FISHES OF NEAV YORK ^ 405 



begins under the 33d spine of the dorsal, the base of the two fins 

 equaling one fourth the distance from tip of upper jaw to origin 

 of second dorsal; the longest ray equals postorbital part of head; 

 the second anal is similar to the second dorsal, but somewhat 

 smaller. The ventral originates under the fifth spine of dorsal; 

 its length is a little more than one fourth of total length to end 

 -of middle caudal rays. The pectoral is one half as long as the 

 T3eak and eye combined and nearly equals the greatest hight of 

 body. Eye small, one third of postorbital part of head. D. 

 XLIV-7; A. 9 to 10-7; V. 2. 



Color bluish black, paler below; dorsal dusky bluish, with 

 numerous roundish black spots, from one third to one fourth the 

 -diameter of orbit, on its membrane. 



The sailfish lives in the warmer parts of the Atlantic, ranging 



northward to France and, occasionally, to Cape Cod. Here 



described from a drawing of specimen taken at Woods Hole 



Mass.; color notes from Dr Jordan. The species reaches the 



length of 10 feet. It is valuable for food but rarely comes to 



our markets. 



Genus tetrapturus Rafinesque 



Body much compressed, covered with rudimentary embedded 

 scales; sword rounded on the edge; caudal keel double; small 

 teeth in the jaws and on the palatines; ventral fins represented 

 each by a single spine; dorsal fins separate in the adult, part 

 of the middle rays being aborted, not greatly elevated, their 

 hight not greater than the depth of the body; air bladder sac- 

 culated; vertebrae 12 + 12; intestine short, nearly straight; py- 

 loric caeca very numerous. Large fishes of the deep seas. They 

 swim in deep water, according to Poey, and pass Cuba in pairs 

 in summer, bound for the Gulf of Mexico. Males smaller than 

 females. (After Jordan and Evermann) 



203 Tetrapturus imperator (Bloch & Schneider) 

 B ill fish ; t^ pear fish 



J:iphias imperatcr BLoni & Schneider, Syst. lehtli. 93, pi. XXI, 1801, 



Mediiterranean. 

 2'etrapturus heloiie Cuvjer & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss. VIII, 280, 



183.3. 



