136 
THE BOOK OF FISHES 
Photograph from Mrs. Bernard F. Gimbel 
A RECORD SAILFISH AND ITS FAIR CAPTOR 
The Sailfish ranks with the lordly Tarpon as a trophy par excellence. 
The great dorsal sail, which it runs up or reefs in a flash, its long rapier-like 
snout with which it attacks fish prey, great courage as a fighter plus the 
ability to leap from its natural habitat, high in the air, while endeavoring 
to shake the hook from its mouth, present a thrilling picture. 
fatigable fighters of fishdom, and is a 
source of much sport to the angler, who 
will often travel hundreds of miles for an 
opportunity to match his skill and wits 
with this fish. Its name is, like most 
common names of fishes, derived from its 
most striking feature, in this case an 
internal one. Its bony structure is 
similar to that of the Herring. 
In the localities where this fish abounds 
the natives have a way of stretching it 
before cooking, so that 
the bones may be 
released from the flesh. 
When cooked proper¬ 
ly, after this operation, 
it provides a fine dish 
and the bones may be 
easily drawn out. 
The color of the 
Bonefish is a beautiful 
glistening silver and 
the scales are much 
desired by the natives 
of the West Indies. I n 
fish-scale work for 
decorating ladies^ cos¬ 
tumes the scales of 
this fish are used. The 
writer has seen an 
evening gown made 
wholly of Bonefish 
scales which was in¬ 
deed a thing of beauty. 
The scales were bored 
and laid on a fabric 
base like shingles on 
a roof. The resultant 
effect was like that of 
the natural body of 
the fish (Color Plate, 
page 151). 
Of all silvery-colored 
fishes, probably none 
equals the Moonfish in 
beauty. These slug¬ 
gish little fishes fre¬ 
quent shady places 
and sandy shores, 
where they are taken 
in seines in large 
quantities. To the 
quiet observer of their 
habits, they appear to 
be duly appreciative 
of the fact that they 
are admired, for they 
seem to be forever 
cleaning and preening themselves in the 
sands (Color Plate, page 147). 
The peculiar, moon-like contour of the 
bodies of these fish is mainly responsible 
for their name. They are literally the 
“high-brows’" of the fish tribe, their high 
foreheads giving them what passes for 
the appearance of intellectuality. When 
seen at close range, the iridescence of 
their silvery bodies is more beautiful 
than mother-of-pearl, which the sides of 
