Tbe Yellowtail 145 



Seriola. Seriola dorsalis (Gill.) is the large 

 Pacific species. The fish attains a length of 

 over four feet, and I have seen a specimen which 

 weighed eighty pounds dressed, which suggests a 

 one-hundred-pound fish as the maximum; but 

 this is very rare, at least in the Santa Catalina 

 fishing-grounds, where the yellowtail is best 

 known. The average rod catch is from seven- 

 teen to twenty-five pounds, though I have seen a 

 sixty-three-pound fish taken from the wharf. 



The yellowtail spawns in August, that is, fish 

 with spawn are seen and caught at this time ; but 

 the smallest yellowtail I have observed in these 

 waters in sixteen years weighed about seven 

 pounds, the very young never being observed 

 there. I understand they are caught in the bay 

 of San Diego and farther south. On one occa- 

 sion only have I seen a school of young yellow- 

 tails, and these must have averaged ten pounds 

 each. The very young yellowtail bears a strong 

 resemblance to the little pilot-fish, and is banded 

 with ten dark, more or less cloudy stripes. The 

 fact that the young are not seen at the islands is 

 by no means evidence that the fish do not spawn 

 here, as a similar instance is seen in the black sea- 

 bass. Almost every bass taken bears enormous 



