Fig. 287.—Irish Pampano, Gerres olisthostomus Goode & Bean. Indian River, Fla.
The Rudder-fishes: Kyphosidæ.—The Kyphosidæ, called rudder-fishes, have no molars, the front of the jaws being occupied by incisors, which are often serrated, loosely attached, and movable. The numerous species are found in the warm seas and are chiefly herbivorous.
Fig. 288.—Chopa or Rudder-fish, Kyphosus sectatrix (Linnæus). Wood's Hole, Mass.
Boops boops and Boops salpa, known as boga and salpa, are elongate fishes common in the Mediterranean. Other Mediterranean forms are Spondyliosoma cantharus, Oblata melanura, etc. Girella nigricans is the greenfish of California, everywhere abundant about rocks to the south of San Francisco, and of considerable value as food. Almost exactly like it is the Mejinadai (Girella punctata) of Japan. The best-known members of this group belong to the genus Kyphosus. Kyphosus sectatrix is the rudder-fish, or Chopa blanca, common in the West Indies and following ships to the northward even as far as Cape Cod, once even taken at Palermo. It is supposed that it is enticed by the waste thrown overboard. Kyphosus elegans is found on the west coast of Mexico, Kyphosus tahmel in the East Indies and Polynesia, and numerous other species occur in tropical America and along the coasts of southern Asia. Sectator ocyurus is a more elongate form of rudder-fish, striped with bright blue and yellow, found in the Pacific. Medialuna californiensis is the half-moon fish, or medialuna, of southern California, an excellent food-fish frequently taken on rocky shores. Numerous related species occur in the Indian seas.
Fig. 288a.—Blue-green Sunfish, Apomotis cyanellus (Rafinesque). Kansas River. (After Kellogg.)
Fossil fragments in Europe have been referred to Boops, Spondyliosoma, and other genera.
CHAPTER XX
THE SURMULLETS, THE CROAKERS AND THEIR
RELATIVES
