TOO THE EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



There are no dorsal or anal iinlets like those of the Barra- 

 couta. The mouth is armed with a number of long, fang-like 

 teeth. 



The Hairtail is not often obtained. It probably occurs 

 in abundance in moderate ocean depths. 



SWORDFISHES OR SPEARFISHES. 



Spearfish (Tetrapturus indicus). 



Pi.ATi, Lxvn. 



Though there appears to be no prospect of the fiesh 

 of this fish being used as food in New South Wales in the 

 near future, the use of Swordfishes and Spearfishes in general 

 for this purpose, in other parts of the world, is sufficient 

 justification for its inclusion here, particularly as my own 

 acquaintance with this fish leads me to the idea that future 

 investigation into its occurrence in our waters will tend to 

 show that it is far more abundant than has pre\aously been 

 thought. Though of a pelagic or oceanic nature, occasionally 

 examples of this Spearfish find their way into the waters of 

 Port Jackson; and during the month of January, iqoS, a 

 large one was found dead, jammed between a pontoon and 

 a wharf, at a distance of about lo miles up from the entrance 

 to the Port — surely an ignominious death for such a lord 

 of the ocean. 



The largest of these Spearfishes which has come under 

 my personal notice measured about 12 feet 6 inches. 



It may be mentioned that the snout in this species is 

 produced to form a powerful, rounded, spear-like weapon of 

 offence. 



The example here illustrated is the one referred to in 

 "Fishes of Australia" (pp. 170 and 171) as having been 

 captured in Port Jackson during 1905. 



