o 



276 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



net and hook, and are sometimes found on haddock lines, 

 which had been baited with mussels. They are occasionally 

 brought to market, and considered by many persons to be 

 superior to the mackerel as food, being firmer and whiter 

 in the flesh, and possessing much of the same flavour. The 

 bones, which are always green, frequently create disgust. 



This species is distinguished from the Scomberesox sau- 

 ris, in having the dorsal and anal fins entire, which in the 

 S. sauris are divided behind into five or more finlets as in 

 the mackerel. 



Genus SCOMBERESOX. — Snout attenuated, greatly 

 prolonged ; teeth in both jaws, more on the palatines or 

 tongues ; dorsal and anal fins divided behind into finlets. 



Scomberesox sauris.* — The Saury Pike. 



Specific Character. — Dorsal fin with five, and anal with eight spu- 

 rious fins. 



Description. — " From a specimen fourteen inches and three-quar- 

 ters in length. Body elongated, considerably deeper for its length 

 than that of the gar-fish ; length of the jaws and head, compared to 

 the whole length of the fish, as one to four ; the depth of the body 

 two inches, or, as compared to the whole, as two to seven. Pecto- 

 ral fins small ; a keel-like edge, commencing on each side in a line 

 with the low edge of the gill-covers, passes the whole length of the 

 body ; the space between these lines not wider than one quarter of 

 an inch, except where they dilate a little to include or pass outside 

 of the ventral fins ; the dorsal and anal fins placed far back, and com- 

 mence on the same plane ; the dorsal fin with five finlets behind it ; 

 anal with seven finlets behind it ; tail deeply forked ; the two por- 

 tions divided as far as the posterior edge of a scale-like appendage 

 with which the fleshy portion terminates. Cheeks and gill-covers 

 silvery-white ; irides golden-yellow ; pupil rather elongated verti- 

 cally ; upper part of the head and back, of a fine dark blue, lighter 

 on the sides, and tinged with green ; lower part of the sides and 



* Scomberesox saurus, Cuv., Yarr. Esox sauris, Penn., Don., Jen- 

 Saury Pike, Skipper, Gowdnook, Gofnick. 



