Handbook of the marine and freshwater fishes of the British Islands - (including an enumeration of every species) (1883) (14592330358)

Tunny (Orcynus thynnus) (=Thunnus thynnus)
Identifier: handbookofmarine00kent (find matches)
Title: Handbook of the marine and freshwater fishes of the British Islands : (including an enumeration of every species)
Year: 1883 (1880s)
Authors: Kent, W. Saville (William Saville), d. 1908 Holdsworth, Edmund Willam Hunt, 1829-1915. Apparatus for fishing Walpole, Spencer, Sir, 1839-1907. British fish trade Bertram, James Glass, 1824-1892. Unappreciated fisher folk, their round of life and labour Fryer, Charles Edward. Salmon fisheries
Subjects: Fisheries Fishes Fish trade
Publisher: London : W. Clowes and Sons
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library



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currence.Some idea of the abundance of this valuable food-fish maybe gained from the record, that as many as 300,000 were, inMay 1868, netted in one morning off the Scilly Isles. TheSpanish Mackerel (Scomber colzas), No. 35, much resemblesthe common species, but grows to a considerably largersize, and is only an occasional wanderer to our shores,its headquarters being the Mediterranean. Among the 32 MARINE AND FRESHWATER FISHES preserved specimens of the common Mackerel in the DayCollection is an example, No. 34 c, round the body ofwhich, on its first capture, an indiarubber ring had beenfastened and the fish returned to the sea; as subsequentlycaught and now exhibited, the ring has constricted thebody at the point of contact to about one-half its naturalgirth. No interference with its ordinary vital functionshad apparently resulted from this novel experiment intight lacing. Closely allied to the Mackerels, but vastly exceedingthem in dimensions, are the various species of Tunnies and
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FIG. 7.—TUNNY (Orcynus thynnus). Bonitos. While but occasional visitants to British waters,their capture and preservation, more especially that of theCommon or Short-finned Tunny (Orcytins thynnus), No. 36,constitutes one of the most important fishing industriesalong- the Mediterranean sea-board. A length of fromeight to nine feet, with a weight of 500 to IOOO pounds andupwards, are the ordinary dimensions and weights of adultexamples of the Common Tunny, though these may begreatly exceeded. The cast of an example of this species,measuring eight feet, captured at Dawlish, Devonshire, is onview in the Buckland Museum. The remaining membersof the Mackerel family, that like the Common Tunny are OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. 33 only irregular wanderers to our shores, are the Long-finnedTunny (Orcynus germd), No. 37; the Bonito (Thynnuspelamys), No. 38; the Short-finned Tunny or Pelamid(Pelamys sardd), No. 39; and the Plain Bonito (Atixisrochei), No. 40. Young examples of the greater number of