890 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



Family CXXII. ISTIOPHORID.E.* 



(THE SAILFISHES.) 



Body elongate, much compressed, covered with elongate scutes ; bones 

 of upper jaw consolidated into a sword, which is roundish on the edges 

 and spear-like, shorter than in Xiphias. Jaws with small, persistent 

 granular teeth. Ventral fins of 1 or 2 rays each, attached to a pelvic 

 arch ; dorsal single, or divided into 2 contiguous portions, the first much 

 longer than the second, the fin rays distinct, the first rays of dorsal dis- 

 tinctly spinous ; anal divided, last rays of dorsal and anal suctorial ; 

 caudal peduncle with 2 fleshy crests or keels. Vertebrae 12 + 12=24, 

 elongate, hourglass-shaped; neural and haemal spines flag-like; ribs well 

 developed. Air bladder very large, sacculate, of numerous separate 

 divisions. Intestine short, straight. Gills reticulated as in Xiphias. 

 Two genera, with about 5 species, oceanic, similar in character and 

 habits to the swordfishes, but smaller in size. This group represents a 

 younger stage in the development of Xiphias, and is intermediate between 

 the latter and the Scombroid stock, from which both are derived. The 

 gaps are wide in the series Scomber 'omorus, Acanthocybium, Istiophorus, 

 Tetrapturus, Xipliias, but the natural sequence seems evident. Several 

 fossil genera of sailfishes are recorded. Other forms are apparently inter- 

 mediate between them and the mackerels. 



a. Ventral rays 2 or 3; dorsal very high, undivided. ISTIOPHORUS, 407. 



aa. Ventral rays united into 1; dorsal low, divided in the adult. TETRAPTURUS, 408 



407. ISTIOPHORUS, Lace-pede. 



(SAILFISHES.) 



Istiophorus, LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., in, 374, 1802, (gladifer == gladius). 



Histiophorus, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES ; amended spelling. 



Makaira, LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., IV, 688, 1803, (nigricans). 



Mach&ra, CUVIER; amended spelling. 



Macaria, NARDO, Isis, xxvi, Col. 418, 1833; amended spelling. 



Notislium, HERMANN, Observ. Zob'l., 305, 1804, (gladius). 



Zandurus, SWAINSON, Nat. Hist. Fish., n, 239, 1839, (indicus = gladius). 



Body slender, much compressed, covered with elongate scales. Numer- 

 ous small teeth on the jaws and palatines. Ventral fins present, of 2 or 

 3 rays; dorsal fin extremely high, continuous, as in the young of Tetrap- 

 turus and Xiphias; the rays very numerous, none being aborted, the 

 height of the first much greater than that of body ; anal fin divided. 

 Air bladder sacculate ; intestine short, nearly straight. Sword usually 

 shorter and less flattened than in Xiphias, the edge more rounded, the 

 lower jaw more developed. The skin is also rougher. Large fishes of 

 the warm seas ; the number of species uncertain, probably several. 

 (lariov, sail; </>opw, to bear.) 



*For a detailed account of the Isliophoridie and Xipldidse see Goode, Proc. U. S, Nat. Mus., 

 1881, 415. 



