FISHERY RESOURCES OF THE PHILIPPINES, I. 515 



for canning operations could be secured at an}' of the following places: 

 Manila, Jolo, Zamboanga, Sitanki, Puerto Princesa, and perhaps a 

 dozen other places not yet examined. They abound at all seasons. 



THE MACKERELS. 

 Family Scombridw. (PI. IV.) 



There are at least eight different species of the mackerel family found 

 in the Philippines, all of them good food fishes and of commercial 

 importance. In this family is the tanguingue, also called tangili or 

 tangi (Moro), which is a true Spanish mackerel {Scomberomorus com- 

 mersoni Laeepede) . By many people this is regarded as the finest 

 food fish in the Philippine waters. This fish is fairly abundant, and 

 can usually be found in the markets, where it sells from 1 to 4 pesos, 

 Philippine currency (50 cents to 2 dollars United States currency) per 

 fish. At Zamboanga it is nothing unusual to see ten or a dozen of these 

 fish in the market at one time, all of them measuring 90 centimeters 

 or more in length. They are frequently cut up and sold by slices. The 

 major part of the tanguingue are caught off shore witli a hook and line, 

 a good fishing ground being located off the east coast of Basilan. At 

 Manila they are usually caught in nets. Another Spanish mackerel taken 

 in these waters is Scomheromorus honam (Bleeker), which is scarcely 

 distinguishable from the above. 



Other important members of the family are the chub mackerels (alu- 

 mahan or cavallas), Scomber microlepidotus Etippell, and the hasa-hasa 

 (Scomber japonicus Houttuyn). These fish run in great shoals through- 

 out the Islands, following small fish, upon which they feed. They 

 enter Manila Bay in Mcrch and the inhabitants along the shore-line of 

 the bay are kept awake ciuring the nights by the noisy clatter of the 

 fishermen beating with their paddles against the sides of their boats in 

 order to frighten these much desired fish into the nets or hastil}' con- 

 structed corrals. 



Still other members of this family represented in these waters are 

 the small bonitoes (sobad or iuliiujan) Gymnosarda pelamis (Linn.), 

 the great tunnies (also called sobad), and the albacore {Germo alalunga 

 Bleeker) . 



All of these fish may be caugiit with hook and line, in nets or corrals. 

 They are so abundant that it is unusual to make a trip among the 

 Islands without sighting one or more shoals of fish belonging to this 

 family. They are especially common about the Cuyo group and along 

 the shores of Palawan. The market at Zamboanga is usually well stocked 

 with all members of the family. They are with few exceptions fishes 

 of the deep water. The purse-seine in my opinion could be profitably 

 employed in their capture. 



