162 FISHES OF AUSTRALIA. 



ranean Sea where a great fishery for the species exists 

 and on the coast of California, it is known as the "Tuna" ;* 

 or, perhaps still more familiarly as the "Leaping Tuna"; 

 while in England it is always known as "Tunny." The 

 fishery of the Tunny is systematically carried on in the 

 Mediterranean, dating from remote antiquity. Its salted 

 preparation was known to the Romans as Saltamentum 

 sardictim, being greatly esteemed by them. The flesh is 

 still largely consumed as food. In the Mediterranean Sea 

 its capture is effected almost solely by the use of deep 

 floating-nets ; but in California, it is recognised as a great 

 sporting-fish ; consequently being greatly sought after with 

 rod and line. Many are the tales of the prowess of this 

 great and powerful fish. The American authors, Jordan and 

 Evermann, quote Professor Charles F. Holder, who says 

 that: "The most sensational fish of these waters" (Cali- 

 fornian) "is the leaping tuna, which well compares with the 

 tarpon ; and, personally, I prefer it to its Florida and Texas 

 rival; and, in my experience, the average large tuna is a 

 match for two tarpons of the same size. The tuna is the 

 tiger of the Californian seas, a living meteor which strikes 

 like a whirlwind, and when played with a rod that is not 

 a billiard-cue or a club in stiffness, will give the average 

 man the contest of his life." 



Amongst the members of the Mackerel family which 

 are known to be found in Australian waters, may be men- 

 tioned the Mackerel (Scomber colias), the Horse-Mackerel 

 (Sarda chilensis), the Bonito (Gymnosarda pclamis}, the 

 Albacore (Germo alalwiga}, and the two species of Spanish 

 Mackerel (Scomberomorus commersonii and S. guttatus). 



The Mackerel of Australia is a fish of considerable 

 value, and is likely to become of great use as a food-fish 

 in the near future. Extensively and abundantly distributed 

 in our waters, only a little enterprise is needed to raise it 

 to a position of great importance amongst our economic 

 fishes, at the same time creating a fishery of boundless 

 extent. Always present in our waters, at certain times it 

 swarms along our coastline and in our harbours and 



* In New Zealand a species of Eel is known as "Tuna." 



