SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OP FISHES. 195 



There are no definite North Carolina records for this species, although it has 

 been frequently cited as occurring "off Cape Hatteras", "as far south as Cape 

 Hatteras", etc. As is well known, it often happens that the first schools of 

 mackerel met with by the New England fishermen in spring are off Cape Hatteras, 

 and in one or two instances the fish have been seen off Cape Hatteras in December 

 or late fall. 



The writer's recent observations have shown that this is the species known 

 to the fishermen of Cape Lookout and other North Carolina localities as "round 

 mackerel ". The fish is caught in bottom gill nets at Cape Lookout in spring and 

 fall, and one specimen was taken there in the third week in April, 1904. The 

 largest numbers come with the Spanish mackerel in May. During summer the 

 mackerel is absent, but in fall it reappears and at that time is sometimes caught 

 in pound nets in Pamlico Sound and about Roanoke Island. ^Ir. George N. 

 Ives, however, one of the very best informed fish men in North Carolina, says he 

 has never seen this fish in the state and doubts its occurrence. 



Family TRICHIURID^. The Hair-tails. 



These fishes frequent the warmer parts of the ocean and swim near the sur- 

 face. They are exceedingly elongate, with closely compressed sides and body 

 tapering posteriorly to a point. The head is large, with wide mouth, powerful 

 jaws, and prominent teeth. The gills are 4 in number, the gill-membranes are 

 not connected and are free from the isthmus. The body is destitute of scales, 

 but there is a lateral line. The air-bladder is present. The fin development is 

 peculiar: The dorsal fin is very long, and usually without differentiation of the 

 spinous and soft rays, all of which are short; the anal is likewise long and very 

 low; the caudal is absent; the pectorals are small; and the ventrals are either 

 absent or rudimentary. The family is represented in American waters by a 

 single genus and species. 



Genus TRICHIURUS Linnaeus. Cutlass-fishes. 



Body band-like; head long, lower jaw strong and projecting; teeth on jaws 

 and palatines, those on jaw of unequal size, strong and sharp; margin of maxil- 

 lary partly covered by preorbital; lateral line decurved; dorsal fin extending 

 without a break from nape to end of tail; anal consisting of short, detached 

 spines nearly concealed by the skin; posterior extremity of body produced as a 

 long filament; pectorals very short; ventrals absent. {Trichiurus, hair-tail.) 



167. TRICHIURUS LEPTURUS Linnaus. 

 "Sword-fisli"; Cutlass-fisli ; Scabbard-fish; Sabre-fish; Hair-tail. 



rri(AiurMsZep(un«LinnaBUs, Systema Naturae, ed. i, 246, 1758; America. Yarrow. 1877, 207; Beaufort. Jen- 

 kina, 1887, 88; Beaufort. Jordan & Evermann, 1896, 889, pi. cxxx\ii, fig. 376. 



Diagnosis. — Greatest depth of body about .06 total length; head pointed, comparatively- 

 large, contained 7.5 times in total length; upper jaw with about 4 large lanoet-hke teeth arid 

 others smaller; lower jaw with numerous sharp teeth; mandible reaching to posterior margin of 

 eye; eye large, .5 length of snout and .16 length of head; posterior margin of opercle forming 



