34 



and largest tai in the market. Average weight of the adult fish in the 

 market is about one and half kilogrammes. The fish about two kilo- 

 grammes in weight is very delicate in taste and very beautiful in colora- 

 tion. Old fish are coarse in taste and dusky in color. 



Food of this fish consists of Mollusca (Lamellibranchiata, Opisthobran- 

 chiata, Gasteropoda, Cephalopoda), Crustacea (Decapoda, Stomatopoda, 

 Schizopoda, Cirripedia), Vermes (Polychceta, Gephyrea), Echinodermata 

 (Holothuroidea, Asteroidea, Echinoidea), Brachiopoda (Lingula) and Pisces 

 (Clupea, Engraulis, Caranx, Ammodytes, etc.). The fish is very voraci- 

 ous. In one case, I found 56 full-sized sardine and anchovy in the 

 stomach of a fish of about 80 cm. in length. 



The fish swimm the shallower strata of waters at night than at 

 daytime. In the spawning season the fish come in schools to shallow 

 and quiet waters. Thus the Inland Sea furnishes a very big spawning 

 ground for this species. Millions of the fish come to the sea through 

 the narrow straits between Hondo and Shikoku. In the sea, thousands 

 of the fish are sometimes caught in one haul of a seine. 



The fish spawn in daytime. The egg is buoyant, spherical and 

 transparent. Its diameter is about 1 mm. The yolk is simple with one 

 oil globule which is tinged pinkish. The diameter of the globule is 

 about 1 / 5 the diameter of the egg. It is very hard to distinguish these 

 eggs from others as there are no special characteristics. It is hatched 

 out in 3 — 4 days in nature (ca 15 C). The hatched out lava is about 

 1. 5 mm. in length. Eggs may be fertilized artificially. 



Captured chiefly by hand-and long-lines. Different kinds of nets and 

 seines are also used ; but they are worked in the spawning season only, 

 except some gill nets, 



This species was caught by the prehistoric people of our country. 

 A piece of the skull of this fish with a broken end of a spear head, 

 stuck into it, was found from a shell-mound of Shiizuka, Province of 



