in the south Pacific, appears io 

 be closely related. 



Family SCOXIBERESOCIDAE 

 Sauries 



Genus SCOMBERESOX Lace'pede 



Body elongate, compressed, covered with small, thin, decidu- 

 ous scales, the general aspect being that of a mackerel; both 

 jaws in the adult more or less prolonged, forming a slender 

 beak, the lower jaw always the longer, teeth very feeble, 

 pointed, maxillaries joined fast to premaxillaries; pectoral and 

 ventrals small; dorsal and anal low, similar to each other, each 

 with four to six detached finlets, as in the Scombridae; gill 

 rakers numerous, long and slender; pharyngeal bones essen- 

 tially as in Exocoetus, fourth upper pharyngeal on each 

 side "wanting or fused with the third, third pharyngeal greatly 

 enlarged, separate from its fellow, covered with tricuspid teeth, 

 second with simple teeth, first toothless, lower pharyngeals 

 united, forming a triangular bone with concave surface, covered 

 with tricuspid teeth; into the hollow of this bone the upper 

 pharyngeals fit. 



Pelagic fishes, swimming close to the surface in large schools 

 in temperate regions. They bear strong analogic resemblances 

 to the mackerels in form, color and habits, as well as in the 

 dorsal and anal finlets. The significance of these resemblances 

 is unknown. 



Young with the jaws short, precisely as in the genus Colo- 

 1 a b i s , but lengthening with age, which is not the case in 

 Cololabis. Air bladder large. 



Atlantic. 



163 Scomberesox saurus (Walbaum) 



Saury; Skipper 



Esox saurus WALBAVM. Avtedi. Gen. Pise. III. 93, 1792, Cornwall. 

 Scomberesox scuteUatum LE SUEUR, Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. II, 132, 1821, 



Newfoundland. 

 Scomlercsox equirostnnn LE SUEUH. Jour. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. II, 132, 



1821. 



