SOME GIANT FISHES OF THE SEAS 



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A JEW-FISH ABOUT TO SEIZE A BAITED HOOK 



among the bony fishes, as distinguished 

 from the sharks, rays, sturgeons, etc., 

 with gristly skeletons. This is the horse 

 mackerel or great tunny (Thunnus thyn- 

 nus), whose range encircles the globe 

 and which is an object of fisheries in 

 many countries, notably southern Europe. 

 Built on the compact and graceful lines 

 of our common mackerel, it is the apothe- 

 sis of speed, alertness, and vigor among 

 the fishes of the high seas, and might 

 very easily make a transoceanic trip in 

 one-third the time of our fastest, steam- 

 ships. It preys on all kinds of small fish, 

 and is often seen playing havoc among 

 schools of luckless herring and men- 

 haden. Fifteen feet is about its maximum 

 length and 1,500 pounds its estimated 

 maximum weight, although it is likely 

 that this weight is considerably exceeded. 

 Thirty tunnies harpooned by one fisher- 

 man during a single season weighed 

 upwards of 30,000 pounds. A mutilated 

 specimen 10 feet long was once found by 

 the writer on the coast of southern 

 Massachusetts ; its head weighed 282 

 pounds and its carcass must have 

 weighed fully 1,200 pounds when whole. 

 In southern California, where this fish 

 bears the Italian name of tuna, it is much 

 sought by anglers, who use a 7 or 8 foot 



split bamboo rod and 600 or 700 feet of 

 line baited with a flying-fish, and who 

 have magnificent sport in landing small 

 specimens weighing from 100 pounds 

 upward, the record fish weighing 251 

 pounds and requiring four hours to kill. 

 Three species of fishes of the sea-bass 

 family known as jew-fishes rank among 

 the largest of the spiny-finned fishes. 

 They inhabit tropical American waters, 

 and range as far north as the California 

 and South Atlantic coasts. The spotted 

 jew-fish (Promicrops itaiara) is common 

 in the West Indies, and reaches a weight 

 of 600 pounds. The black jew-fish (Gar- 

 rupa nigrita), found from South Caro- 

 lina to Brazil, weighs 500 pounds. The 

 California jew-fish (Stercolepis gigas), 

 usually called sea bass, sometimes attains 

 a weight of 600 pounds, and is one of the 

 really great game fishes of the country, 

 being much sought by anglers in south- 

 ern California. An experienced angler 

 has written, "My largest fish weighed 

 276 pounds, and I was repeatedly almost 

 jerked overboard by the struggles of the 

 bass. I have seen a 200-pound fish snap 

 the largest shark line like a thread, and 

 large specimens straighten out an iron 

 shark hook ; yet the skilled wielders of 

 the rod catch these giants of the tribe 



