74 EDIBLE PISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



It lias long been known to European and American fisliermen and sailors 

 that this and the allied species, especially Pogonias chromis from the Atlantic 

 shores of the United States, emit noises when under water, which, it is stated, 

 may be heard at a depth of twenty fathoms ; the means used to produce these 

 drumming sounds is not, however, distinctly known, all the theories which 

 have been put forward beiug mere conjecture. We do not know whether this 

 peculiarity has been noticed in the Colony, where every facility for detecting 

 the occurrence of the phenomena is present in abundance. 



The airbladder of these fishes is exceptionally large and thick, and a fair 

 quality of isinglass is obtainable from it ; on this subject the Report of the 

 Eoyal Commission says: — "The airbladder of some of the same genus of fishes 

 is of great value for isinglass, and forms a valuable article of export on the 

 Indian and Malacca coasts, the merely dried bladder being worth equal to 

 three shillings per pound." Needless to say this valuable product is wasted 

 here, thousands of bladders being annually thrown away as refuse. 



The Jewfish is abundant along the entire coast line of New South Wales ; 

 it is gregarious, ascends rivers beyond the influence of the tide, and is most 

 destructive to spawning fish. The limit of its northern range has not been 

 accurately ascertained, but it does not probably extend much bevond the 

 Queensland frontier. In Victoria Castelnau considered it as a rare fish in 

 Bass' Straits, but as it is found as far westward as the mouth of the Murray, 

 its apparent scarcity is probably due to the want of large rivers flowing into 

 the sea on the Victorian coast. Johnston, under the name of 8. aniarctica, 

 catalogues it as, "rare in Tasmanian waters," and makes some remarks as to 

 its specific difference from ^S*. aquila, which, however, will not bear the test 

 of investigation; he writes: — "As Dr. Griinther recognises an important 

 difi'erence in the number of scales on the lateral line as of specific value, 

 there is no doubt but that Castelnau's 8. aniarctica is distinct from the 

 M.aigre of Europe" ; this is apparently conclusive, but the solution is that 

 Castelnau, without giving any notice of having done so, has counted the 

 lateral line scales to the end of the caudal fin, instead of those to the end of 

 the hippural bone. All things considered the middle zone of the New South 

 Wales coast may be taken as the centre of distribution of this species in the 

 South Pacific. 



The Jewfish grows to a length of at least five feet, but the more common 

 market size is from two to three feet. 



Genus II.— OTOLITHUS. 



Otolitlius, Cuvier, Regne Anim. ; Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss. v. p. 59, 1830. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobranchiae present. Body oblong. Eves of 

 moderate size. Snout obtuse or a little pointed, with the lower jaw the 

 longer. Preopercle creuulated, serrated, or denticulated. Villiform teeth 

 in both jaws, with the outer row in the premaxillaries enlarged : more or 

 less well developed conical canines, either in both jaws, or in the upper 

 only, usually received, when the mouth is closed, into fossre in the opposite 

 jaw : a single row of Avidely separated conical teeth in the lower jaw, with 

 occasionally a single outer row of villiform one?. Two dorsal fins, united at 

 their bases, the first with nine or ten weak spines : anal with one or two 

 small spines and but few rays. Scales ctenid or eyelid, of moderate or 

 small size. Airbladder present, in soQie with a horn-like, forwardly directed 

 process on each side, in others with numerous lateral appendages. Pyloric 

 appendages in small numbers, 



Geograpliicnl distribvtion. — Nearly all tropical and subtropical seas ; south- 

 eastern coast of Australia ; some species permanently resident in fresh water. 



