THE GAME IISHES OF THE PERSIAN GULF. lL'9 



KirEK. 

 Jjutjanus roseus. 



Has already been described in works dealing with Indian fishing ; a 

 repetition will therefore be eschewed. The kher is very similar in colour 

 and conformation to the surkhoo — Luf/anus arf/cnti»uiculatus — but it can be 

 distinguished readily from the former by reason of its rounded caudal, the 

 caudal of the surkhoo being forked. The following measurements were 

 recorded from a specimen caught by a local in his net. 



U'eu/Zit—'AH lbs. 



Lenyth — 3ft. 9A inches. 



Girth — iMJf inches. 



The maximum weight to which the kher attains would probably be about 

 GO lbs. ; it will be seen therefore that this species grows to much larger 

 dimensions than its congener the surkhoo. 



The second bottom feeding perch bears the local cognomen of 



Bahilool. 

 Serranus miniatus. 



Mouth. — Lower jaw is under-hung and powerful. 



Teeth. — Extremity of lower jaw is furnished with 2 sharp conical teeth, 

 the upper jaw is similarly provided but the pair of conical teeth are some- 

 what separated. 



Both upper and lower jaws support several rows of formidable villiform 

 teeth, a cluster of similar teeth on the vomer, absent on tongue which is 

 well developed. There are small villiform teeth on both surfaces of the 

 gullet and on the gill fringes. 



Ei/es. — Small, sunk, iris tinged with gold. 



Fins dorsal. — Is divided into 2 portions ; anterior portion comprises 9 

 stout sharp spines connected by transparent membrane ; posterior portion 

 rayed and markedly pointed at its extremity. 



Anal. — Immediately below posterior portion of dorsal and similar to it in 

 character; anteriorly 3 stout spines. 



Pectoral. — Half fan-shaped. 



Pelvic. — Immediately below pectoral, exteriorly 1 hard spine. 



Caudal. — Long, rayed and rounded. 



Scales. — Small. 



Lateral line. — Slightly ridged. 



Colour. — Jaws, inside of mouth, and tongue deep crimson ; general colour 

 of body red — dorsal, anal and pelvic edged with crimson ; pectoral crimson 

 edged with a broad band of orange ; whole of body, head, caudal and anal 

 speckled with pale blue spots. 



Remarks. — The maximum growth of this species would be about 5 lbs. 

 It cannot be considered common in Jask waters. 



With the bahilool terminates our investigation of the bottom feeding 

 game fishes of these latitudes. There is a question, however, on the tip 

 of the tongue of the angler who has heaved a lead over the gunvvhale on 

 a summer's night oft' the coast of the Emerald Isle. Do the waters of 

 the Persian Gulf harbour any of the skate family ? In parliamentary 

 language the answer is most emphatically in the affirmative. But when all 

 is said and done can a skate be appropriately admitted to a place in the 

 piscine aristocracy ? Hardly so — although in some localities in the 

 western hemisphere fishing for skates is included in the realms of " sport." 

 In any event the skate or pao is present in swarms and any estimate of 

 his maximum weight is pure guess work. 



One sportsman is credited with a fight of some 6 hours duration with 

 a monster skate ; at the end of which time the line parted. 200 lbs. would 



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