236 FISHES OF AUSTRALIA. 



small animals, which it obtains near the surface of the 

 ocean ; these being strained from the water through the 

 long slender gill-rakers, with which the gill-arches are pro- 

 vided. 



Further information in regard to this species will b<s 

 found under the heading of "Fish Economics." 



The Little Saw-Shark: This is a small species, having 

 a somewhat-flattened body, and attaining a length of about 

 4 feet. It is common in Port Jackson, and is distributed 

 over a great part of our coastline. The snout is long and 

 flattened, and is armed very heavily with teeth of unequal 

 length. Many of these teeth are very large and acute and 

 between them are smaller ones. Beneath the snout are two 

 tentacles. The last character alone would be quite sufficient 

 to enable even the tyro to distinguish between this species 

 and the young of the larger "Sawfish" ; as in the latter, 

 there are none of these tentacles. 



The Little Saw-Shark is naturally a bottom-hunting 

 fish. 



The Sawfish: This is a monster of terrible aspect. 

 With a "saw" of, often, 5 feet or more in length, it grows 

 to a size of at least 20 feet. 



Widely distributed, it roams the seas in search of food, 

 commonly occurring in the bays and mouths of rivers, during 

 the summer-time, along the coasts of northern New South 

 Wales and Queensland. 



The snout is armed with strong acute teeth, and with 

 this weapon, it is able to inflict tremendous havoc amongst 

 shoals of fishes, throwing the "saw" from side to side with 

 immense force. 



This species is often miscalled "Sword-fish," a name 

 which belongs properly to certain teleostean fishes of the 

 family Histiophoridce, previously mentioned. 



The Angel Shark: This strange-looking creature 

 abounds in most temperate and tropical seas ; being fairly 

 common on parts of the Australian coast, where it attains 

 a length of about 5 feet. In form, it approaches somewhat, 

 the Rays, being broad and flattened. It is viviparous, pro- 

 ducing about twenty young at a birth, these being about 9 

 or 10 inches in length. 



