THE CUTLASS FISHES 



Family XXXIV. Trichiurida 



BODY extremely elongate, band-shaped, naked, tapering to a 

 point, the ventral fins imperfect or wanting and the spinous and 

 soft parts of the dorsal fin not differentiated. Mouth wide, 

 the jaws armed with strong unequal teeth. Premaxillaries not pro- 

 tractile. Pseudobranchise present. Gills 4, a slit behind the fourth; 

 gill-membranes separate, free from the isthmus; lateral line present; 

 dorsal fin very long, low, usually continuous, the rays all similar; 

 caudal fin absent; anal fin very long and low, scarcely rising 

 above the surface of the skin; ventrals thoracic, rudimentary 

 (Eupleurogrammus) or wanting; vertebra? in greatly increased 

 number, about 160; air-bladder present; pyloric creca numerous. 

 Genera 2, species about 6. 



The single species in our waters is Trichiurus lepturus, 

 known as the cutlass-fish, scabbard-fish, silver-fish, machete, sable, 



or savola, a long, slender, ribbon-like fish found in the West 

 Indies and north to Virginia. It occurs also on the Pacific Coast 

 about Lower California. It is taken occasionally in the lower 

 Chesapeake and along the South Atlantic Coast. It is not common 

 at Key West and its capture usually excites much interest. In 

 Porto Rico, where it is known by the very appropriate name, 

 machete, it is not rare. 



Though not abundant enough to be of commercial importance, 

 \t is nevertheless an excellent food-fish. 



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