2-4^ REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



Family XIPHIIDiE. 



The Sword Fishes. 



Body elongate. Upper jaw very much prolonged, forming* a 

 "sw^ord," which is flattened horizontally and composed of the 

 consolidated vomer, ethmoid and premaxillaries. Teeth want- 

 ing in adult, present in young. Gills of peculiar structure, 

 laminae of each arch joined into i plate by reticulations. Gills 4, 

 a slit behind fourth. Gill-membranes separate, free from isthmus. 

 Pseudobranchise present. Branchiostegals 7. Air-vessel present. 

 Pyloric coeca very numerous. Intestinal canal long, with many 

 folds. V^ertebrse short, 14+12 = 26 in number, neural and 

 haemal spines normal. Ribs very few. Skin naked, young cov- 

 ered with rough granulations. Ver)^ young or larval individuals 

 differing much from adults, fins high, both jaws prolonged into a 

 beak, and head armed with long spines. Dorsal fin long, usually 

 divided in adult, continuous in young, without differentiated spin- 

 ous part, both parts composed of soft rays, posterior portion 

 much smaller than anterior and placed on tail resembling second 

 dorsal of shark, and fin rays enveloped in skin. Anal fin divided 

 in adult. Caudal peduncle slender, W'ith strong median keel. 

 Caudal fin widely forked in adult. Ventral fins entirely wanting, 

 no pelvic arch. 



A single species, an enormous fish in the open sea rivaling the 

 largest sharks in size and of immense strength of muscle. Occa- 

 sional on our coast. 



Genus XiPHiAS Linnaeus. 

 The Sword Fishes. 



Xiphias gladius Linnasus. 



Sword Fish. 



Distinguished from any of our other fishes by the prolonged 

 snout, which is very long, pointed, flattened and trenchant. 



