THE ESCOLARS 



Family XXXIII. Lepidopida 



THIS family contains large, mackerel-like fishes with elongate 

 body covered with minute scales. 



There are about 9 genera and 17 species, only ^ of which 

 interest us. The first of these is Ruvettus pretiosus, a large, 

 deep-water fish, generally valued as food in the tropics. It is 

 abundant about Cuba and the Madeiras, and is often taken in 

 the Mediterranean. It is also occasionally taken off the Grand 

 Banks. Among the common names by which it is known are 

 escolar, rovetto, ruvetto, chicolar, oilfish, scour-fish, and plain- 

 fish. It reaches a weight of 100 pounds. 



"The Cubans go ' a-scholaring ' (' d escolar ear ') after the fish- 

 ing for the spearfish has ceased and before that for the red 

 snapper begins." 



The flesh is white and flaky, but soft and insipid in the 

 Madeiras, according to Lowe, where its extreme oiliness makes 

 it unwholesome. 



Another food species of this family is the rabbit-fish, conejo 

 or Bermuda catfish ( Promethichthys prometheus), a large voracious 

 fish of the open sea, found about islands in the tropical Atlantic, 

 chiefly in deep water. In this genus the ventral fin is reduced 

 to a single spine. 



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