19 



FAJIILY 24. MACKERELS; SCOMBRIDAE. 



Fishes of this family may be recognized by the unusual character 

 of the dorsal fin, since the last rays are detached and form a series 

 of separate flnlets. The same structure appears in the anal fin. The 

 head is pointed and the colors are richly metallic. 



The California Bonito, Sarda chilensis (Cuvier and Valenciennes), 

 is a large fish two to three feet in length and weighing 12 to 16 pounds. 

 It is rare in our waters. The body is a dark metallic blue and the 

 tail has a keel on either side. 



The Chub Mackerel, Scomber japonicus (Hutuyn), is a near relative 

 of the true Mackerel, but is a much less valuable fish. The latter 

 Scomber scomber (Linnaeus), (Fig. 33) is the form figured in the 

 plates. The Chub Mackerel is rare in Puget Sound. It has two keels 

 on either side of the base of the tail fin. The color is blue with a 

 number of wavy streaks of black on the back above the lateral line. 



FAMILY 25. RAG-FISHES; ACROTIDAE. 



A rare straggler from the outer ocean is our sole representative of 

 this family, namely Willoughby's Rag-fish, Acrotus willoughbyi (Bean), 

 (Fig. 36). The first specimen of this fish was taken on the outer coast 

 of Washington but examples have now been taken as far south as 

 Tacoma in Puget Sound. It is a strange fish, measuring between five 

 and six feet in length, entirely devoid of scales, with a large caudal 

 fin and lacking the ventral fins. The body is soft and yielding, as the 

 bones are cartilaginous, indicating a normal deep-water habitat. 



FAMILY 26. POMFRETS; BRAMIDAE. 



The Pomfret, Brama raii (Bloch), is reported from the northern 

 section of Puget Sound. It is an excellent food fish. The body is com- 

 pressed, of an oblong shape and covered with small scales. The mouth 

 is very oblique. The dorsal and anal fin each have their three an- 

 terior rays developed as spines. The color is sooty gray with black 

 on the vertical fins. It attains a length of three or four feet. 



FAMILY 27. HIGH-BROWS; ZAPRORIDAE. 



This is a rare and curious fish not yet observed in Puget Sound, 

 but as it v/as taken on the inner coast of Vancouver Island it is prob- 

 able it will be taken on our side of the line. It has a large coarse 

 head with an elevated front which caused the learned savant who 

 described it to call it Zaprora silenus- {Fig. 35). Since the Greek from 

 which the generic name is derived may be freely translated as "high- 

 brow" the writer is responsible for the common name here applied. 



