32 EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



Bullseye. 



B. yi. D. 10/13. A. 3/14. Y. 1/5. P. 18-19. C. 16. L. lat. 74-82. L. tr. 



12/40-42. Ccec. pyl. 11. Yert. 9/13. 



Length o£ head 4-00-4-33, of caudal fin 4-75-5-20, height of body 

 3"50-4'00 in the total length. Eye very large, its diameter 2'25-2'50 in 

 the length of the head : snout short and very obtuse, 1'25-1'75 in the 

 diameter of the eye : interorbital space very slightly convex, l'85-2"20 in the 

 same. Nostrils approximate, the anterior small, oval, and vertical ; the 

 posterior large, elongate-oval, and oblique. Upper profile of head flat, or 

 with a very slight concavity. Chin prominent. Cleft of mouth very oblique, 

 the maxilla reaching to beneath the anterior third of the eye, and greatly 

 dilated posteriorly : the postorbital portion of the head is only two thirds of 

 the diameter of the orbit. Preorbital roughened below and above : pre- 

 opercle finely denticulated on both limbs ; its angle obtuse, and bearing a 

 strong serrated spine, whose length is from 2"80-3"25 in the diameter of the 

 eye : subopercle with fine denticulations posteriorly : opercle with two weak 

 spines, the lower being the longer, and with its hinder margin serrated 

 in patches : clavicle coarsely serrated. Both jaws with a narrow band of 

 villiform teeth, having the outer series much enlarged ; vomerine teeth in an 

 acutely angular band ; on the palatines in a nari'ow elongate band. The 

 dorsal commences above the opercle ; the spines are slender, the anterior ones 

 serrated in front above the membrane ; the last is the longest from 2"00-2'25 

 in the length of the head, and equal in height to the rays, and the base of 

 the rayed portion is five eighths of that of the spinous ; dorsal and anal rays 

 rough: the anal commences beneath the eighth dorsal spine and ends a little 

 behind that fin ; its spines are similar to those of the dorsal, the third the 

 longest, from 2"00-2'o0 in the length of the head, and not nearly so long as 

 the rays : ventral pointed, extending to the origin of the anal, and 1 00-l'20 

 in the length of the head ; the spine is serrated and well developed, much 

 longer than the last dorsal spine : pectoral short and rounded, not reaching 

 to above the vent, its length l'GG-1'75 in that of the head: caudal slightly 

 emarginate, the least height of the pedicle 4*33 in the height of the body. 

 Lateral line pointing obliquely upwards for a short distance anteriorly, 

 thence almost straight to the free tail. 



Colors. — Brick red : dorsal, anal, and ventral fins hyaline, profusely 

 ornamented with round yellow spots. 



Nothing is known of the breeding habits of this species on our coasts, but 

 from the fact of small specimens having been trawled as far up the Parra- 

 matta River as Byde we may infer that these fishes push their way to a 

 considerable distance up our estuaries before depositing their spawn. They 

 commence to arrive in Port Jackson as stragglers about the latter end of 

 November, but are not taken in any numbers until the autumn months when 

 they appear in moderate shoals in some years, but are totally absent in others, 

 as for instance in the preceding year ; as these schull fishes show little or no 

 signs of breeding it is probable that they make only a short stay in the waters 

 of the harbor and push on with all possible despatch to the closed waters of 

 the upper reaches, where their presence would remain undetected, and they 

 would be left to their parental duties unmolested by man. The flesh of the 

 " Bullseye'' is of good quality. 



This species was originally described from Japan and it has, therefore, an 

 extensive range to the south. 



Large examples measure as much as twelve inches in length. 



