EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 23 



Golden Perch. 



Plate Y. 



B. vii. D. 10/10-11. A. 3/8. Y. 1/5. P. 16-17. C. 17. L. lat. 53-58. 



L. tr. 13-14/28-30. Ccbc. pyl. ca. 11. 



Length of head 3-40-3-60, of caudal fin 5-33-6-20, height of body 

 3"20-3'66 in the total length. Diameter of eye 4'75-6"00 in the length of 

 the head, I'lO-l'oO in that of the snout, and 0"90-l*25 in the interorbital 

 space, which is convex. Nostrils moderatel}^ close together, the anterior 

 circular and closed by a valve, the posterior subpyriform and patent. Upper 

 profile of head deeply concave. Lower jaw the longer. Cleft of mouth 

 moderate and oblique ; the maxilla reaches to beneath the middle of the 

 orbit. Preorbital sinuous and serrated on its lower margin : vertical limb of 

 preopercle serrated, the angle rounded with stronger denticulations, the 

 horizontal limb with coarse teeth in patches : opercle with two strong spines, 

 the lower of which is much the longer, and is frequently subdivided : its 

 margin below very finely serrated : posttemporal and clavicle with some 

 strong teeth. Teeth villiform in the jaws; in an obtusely angular band on 

 the vomer ; palatines with a long narrow band. The dorsal fin commences 

 above the base of the pectoral, and ends opposite the termination of the 

 anal ; the spines are strong, the fifth the longest, subequal in height to the 

 rays, from rS0-2"50 in the length of the head ; the last spine is about five 

 sevenths of the longest spine, and three fourths of the first ray ; base of 

 rayed dorsal l-33-l'50 in that of the spinous : the anal commences beneath 

 the second or third dorsal ray; the second spinels the longest and strongest, 

 not so long as the rays, and from 2'25-3"00 in the length of the head : ventral 

 well developed, the filament of the outer ray reaching to or beyond the vent, 

 its length from 1"33-1"50 m that of the head ; the spine is strong, equal in 

 length to the third dorsal spine : pectoral moderate, rounded posteriorly, 

 l"60-r75 in the same : caudal rounded, the least height of the pedicle one 

 third of the height of the body. Snout, preorbital, upper surface of head to 

 midway along the occiput, outer edges of the preopercle, and temporal fossa 

 scaleless; dorsal and anal fins scaly at their bases : there are from eighty two 

 to eighty five series of scales above the lateral line, which is parallel to the 

 curvature of the back. 



Colors. — Upper surfaces olive green, the sides and lower surfaces golden. 



Owing to the difilcul ty experienced in obtaining perfect* specimens of 

 our freshwater fishes in a recent state, and the paucity of reliable data on 

 the subject, original information as to the season of the year in which the 

 ova are deposited, the localities selected for such deposition, and the means 

 employed to ensure so far as possible the safety of the ova, whether by 

 forming a nest in the river bed or by attaching the spawn to aquatic plants, 

 is not forthcoming.t 



The Grolden Perch, which is also known to the colonists as the " Yellow- 

 Belly," and, according to Macleay is the Kaakaalain of the Aboriginals of 

 the Murrumbidgee, is abundant in all the rivers and lagunes connected with 

 the Murray Eiver and its tributaries, while the naturalists attached to the 

 Challenger Expedition discovered that it was also a resident of the Mary 

 Kiver, Queensland. As food it is delicious, and it is, therefore, eagerly sought 

 for both by hook and net. 



Large specimens attain a length of at least twenty three inches, and a 

 weight of nine pounds. 



* All the specimens sent to the Sydney markets or consigned direct to dealers in the city are scaled and 

 cleaned pi-evious to their transmission here. 



t These important considerations in the economy of our freshwater fishes will never he properly under- 

 stood until a competent officer shall be appointed by the Government to report fullj' on these and all other 

 matters connected with the fishes and fisheries of our transmontane river systems. 



