FAMILY OK TIIK l.AhlCID.i:. 2H5 



i,.\ r. i; 1 \).E. 



Tin; lAI Tod. 



TIIH 1JLA( K FISH OF NKW VoUK. 

 Ta utog A nuricana — D k k a \ . 



riii>, like :tll tlic fishes last described, is rather a pMieral 

 favourite aniouj; sportsnuu and i'|)icures, thouf^h I confess my 

 own opinion to l)e that he is j;enerally overrated in both capaci- 

 ties. As a game tish he is a dead, logg^', heavy puller on the 

 hook, offering little resistance beyond the vis itiert'ue and dead 

 weight, and on the table his excellence depends mainly on 

 the cook. 



Tlie colour of the Bhick Fish is indicated by his name, but 

 varies considerably frnui deep (lull black to glossy blue black 

 with mctallii- reflections, and occa-sionally to (hi^ky bniwii. 



His body is elongated and compressed, the outlines of the 

 back arched fonvard of the dorsal to the snout, straight poste- 

 riorly. The lateral \\\\v concurrent with the back. The eyes 

 arc mther .Hmall, the scales small, extending over the gill-covers, 

 which arc very large and rounded. The lips arc very thick and 

 fli-shy, the teeth stout The branchiostegous ravs are five in 

 number. 



