FISHES OF NEW YORK 457 



obtuse; dorsal origin a little behind pectoral origin, base of 

 dorsal almost equal to greatest depth of body, front of fin ele- 

 vated, the longest ray as long as the pectoral, its length con- 

 tained two and three fifths times in total length without caudal; 

 anal base nearly as long as dorsal base, the longest anal ray 

 much longer than the pectoral, the last dorsal and anal rays 

 very short, scarcely two thirds as long as the eye, caudal deeply 

 forked, its lobes equal, the longest rays as long as the pectoral. 

 Scales small, thin and deciduous. D. IV to V, 45; A. II, 43. 

 Scales about 90; vertebrae 15+15. 



Color greenish above, golden yellow below. Mitchill gives the 

 following description: "silvery, with tints of blue, green and 

 iridescent; dusky on the head, and with inky patches on the 

 belly towards the tail, which in certain lights appear beauti- 

 fully red and purple; back bluish, with occasional clouds." 



The harvestfish inhabits the West Indies and is found on our 

 Atlantic coast from Cape Cod southward, ranging to Brazil. 

 The young are frequently seen swimming beneath the Portu- 

 guese men-of-war. 



De Kay had several specimens of the species, but found it less 

 common than the short-finned harvestfish, R. triacanthus. 

 At Charleston the fish is called rudderfish. 



The species reaches a length of 8 inches. It is a valuable 

 food fish. It is a summer visitor in Gravesend bay and is some- 

 times rare, but was formerly abundant there. It is not adapted 

 to a captive life. At Woods Hole Mass. Dr Smith reports it as 

 usually rare, but occasionally common. As a rule only three 

 or four are taken in a season, but one year 300 or 400 were 

 obtained. It occurs mostly in June and July, associated with 

 the butterflsh, R. triacanthus. 



Subgenus poroxotus Gill 



229 Rhombus triacanthus (Peck) 



Butter fish; Harvestfish 



Stromateus triacanthus Peck, Mein. Amer. Acad. II, part 2, 48, pi. 2, fig. 2, 

 1800, Piscataqua River, N. H.; Jordan & Gilbert, Bull. 16, U. S. Nat. 

 Mus. 451, 1883; Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. II, 398, 1800. 



