130 FISHES OF AUSTRALIA. 



the lips is of a rich orange-red. On each side of the head, 

 there are several bluish streaks, while at the summit there 

 is an irregular line of bluish blotches. The face and the 

 opercle are golden-yellow ; and the iris is of a golden-red. 

 The fins are beautifully ornamented with red, blue an-1 

 yellow, and altogether the fish has such a beautiful appear- 

 ance, that, once seen, it is not readily forgotten. 



It attains a length of about 3 feet. 



A closely-allied species is known in Queensland as 

 "Emperor," on account of its glorious colouration. 



RED-MULLETS OR GOATFISHES. 



( Family : Mullidce. ) 



IT should be at once understood by the reader, that "Red- 

 Mullets" are not really Mullets ; that is to say, they are not 

 at all closely related to that family which contains all of 

 our so-called "Grey-Mullets" (Sea Mullet, Flat-tail Mullet, 

 etc.), previously referred to on page 73. Probably if we 

 were to go back to the origin of the name, it would be 

 found that these fishes really had a prior right to it ; but as 

 the very large family of the "Grey-Mullets" is universally 

 recognised by that name, in the whole English-speaking 

 world ; at the same time, containing as it does, so many 

 important edible species, it is more expedient to retain the 

 title for them. In America, the Red-Mullets are recognised 

 under the name of "Goatfishes" and this appears to me a 

 rather appropriate and useful title; I will therefore use it 

 as a terminal in the common names of our own fishes of 

 this family. This will be generally recognised as the better 

 thing to do, rather than to perpetuate a confusing and mis- 

 leading title. 



Though a number of species of the Goatfishes are 

 found in Australian waters, little is known regarding their 

 habits or even their distribution. I will therefore only speak 

 of three kinds which are known to occur on the coast of 



