any of four species of long, slim marine fishes of the family Scomberesocidae (order Atheriniformes). Sauries are small—up to about 35 cm (14 inches) long—and are characterized by beaklike but weakly toothed jaws and a row of small finlets behind the dorsal and anal fins. Found in tropical and temperate waters, they live near the surface and commonly jump and skim above the water. Representatives of the family include the Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) and the Atlantic saury (Scomberesox saurus), found in the Atlantic and the seas near Australia.