196 FISHES OF AUSTRALIA. 



This fish reaches a length of 6 to 8 inches. It is not 

 very often captured, being a rock-weed frequenting fish ; 

 consequently being usually out of reach of the ordinarv 

 means of capture. 



It possesses a fairly-extended geographical range within 

 Australian waters. 



THE FLATHEADS. 



( Family : PlatyccphaUdce. ) 



THE "Flatheads," or rather, such of them as are commonly 

 found in our various fish markets, being so well known to 

 my Australian readers, little preliminary description of them 

 is necessary. They all have broad depressed heads more 

 or less armed with spines in exceptional instances the 

 spines being limited to the gill-cover only. The body, in 

 the anterior part, is also flattish ; becoming more rounded 

 as it approaches the tail. In two or three of the species 

 there is a slight departure from this rule, the body being 

 comparatively narrow and slightly rounded ; a familiar in- 

 stance being the common "Rock Flathead" of our south- 

 eastern shores. Of about 40 species of Flathead which are 

 at present known to exist, probably about one-third inhabit 

 the shores of Australia; about one-quarter being found in 

 New South Wales waters alone. 



From an economic point of view, these fishes are of 

 very great importance, providing as they do for very many 

 people an excellent and readily-obtainable article of food. 



In parts of India some of the Flatheads are known 

 familiarly as "Crocodile-Fishes." 



As before stated, the head is usually armed with spines. 

 The most prominent of these are those on the gill-cover 

 which are situated at the base of the preoperculum ; in some 

 of the species these preopercular spines being very acute, 

 long and powerful. All of the species are able (and will- 

 ing) to inflict very nasty, painful wounds with these 



