462 
BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
Specimen 30 millimeters long. — A single specimen of this size is at hand. It does 
not differ greatly in shape from specimens 12 to 14 millimeters long. Preopercular 
spines, large and prominent in fish ranging from 6 to 14 millimeters in length, are 
missing and the preopercular margin now is entirely unarmed. The dorsal spines 
remain rather short but are pungent. The first two anal spines are well separated 
from the rest of the fin and are short and strong. The lateral fine with distinct 
pores is fully developed and scalation is complete. Dark bands (six in the speci- 
Figure 76 . — Seriola dumerili. Drawn from a specimen 14 millimeters long 
men at hand) apparently are just forming, for they are not nearly as distinct as in 
larger specimens. The bands or bars plainly are the result of the concentration of 
the dark chromatophores already present in much smaller fish. The bars are all 
vertical, except the first one which extends obliquely backward from the eye to the 
occiput. Dark chromatophores are sparingly distributed over the body between 
the crossbars. No trace of the dark lateral band or fine, prominent in smaller fish, 
remains. (Fig. 77.) 
Specimens J^O millimeters long.- — The difference between the 30-millimeter speci- 
men and those that are 40 millimeters long is not pronounced. The caudal fin is 
somewhat more deeply forked, and the dark crossbars are more sharply outlined, 
and rather narrower and darker. The number of bars present in three specimens at 
hand of this size vary from 6 to 8. (Fig. 78.) 
Specimens 110 millimeters long.- — The difference between specimens of this size 
and those 40 millimeters long is comparatively slight. The body remains quite 
