THE TEIPLE-TAIL OR BLACK PERCH. 445 



by various authors the "Black Triple-tail," and iu 1856, according to Gill, was called in New York 

 market the "Flasher." It is remarkable on account of its extraordinarily wide range, having been 

 found in China, the Malay Archipelago, at Sunda and Molucca, in the Bay of Bengal, and in the 

 Mediterranean about Sicily ; at Ceylon, in the West Indies about Cuba and Jamaica, on the coast of 

 South America, from Surinam, whence the first specimen was derived and from which locality the 

 species takes its scientific name, and along the coast of the United States from Saint John's River 

 to Wood's Holl, Massachusetts. The Triple-tail is a short, thick, heavily built fish. The dorsal and 

 anal fins project backwards towards the base of the caudal so prominently as to give origin to the 

 common name. When alive it is a very beautiful species, silvery and gray in color, but after death 

 it soon becomes dingy — so dingy, in fact, that many of the common names are prefixed by the 

 adjective "black." I saw four specimens at Jacksonville, Florida, on the 5th of April, 1875. The 

 largest weighed about ten pounds and measured nearly two feet in length. The species is abundant 

 about Charleston, where, according to Holbrook, it appears in June and remains until September. 

 It feeds upon small fishes and mussels, and is said to take the hook readily when baited with clams 

 or with shrimps. It is occasionally taken in the lower part of the Chesapeake Bay, and Professor 

 Baird obtained specimens about three inches long in August among the eel-grass on Tuckahoe 

 Eiver in New Jersey. Stragglers have been taken at New York, and even as far north as Wood's 

 Holl, Massachusetts. They are occasionally brought to the New York market, where they are 

 highly esteemed, (rill, writing in 1856, said: "I saw a single specimen of this species in Fulton 

 Market last year, which remained exposed on the stall from August 30 to September 6. It did 

 not seem to be known. It was about fifteen inches in length, and one dollar was demanded for it." 

 By the fishermen of Saint John's River, Florida, it is considered one of the finest food-fishes, and its 

 large silver scales command a high price at the fancy shops, where they are sold to be used in the 

 manufacture of scale works. 



149. THE MOON-FISH— CH^TODIPTERUS FABER. 



The Moon-fish is one of the rarer species on our coast, and has recently come so much into 

 favor in New York that among connoisseurs it, is one of the most highly esteemed food-fishes. It 

 is also highly esteemed by residents of Washington who know it, being abundant in the markets 

 of that city in summer. In the northern parts of the Gulf of Mexico it is called the " Spade-fish " ; 

 from Florida to Charleston the " Angel-fish," a name which, according to Schoepf, appears to 

 have been current during the last century at Beaufort, North Carolina, where it is called the 

 "Porgee" or "Pogy," and at New York, where it is stated to be found in summer. "Three-tail 

 Sheepshead" and "Three- tail Porgee" are names which are said to have been formerly in use 

 among the New York fishermen. 



The range of this species along our coast is very wide. It has been found in Guatemala, and 

 perhaps farther south, and the British Museum has specimens from Texas, Santo Domingo, and 

 Jamaica. It is said to be somewhat abundant on the coast of South Carolina, and not uncommon 

 at the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. They are occasionally taken about New York, and several 

 individuals have been obtained by the Fish Commission at Woods' Holl. It is occasionally taken 

 in Southern California, about San Diego. It attains the length of eighteen inches and the weight 

 of several pounds. The large adult specimens have a peculiar globular bone in the head, unlike 

 anything which has been found in any other fish. Two species have been recognized by American 

 ichthyologists. It seems probable that these represent different ages of the same fish. The only 

 study of its habits in existence is the following, which is quoted from Mr. Stearns' manuscript: 



" The Spade-fish, Ghcetodipterus fdber, is common on the West Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana 



