THE YELLOW-FIN ALBACORE IN CALIFORNIA.
Dr. Charles Frederick Holder, of Pasadena, reports that the coast of California has recently been invaded by a splendid new game fish, the Japanese hirenaga or kihada maguro called yellow-fin albacore, Germo macropterus (Schlegel). This has appeared in considerable schools off Santa Catalina Island in southern California. I enclose a photograph of a specimen taken near Avalon, sent me by Dr. Holder.
Yellow-fin Albacore (Germo Macropterus Schlegel).
The yellow-fin albacore is common in southern Japan, being often seen in the markets of Nagasaki, where it is conspicuous from the bright yellow color of its dorsal and anal finlets. It is occasionally taken about Hawaii. It is described in the Hawaiian report of Jordan and Evermann as Germo germo, with a figure of Germo germo (sibi) copied from Schlegel's 'Fauna Japonica.' The yellow-fin albacore is, however, distinct from Germo germo, and its proper name is Germo macropterus, or Thunnus macropterus, if we place the long-finned albacores in the same genus as the sunny or tuna (Thunnus thynnus).
From the related species with long, ribbon-like pectorals, Germo macropterus is known by the yellow finlets and by the very high, falcate, soft dorsal and anal fins.
Dr. Holder writes that tuna has almost deserted Santa Catalina for the last three years, owing perhaps to the presence of a school of large and very hungry killers (Orca), 'but the yellow-fin albacore, coming so suddenly, gave almost as much sport to the anglers.' The weight of the fish is about fifty pounds.
