The Yellowtail 145 
Seriola. Sevtola dorsalis (Gill) is the large 
Pacific species. The fish attains a length of 
over four feet, and I have seen a specimen which 
weighed eighty pounds dressed, which suggests a 
one-hundred-pound fish as the maximum; but 
this is very rare, at least in the Santa Catalina 
fishing-grounds, where the yellowtail is best 
known. The average rod catch is from seven- 
teen to twenty-five pounds, though I have seen a 
sixty-three-pound fish taken from the wharf. 
The yellowtail spawns in August, that is, fish 
with spawn are seen and caught at this time; but 
the smallest yellowtail I have observed in these 
waters in sixteen years weighed about seven 
pounds, the very young never being observed 
there. I understand they are caught in the bay 
of San Diego and farther south. On one occa- 
sion only have I seen a school of young yellow- 
tails, and these must have averaged ten pounds 
each. The very young yellowtail bears a strong 
resemblance to the little pilot-fish, and is banded 
with ten dark, more or less cloudy stripes. The 
fact that the young are not seen at the islands is 
by no means evidence that the fish do not spawn 
here, as a similar instance is seen in the black sea- 
bass. Almost every bass taken bears enormous 
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