72 EDIBLE PISHES OE NEW SOUTH WALES. 



localities as occasional visitors. In the Pacific and on the coast of Australia, 

 where but few large rivers enter the ocean, they are extremely rare, and in 

 the Eed Sea they are absent. Many attain a large size, and almost all are 

 eaten." This statement, published in 18S0, regarding their extreme rarity on 

 the Australian coast is, of course, founded on error, one or more species, 

 forming a considerable portion of the food supply, being common on all the 

 explored parts of our shores. 



Genus I.— SCI^NA. 



Scicena, sp (Artedi) Cuvier, Eegne Anira. ; Cuv. & Y'a\. Hist. Nat. Poiss. v. 



p. 28, 1830. 

 Corvina, Cuvier, Eegne Anim. ; Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss. v. p. 81. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobranchiae present. Body oblong and rather 

 elongate, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. Interorbital s2:)ace broad 

 and convex. Snout rounded, sometimes overhanging the upper jaw. Jaws 

 equal, or the lower the longer. Cleft of mouth nearly or quite horizontal. 

 Teeth villiform, with an outer enlarged row : no distinct canines. Two 

 dorsal fins, the first with eight to thirteen spines, and connected at its base 

 to the second, which is of moderate length : anal with one or two spines. 

 Scales ctenid or eyelid, extending over the head and snout. Airbladder 

 jDresent or absent. Pyloric appendages in small numbers. 



Geograpliical distribution. — Tropical and temperate seas, much more 

 numerous in the former ; absent from the South Pacific, except on the shores 

 of Australia and South America. Presh waters of the United States 



SCI.ENA AQUILA. 



Xabrus Jiololejiidotics, Lacep. iii. p. 517, pi. xxi. f. 2, 1802. 



Scicena umbra, Lacep. iv. p. 314 ; Cuv. Mem. Mus. i. p. 1, and Eegne Anim. ; 



Bonap. Paun. Ital. Pesc. pi. — . f. 1. 

 Cheilodipteriis aquila, Lacep. v. p. 685. 

 Perca vanloo, Eisso, Ichthyol. Nice, p. 298, pi ix. f. 30. 

 Scicena aquila, Eisso, Eur. Merid. iii. p. 411 ; Cuv. & Yal. Hist. Nat. Poiss. 



V. p. 28, pi. c. ; G-nth. Catal. Pish. ii. p. 291, a7id Pisch. Sudsee, p. 105 ; 



Day, Brit. Pish. i. p. 150, pi. 1. 

 Scicena lioJolepidota, Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss. v. p. 53 ; Quoy & Gaim. 



Voy. Astrolabe, Poiss. p. 697, pi. xii f. 1. 

 • Scicena capensis, Smith, Illustr. S. Afric. Zool. Pish. pi. xv. 

 ■Scicena antarctica, Casteln. Proc. Zool. Soc. Vict. 1872, i. p. 100, and Proc. 

 • Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, ii. p. 232, and iii. p. 381 ; Macleay, Catal. Austr. 



Pish. i. p. 154 ; Woods, Fisher. N.S. Wales, p. 53, pi. xvi. 

 .? Scicena (Corvina) novce-lioUandice, Steindachn. SB. Ak. Wien, 1866, liii. j?. 



445, pi. V. f. 2. 

 Scicena neglecta, Ems. and Ogl. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales (2) i. p. 941. 



Jewfish. 

 Plate XXII. 



B. vii. D. 10. 1/27-28. A. 2/7. V. 1/5. P. 17. C. 17. L. lat. 51-54. L. tr. 

 9-10/19-21. Cffic. pyl. 8. 



Length of head, 4-10-4-50, of caudal fin, 5-50-6-25, height of body 

 4'33-5'33 in the total length. Diameter of eye 5-00-5'50 in the length of 

 the head, 1-25-1-60 in that of the snout, and from 0-80-1-30 in the sh'gbtly 

 convex interorbital space. Nostrils moderately appi'oximate, the anterior 



