BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
748 
Sphyrcena guachancho Cuvier & Valenciennes. 
Barracuda. 
Jordan and Evermann, 1896, p. 824; H. M. 
Smith, 1898, p. 94; Kendall, 1908, p. 69. 
Only two records: Woods Hole, July 7, 1876; 
Buzzards Bay, July 17, 1883. — Smith. 
Sphyrcena borealis DeKay. Barracuda. 
Storer, 1867, p. 86; Goode, 1884, p. 448; Jordan 
and Evermann, 1896, p. 825; H. M. Smith, 
1898, p. 94; Linton, 1901, p. 444; Kendall, 
1908, p. 69. 
Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay, Woods Hole, 
Katama Bay, Gay Head. The young fishes 
are common, adults rare, seldom reaching 12 
inches in length. — Smith. Present from July 
to December; most common after October 
1. — Smith. Taken in traps and seines. 
Food: Young fish, young gastropods. — Linton. 
Family Polynemid^. 
Polydactylies octonemus (Girard). Eight-threaded 
threadfin. 
Jordan and Evermann, 1896, p. 830; H. M. 
Smith, 1898, p. 94; Kendall, 1908, p. 69. 
One taken by seine in Little Harbor in Septem- 
ber, 1882. — Smith. Another, 6J4 inches long, 
in trap at Menemsha Bight, October 28, 1908 
(collected by Edwards, identified by Sumner). 
Family Ammodytid/E. 
Ammodytes americanus De Kay. Sand launce, 
sand eel, lant. [Chart 200 ] 
Baird, 1873; Storer, 1867, p. 217; Bean, 1884; 
Jordan and Evermann, 1896, p. 833; Bumpus, 
1898, p. 486; Mead, 1898, p. 902; H. M. Smith, 
1898, p. 95 {A. americanus and A. dubius ); 
Kendall, 1908, p. 70. 
Abundant throughout region, frequenting sandy 
beaches and flats, and darting into the sand 
when disturbed. Taken throughout the year, 
though most abundant late in fall and early 
spring; rare in winter.— Smith. Dredged by 
the Survey throughout Vineyard Sound at 
depths of 2 1 /, to 13 fathoms, on sandy bottoms; 
not taken in Buzzards Bay dredgings. Young 
in tow from to 1 inch in length in March, 
1898. — Bumpus. Young taken from January 
till November, being most frequent from March 
to May, especially April. — Towing records of 
V. N. Edwards. 
Fish Hawk stations: 7533 (2), 7540 (6), 7545 (1 
small), 7546 bis (1), 7562 (3), 7562 bis (3), 7566 
(x), 7569 bis (about 12), 7575 (1), 7596 (several), 
7703 (few), 7704 (few), 7705 (many), 7739 (1), 
7771 (2). 
A mmodytes americanus — Continued . 
Phalarope stations: 43 (2), 60 (1). 
Important food for mackerel (Smith), and prob- 
ably other fishes. 
Parasites: Cestodes (Linton ) — Rkynckobothrium 
bulbifer, R. imparispine (listed for "Ammo- 
dytes dubius’’). Copepods (C. B. Wilson) — • 
Caligus rapax. 
Family HoLOCENTRimE. 
IHolocentrus tortugce Jordan & Thompson. 
Squirrel-fish. 
H. M. Smith, 1899, 1900, 1901a; Kendall, 1908, 
p. 70 (these specimens were referred to Holo- 
centrus ascensionis (Osbeck)). 
Katama Bay; one young specimen seined Sep- 
tember 1, 1899, another August 28, 1900. 
Family Muluoe. 
Mullus auratus (Jordan & Gilbert). Goatfish, sur- 
mullet. 
Jordan and Evermann, 1896, p. 856; H. M. 
Smith, 1898, p. 95; Kendall, 1908, p. 71. 
“Rare. Taken every year in September, mostly 
in Quisset Harbor. ’ ’ — Smith. Specimens from 
the following points are contained in the local 
collection: Woods Hole (4 specimens, July 25, 
1894); Menemsha Bight (22 in one seine haul, 
July 29, 1908, and again in some numbers, 
August 19, 1908), Great Harbor (one speci- 
men, September 20, 1908). A young fish, 
probably of this species, was dredged by the 
Fish Hawk in Buzzards Bay during the sum- 
mer of 1906. The foregoing specimens are all 
small (mostly 4 inches or less in length). 
Family ScoMBRim®. 
Scomber scombrus Linnaeus. Common mackerel. 
Storer, 1867, p. 55 (Scomber nernalis ) ; Verrill and 
Smith, 1873, p. 516 (Scomber vernalis); Baird, 
1873 ; Jordan and Evermann, 1896, p. 865; 
H. M. Smith, 1898, p. 95; Bumpus, 1898a, p. 59; 
Sherwood and Edwards, 1901; Linton, 1901, p. 
444; Sharp and Fowler, 1904, p. 508; Kendall, 
1908, p. 71. 
Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay; believed to 
be less abundant here than formerly, though 
still taken on a commercial scale. According 
to Smith (1898) the mackerel appear about 
June 1, for two weeks, then disappear for a few 
weeks for spawning (?); after reappearance, 
they remain through November. Mr. Ed- 
wards states that they arrive the first week in 
May, and remain in the region till November; 
that they are scarce in the Bay trap after July 
