54 THE EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



rivers exist, even penetrating right up in to the fresh water. 

 Though captured sparingly at other times, after heavy freshets 

 in our coastal creeks or rivers it is netted in considerable 

 numbers and forwarded to marked". The same thing occurs 

 about midwinter, when the iish comes down in numbers to 

 the Salter and more open waters to spawn. 



It is a fairly deep-bodied fish, with a highly-arched back 

 and somewhat compressed sides. Though a weight of 5 pounds 

 is attained by this fish, examples of that size are quite 

 uncommon, the more usual size, as seen in the markets, 

 varying from about 12 ounces to 2 pounds. 



The Estuary Perch is a voracious iisb, and practically 

 subsists upon anything in the way of living organisms. 



As an edible fish it is of good quality. 



In addition to being netted, this Perch may be caught 

 with hand-line or rod. 



Freshwater Perch {Percalates fliiviaiilis). 



Plate XXII (Upper Figure). 



This perch is closely allied to the preceding, but may 

 be at once distinguished from it by its more elongate and 

 rounder body, which has a fairly even and elliptical outline, 

 while in the Estuary Perch, as previously pointed out, the 

 profile of the back is more gibbous or humped. The tail, 

 too, is larger and altogether more powerful than that of the 

 Estuary Perch. Other important differences between the 

 two species are easily to be seen upon examination being 

 made. (Further reference to these points will be found in 

 my " Fishes of Australia.") 



Though in certain localities the Freshwater Perch and 

 the Estuary Perch will be found occurring together — that 

 is where the two species " overlap " — the natural habitat of 

 the former is in the wholly fresh-water portions of our 

 eastern rivers and their tributaries. Here it occurs in great 

 abundance. After continued rains and when the rivers and 

 creeks are swollen, large numbers of the Freshwater Perch 

 are netted in the lower waters, and are forwarded to market. 



