THE TRIPLETAILS 



Fainily XLIX. LoboiidiV 



Body oblong, compressed; snout short; eyes well forward; no 

 teeth on palate; soft parts of dorsal and anal lins equal and opposite, 

 the former preceded l\y a much larger spinous portion ; vertebrte 12+12. 



This family contains but 2 or 3 species, large fishes closely allied 

 to the Scrranidcv. but lacking the vomerine and palatine teeth, and 

 with the fore part of the head very short. Our only important species 



I ,Y'.>* li'? Af 5-., OR 



^^^i^^khi^ 



is the flasher or tripletail, which is found from Surinam northward 

 among the West Indies and occasionally to Cape Cod. It has been re- 

 corded also from the Mediterranean, India, and China. It is only of 

 rare occurrence on our coast. In Indian River, Florida, it is taken only 

 occasionally and is not well known to the fishermen. It is not un- 

 common about Porto Rico. The tripletail is an interesting and attrac- 

 tive fish, reaching a length of ^ feet and a weight of 2S or 10 pounds, 

 and is a good food-fish. We know nothing as to its game qualities. 



The Lnhnfes on the Pacific coast of (x'ntial America {L. pacificus) 

 seems to differ from the tripletail chiellv in the narrower interorbital 

 and the smaller preopercular serralions. Little is known of its habits. 



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