FISHES OF NEW YORK 373 



This barracuda is not seen in our markets, but the adults of 

 more southerly species are considered excellent food fishes. At 

 Key West and on Cozumel island, and in the West Indies, the 

 barracuda is highly prized. 



Several young barracuda were caught in Gravesend bay in 

 September 1896. The species is not common in that bay. An 

 individual 5J inches long was seined at Sandy Hook, Oct. 8, 1897. 

 The fish does not live long in captivity. 



Suborder RHEGNOPTERI 

 Family FOLY>CEXIIDAE 



Thread fins 

 Genus POLYDACTYLUS Lac^pede 



Anal fin not much longer than soft dorsal, of about 13 or 14 

 rays; vomer with teeth; preoperculum serrate; free filaments 

 of pectorals mostly shorter than body; teeth in villiform bands 

 on both jaws, vomer, palatines, and pterygoids; preopercle 

 sharply serrated on its posterior margin, its angle with a scaly 

 flap; scales rather small, finely ctenoid; first dorsal with seven 

 or eight feeble, rather high spines, the first and last short, soft 

 dorsal and anal fins about equaling each other; pectoral fila- 

 ments three to nine; pyloric caeca in great number. Species 

 numerous, in warm seas. 



188 Polydactylus octonemus (Girard) 

 Threadfin 



Polyncmiis octonemus GIRARD, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 167,1858, Brazos; San- 

 tiago; Galveston; young; GUNTHER, Cat Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 320, I860; 

 GOODE & BEAN, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. II, 128, 1880; JORDAN & GILBERT, 

 Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 413, 1883. 



Polydactylus octonemus JORDAN & E VERM ANN, Bull. 47, U. S Nat. Mus. 830, 

 1806, pi. CXXVIII, fig. 350, 1900; BEAN, Bull.. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 

 IX. 358, 1897. 



Tricliidion octofilis GILL. Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 280, 1861, New York; 

 adult. 



Tricliidion octonemus GILL, op. cit. 280, 1861. 



Polynemus octofiUs JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 590, 1882; Bull. 

 16, U. S. Nat. Mus. 413, 1883. 



Body compressed, moderately elongate, its greatest depth 

 from one third to two sevenths of the total length without 

 caudal, its thickness equal to two fifths of length of head; 



