Fishes . Fig. 201.—A ]>rimitive Herring-like fish, Uolcolepis letresiensis, Mantell, Elopidte. English Chalk. (After Woodward.) though not valued as food-fishes save to those who, like theHawaiians and Japanese, eat fishes raw. These people prefer 270 Isospondyli for that purpose the white-meated or soft-fleshed forms HkeElops or Scams to those which yield a better flavor when cooked. The ten-pounder (Elops saurns), pike-like in form but withvery weak teeth, is foimd in tropical America. Elops maclniaia,the jackmariddle, the awaawa of the Hawaiians, abounding inthe Pacific,
Fishes . Fig. 201.—A ]>rimitive Herring-like fish, Uolcolepis letresiensis, Mantell, Elopidte. English Chalk. (After Woodward.) though not valued as food-fishes save to those who, like theHawaiians and Japanese, eat fishes raw. These people prefer 270 Isospondyli for that purpose the white-meated or soft-fleshed forms HkeElops or Scams to those which yield a better flavor when cooked. The ten-pounder (Elops saurns), pike-like in form but withvery weak teeth, is foimd in tropical America. Elops maclniaia,the jackmariddle, the awaawa of the Hawaiians, abounding inthe Pacific, is scarcely if at all different. The tarpon, called also grande ccaille, silver-king, and sabalo(Tarpon atlanticus), is a favorite game-fish along the coasts ofFlorida and Carolina. It takes the hook with great spirit, and. Fia. 203.—Tarpon or Grande Ecaille, Tarpon atlanticus Cuv. it W\. Florida. as it reaches a length of six feet or more it affords much excite-ment to the successful angler. The very large scales are muchused in ornamental work. A similar species of smaller size, also with the last ray ofthe dorsal very much produced, is Megalops cyprinoides of theEast Indies. Other species occur in the South Seas. Numerous fossil genera related to Elops are fotmd in theCretaceous and Tertiary rocks. Holcolcpis lewesiensis (wronglycalled Osmeroides) is the best-kno\An European species. Numer-ous species are referred to Elopopsis. Megalops prisca andspecies of Elops also occur in the London Eocene. In all these the large parietals meet along the median lineof the skull. In the closely related family of Spaniodoiitidcrthe parietals are small and do not meet. All the species ofthis group, united by Woodward with the Elopidcc, are fishes preceded the Elopidce in the Cretaceous
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