54 



FISHES OF AUSTRALIA. 



fishes in which the sexes are characterised by differences 

 in livery or outward form. In the Sergeant Baker, how- 

 ever, the male may be at once distinguished from the 

 female; because in the former, the second and third rays of 

 the dorsal fin, are produced into long filaments, about double 

 the length of the head. 



From the following description of the colours, it will 

 be seen that this species is very beautiful ; and indeed when 

 freshly taken, it is surpassing so. The upper surfaces are 

 purple, with a more or less prevailing tinge of red, and 

 with the edges of the scales crimson ; the top of the head 

 being sometimes spotted with the same colour. The back 

 and sides have large irregular crimson spots or transverse 

 bands, covering two or three scales in width, not reaching 



Fig. 18. SERGEANT BAKER (Aulopus purpurfesatus) . 



across the abdomen. The sides are of a paler purplish-red 

 than the back, and gradually merge into the pearly-white of 

 the lower or abdominal surface. The dorsal and caudal fins 

 are of a pale yellowish-red, obliquely banded with rows of 

 crimson spots, which are frequently confluent on the caudal 

 lobes. The adipose dorsal fin (which is characteristic of 

 most of the species of the family ScopeUdce}, is purple 

 along its base and crimson on the upper portion. The anal 

 fin is whitish, or of a pale straw-colour; having across it 

 longitudinal orange bands. The ventral and pectoral fins 

 are yellow, with crimson bands across them. 



The Sergeant Baker is captured on the outside fishing- 

 grounds by either hook and line or the Trammel-Net 



