THE GAME FISHES OF THE PERSIAN GULF. 739 



With the Koot (pronounced as in "foot ") it is a case of "once seen never 

 forgotten "and the accompanying photograph of a 20 lb. one will fully bear 

 out the contention. Appended is a description of this sea Caliban : — 

 Description. 



Weight.— 20 lbs. 



Lemjth. — 4 ft. 7 inches. 



Girth. — 15 inches. 



Body — -Elongated and nearly cylindrical. 



Head. — Lean and long and flattened horizoiitally and the extremity of the 

 lower jaw terminates in a ram. When the mouth is closed the head bears 

 very much the appearance of an exaggerated pencil point, though somewhat 

 squared oft' towards the base of the point. The lower jaw protrudes to 

 form the ram already mentioned. 



Teeth. — The dentition is remarkable and most formidable. Situated in 

 the centre of the extremity of the lower jaw and at the base of the ram is 

 a single sharp elliptical tooth. At first sight this tooth would appear to be 

 conical, but when viewed from the front of the mouth it will be observed to 

 be more elliptical than conical. This tooth fits into a socket in the upper 

 jaw. The extremity of the upper jaw is furnished with a pair of sharp 

 elliptical teeth similar to the single fang at the point of the lower jaw. 

 These two teeth fit into sockets in the lower jaw, one on either side of the 

 single fang. Situated just posteriorly to this pair of teeth are a second 

 pair similar to the anterior pair. Both the upper and lower jaws are 

 lined with a row of extremely sharp, lancet-like, flattened teeth of very 

 redoubtable appearance ; the teeth of the upper jaw closing inside those 

 of the lower jaw (exactly the opposite to the Surmai). The tongue is 

 furnished with villiform teeth which are absent on the palate. 



Eye — Large and prominent. 



Colour. — The back and head are of a dark greyish green colour, which 

 turns to white on the belly ; iridescence is practically absent. The grey- 

 green of the back is continued down the flanks in ill-defined streaks. The 

 caudal is tinged with yellow, and this yellow colouring is noticeable to a 

 certain extent on the posterior dorsal fin. 



Fins. — Anterior dorsal has 5 spmes which are connected by a transparent 

 membrane. Hhe posterior dorsal SiXid anal are situated well back on the 

 body, the anus being immediately in front of the anal fin. 



Caudal. — Forked and rayed. 



It is a notorious fact that the trait of " slinniess " is developed to an extra- 

 ordinary degree in the Barracudas, and Sphyrcena ohtusata worthily upholds 

 the family tradition. The Koot probably grows to 50 lbs. in weight, but 

 these hoary veterans are far too wary to be deceived by any of man's puny 

 lures ; the craftiness with which he takes the bait is a marvel ; methodically 

 he follows it, gently mouthing it at intervals. The angler feels only a very 

 slight tug on the line and he must needs strike hard and swiftly ; even so 

 the manner in which the Koot successfully avoids the hooks is astonishing, 

 and at times exceedingly exasperating. Frequently this barely discernible 

 nip will have divided a fair sized mullet into two or even three pieces, as 

 clearly as if the operation had been performed with the aid of a kitchen 

 knife. The sport aftorded by a Koot of ordinary size is short-lived, though 

 this failing is somewhat counterbalanced by the palatableness of his flesh. 

 The smaller one comes in like a log ; he then stands on his tail, opens his 

 jaws and shakes his head viciously. On one occasion a Koot of medium 

 weight performed these evolutions in commendable style, but added an 

 extra turn to the pantomime by violently ejecting a score or so of half- 

 digested "matoots." The inordinate stench that was difi'used from its 

 oesophagus can best be likened to the afiiuvium emanating from a burst drain 



