THE CORAL-J'ISHES. i^ 



The largest example that I have seen measured about 

 8 inches. 



The geographical range of this species is very extensive, 

 as, in addition to its occurrence in Australia, it is known 

 from the Red Sea, the East Coast of Africa, the seas of 

 India, the Malay Archipelago, and other localities. 



THE CORAL-FISHES- 



( Family : Chcctodon tida: ) 



THE Coral-Fishes are closely allied to the preceding family. 

 They are well represented in Australian waters, and include 

 one or two food-fishes. The most interesting or note- 

 worthy, are perhaps the Coral-Fish (Chelmonops trunca- 

 tits'), the Striped Chaetodon (Chcetodon strigatiis) and 

 the Butter- Fish (Bphippus multifasciatus). 



Nearly all the fishes of this family are noted for the 

 remarkable and often brilliant colouration of their bodies ; 

 the colours generally being arranged in the form of bands 

 or stripes. The fins are very scaly, the skin of the body 

 being continued for some distance up each side of the dorsal 

 and anal fins. Any bands of colour which exist, are usually 

 continued out on to these fins, thus giving to these fishes 

 quite a different appearance to other striped fishes possess- 

 ing unsheathed fins. 



I have mentioned the Coral-Fish because of its re- 

 markable appearance. Very little is known of its habits. 

 Its snout is long and drawn out into a kind of tube. The 

 body is high and narrow, and the hinder margins of the 

 dorsal and anal fins are vertical ; the one being in line with 

 the other. Along the fish, from the snout to the tail, are 

 broad, zebra-like, vertical bars of usually brown and 

 yellow. 



The Coral Fish is occasionally captured in Port [ackson 

 and on other parts of the New South Wales coast as well as 

 in Western Australia. 



