30 EDIBLE FISHES OE NEW SOUTH WALES. 



oblique, the posterior the larger. Upper profile of the head to above the 

 hinder margin of the orbit concave, of the occiput nearly straight. Lower 

 jaw the longer ; the lips, which are thick and fleshy, and the chin densely 

 covered with short papilla?. Cleft of mouth moderate and oblique, the 

 maxilla extending to beneath the anterior nostril. Opercles sculptured : 

 preopercle with both margins indistinctly serrated in adult examples, and 

 with the vertical margin concave and the angle produced : posttemporal and 

 clavicular bones with obsolete denticulations. Both jaws with bands of 

 small teeth, those in front being cardiform and slightly curved backwards, 

 those on the sides granular. The dorsal fin commences above the hinder 

 margin of the opercular flap ; the three anterior spines ai-e short, and connected 

 by a low membrane; the foui'th is elongate and strongly compressed, its length 

 2'55-2'75 in that of the head, and about twice as long as the anterior rays; 

 the four last spines are provided with more or less elongate filamentary appen- 

 dages; the length of the spinous dorsal is from l'7o-l'90 in that of the rayed 

 portion : the anal commences beneath the seventh dorsal ray ; its first spine 

 is very short, the second very powerful and strongly compressed, almost or 

 quite equal in height to the anterior ray, and 2'33-2'55 in the length of the 

 head : the ventral fin does not quite reach the vent ; the spine is strong, com- 

 pressed, and falcate, almost equalling the adjoining ray, and 1'80-2"10 in the 

 length of the head ; dorsal, anal, and ventral spines deeply striated : pectorals 

 pointed, reaching as fa,r back as the ventrals, their length 1"50-1"75 in that 

 of the head : caudal emarginate with the lobes slightly produced ; the least 

 height of the pedicle one fourth of the height of the body. Body scales 

 small and deeply imbedded ; opercular bones, except the extreme upper edge 

 of the opercle, scaleless ; cheeks scaly, the scales almost concealed by the skin. 

 Anterior portion of lateral line abruptly ascending to beneath the middle of 

 the spinous dorsal, thence mostly following the curvature of the back, though 

 in a more or less wavy line to between the terminations of the dorsal and 

 anal, where it descends as abruptly on to the caudal pedicle. Airbladder 

 large. Gill-rakers very short and stout. 



Colors. — Back and sides dull greenish-gray, below lighter, sometimes with 

 indistinct, darker, longitudinal bands : upper surface of head darker with a 

 slight metallic gloss : fins violet, the spines dull yellow ; the caudal edged 

 with grayish-green. 



Nothing is known of the breeding habits of this fine fish, but as iu 

 specimens examined during the month of June the ova was found to be but 

 little developed it may be inferred that the spring or early summer months 

 are those selected for shedding the spawn ; that this is not deposited in our 

 shallow bays and estuaries is manifest from the fact that no instances of the 

 capture of the young, even in the over netted bays in the neighborhood of 

 Sydney, have been recorded, adults only, of from twenty inches upwards, 

 appearmg in the market, these being taken by handlines in deep water, 

 and that at but rare intervals, owing to the size of the hook used in fishing 

 for Snapper and other line fish being as a rule too large for the comparatively 

 small mouth of the Boarfish. The baits employed are also probably 

 unsuitable, as the stomachs of those examined by us contained in no case 

 anything but worms, small crustaceans and shells, and remains of brittle- 

 stars, all mixed up with large quantities of sand which had evidently been 

 taken into the oesophagus while the fish w^as engaged in rooting oat the 

 creatures concealed beneath it. The Boarfish is an excellent fish for the 

 table, and it is much to be regreted that the supply is so inadequate, but 

 for the reasons given above, and because of the probability that it normally 



