56 EDIBLE EISHES OE KEW SOUTH WALES. 



Morwong. 



Plate XVIII. 



B. Ti. D. 17-19/26-30. A. 3/15-17. V. 1/5. P. 15. C. 17. L. lat. 55-59. 

 L. tr. 7/18. Coec pyl. 2. Vert. 15/20. 



Lengtli of head 3-85-1-20, of caudal fin 4-33-1-70, height of body 

 3"20-3'40 in the total length. Eye large and prominent, its diameter 

 4!"00-5'00 in the length of the head, 2'00-2'66 in that of the snout, and from 

 0'90-l'25 in the convex interorbital space. Nostrils equal, subcircular, the 

 anterior with a broad, simple, lanceolate flap on its hinder margin. Upper 

 profile of head sinuous, the forehead sAvollen. Lips thick and fleshy. 

 Upper jaw the longer. Cleft of mouth small and transverse, the maxilla 

 not reaching to the anterior nostril. Jaws with a band of villiform teeth, 

 and an outer series of enlarged conical ones. The dorsal fin commences 

 above the upper angle of the opercle ; the spines are moderately strong, 

 the sixth or seventh the longest, 2-90-3'20 in the length of the head; 

 the first spine is the shortest, about two fifths of the sixth, and the 

 last is shorter than the one preceding it, about equal to the second, 

 and a little shorter than the first ray ; all the rays short ; the basal 

 ■length of the rayed portion is about six sevenths of that of the spinous : the 

 anal fin commences beneath the third to fifth dorsal ray, and ends beneath 

 the twentieth ; the spines are short but very strong, the second the longest, 

 5'40-5"75 in the length of the head, and one fifth of the first ray ; anterior 

 rays much longer than the median ones, but considerably shorter than the 

 last three, which are abruptly elongated : the ventral commences beneath the 

 eighth dorsal spine, and reaches to or within a fractional distance of the 

 vent ; its spine is moderately strong and considerably longer than the 

 highest dorsal spine ; the outer ray is the longer, its length 1'66-1'75-in 

 that of the dorsal : the two upper and seven lower pectoral rays simple ; the 

 second lower simple ray the longest, reaching to between the sixth and 

 twelfth anal rays ; its length is from 2'G0-2"90 in the total length, and 

 about one half longer than the head : caudal deeply forked, the least height 

 of the pedicle 5 33 in the height of the body. Preorbital naked ; the scales 

 on the upper profile of the head encroaching on the snout to beyond the 

 nostrils: vertical fins with a narrow basal sheath covered with several series 

 of small scales. Lateral line gently curved, entering the caudal pedicle very 

 near to its upper margin. 



Colors.— A.ho\e purplish-gray, darkest on the head ; each of the scales 

 with a greenish-golden dark edged spot, forming inconspicuous bands ; 

 lower part of the sides and the abdominal region silvery ; a golden band, 

 margined above and below by iridescent purple from below the middle of 

 the eye along the snout. 



Of this, one of the best food fishes of the Colony, nothing whatever is 

 known of the breeding habits, nor has a single example come under our 

 notice in which the slightest rudiments of spawn could be detected ; neither 

 are the young ever found among the debris of the seine nets in the harbor nor 

 washed ashore with other fishes on the outer beaches after stormy weather. 

 They are only caught by parties fishing for Snapper in deep water on the 

 ocean reefs, and do not, therefore, so often appear in the market as might be 

 expected ; nevertheless, as many as half a dozen may occasionally be seen 

 there together. These examples are almost invariably of large size, specimens 

 of fifteen inches and under being very rare. Their food consists of small 

 crustaceans, molluscs, polyzoa, &c. 



