222 



FISHES OF AUSTRALIA. 



a few of our many species of Australian Leather jackets, I 

 will have to content myself with two well-known forms ; 

 namely, the " Orange-spotted Leather) acket" (Monacan- 

 thus hippocrepis*} and the "Yellow Leatherj acket " Mona- 

 canthus ayrandi) . 



The Orange-spotted Leatherj acket is a large and 

 handsome species, which occasionally finds it way into the 

 fish markets at Sydney (at least). It is essentially an "out- 

 side" fish and is taken at times by line-fishermen in the 

 vicinity of reefs and rocky shores. The species is very 

 widely-distributed in Australia ; as, in addition to its occur- 

 rence on the coast of New South Wales, it is known to be 

 an inhabitant of the waters of Victoria, South Australia, 

 Tasmania and Western Australia ; though at the same time 

 practically nothing is known as to its relative abundance in 

 those waters. It may very properly be regarded as one of 

 our food-fishes, as its flesh is of good flavour and it attain* 



Fig. 78. ORANGE-SPOTTED LEATHERJACKET 

 (Nonacanthus hippocrepis) . 



to a length of over 18 inches. When alive it possesses the 

 most lovely tints, the upper or dorsal surface being of an 

 olive-green or vellowish-green and shading into a lighter 

 tint below. On the middle of each side is a large, irregular 

 blotch, of a bright orange-colour, within which, a horseshoe- 

 shaped band is sometimes present. The lips are surrounded 

 by two or three dull, blue, yellow-edged bands, and the sides 

 of the abdomen, with narrow waving bands of an intense 



