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Gar-Fish

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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The name given to a genus of fishes (Belone ) found in nearly all the temperate and tropical seas, and readily recognized by their long, slender, compressed and silvery body, and by their jaws being produced into a long, pointed, bony and sharplytoothed beak. About fifty species are known from different parts of the globe, some attaining to a length of 4 or 5 ft. One species is common on the British coasts, and is well known by the names of "long-nose," "green-bone," &c. The last name is given to those fishes on account of the peculiar green colour of their bones, which deters many people from eating them, although their flesh is well flavoured and perfectly wholesome. The skipper (Scomberesox ) and half-beak (Hemirhamphus ), in which the lower jaw only is prolonged, are fishes nearly akin to the gar-pikes.