78 FISH AND FISH-LIKE ANIMALS OP N.S.W., 



Suborder Scombroidea. 

 A. Jaws without canines. 



B. Snout not produced into a pointed rostrum or sword. 

 C. Mouth with lateral cleft, and well developed teeth. 



Scombriformcs (cxxxi.). 



CC. Mouth small, anterior, with only feeble teeth. Luvariformes (cxxxii.). 



BB. Snout forming a long pointed rostrum or sword. Xiphiiformes (cxxxiii.-iv .) . 



AA. Jaws with canines anteriorly. Trichiuri f ormes (cxxxv.-vi.). 



SCOMBRIFORMES. 



CXXXI. Family Scombridae. 



A. Caudal peduncle without a median keel on each side. 



B. Scales minute; anterior dorsal spines highest. Scomber (286). 

 BB. Scales large; median dorsal spines highest. Gasterochisma (2S7). 



AA. Caudal peduncle with a median keel on each side. 



C. A single lateral line on each side. 



D. Body largely naked except near the lateral lin^ and corselet. 



E. Interdorsal space wide, equal to half the head length. Auxis (288). 

 EE. Interdorsal space narrow, less than one-fourth the head-length. 



Euihynnus (289). 

 DD. Body wholly covered with small scales. 



F. Teeth subconical, little compressed; corselet distinct. 



G. Vomer and palatines with villiform teeth. T/iuntitts (290). 



GG. Vomer toothless, palatines with a row of conical teeth. 



Sarda (291). 



FF. Teeth compressed; corselet obscure. Scomberomorus (292 1. 



CC. Two lateral lines on each side. Grammatorycnus (293 I. 



286. Scomber Linne, Syst. Nat. 10th. Ed. 1758, p. 297 (seombrus). 



286a. S. australasicus. Mackerel. Id. Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. 

 Nat. Poiss. viii., 1831, p. 49. S. colias Stead, Ed. Fish. N.S. Wales, 

 1908, p. 94, pi. 63 (PI. xxxiii.). 

 Abundant, and periodically moving along the coast in large shoals. Length 

 14 inches. 



287. Gasterochisma Richardson, A.M.N.H., xv., 1845, p. 346 (melampus). 

 287a. G. melampus. Id. Richardson, Ibid., and Ichtk. Erebus & Terror, 



1846, p. 60, pi. 37, 1-3 (PI. xxxiii.). 

 A very rare oceanic species, altering considerably in appearance with 

 growth. Length over 5 feet. 



288. Auxis Cuvier, R. Anim. 2nd ed., ii., 1829, p. 199 (rochei). 



A. 8 dorsal and 7 anal finlets. thazard (288a). 



AA. 6 dorsal and 6 anal finlets. ramsayi (288b). 



288a. A. thazard. Frigate Mackerel. Scomber thazard Laeepede, H.N., 

 Poiss. iii., 1802, p. 9. A. vulgaris Cuvier & Valenciennes, H.N. Poiss., 

 viii., 1831, p. 139, pi. 216 (PI. xxxiii.). 



A widely distributed oceanic fish which occasionally appears in small shoals 

 in Port Jackson. Length 15 inches. 



288b. A. ramsayi. Id. Castelnau, P.L.S. N.S.W., iii., 1879, p. 382. 



As no specimens having the characters ascribed to this species have been 

 secured since it was first described, it is probable that the description is in- 

 correct. -4. ramsayi is probably synonymous with A. thazard. 



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