100 EDIBLE EISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



SILLAaO MACULATA. 



Sillago maculata, Quoy & Gaim. Yoy. Freycinet, Zool. p. 261, pi. liii. f. 2 ; 



"Cuv. & Yal. iii. p. 411 ; Bleek. Perc. p. 62, and Eevis. Sill. 1874, p. 71 ; 



Guth. Catal. Fish. ii. p. 245 ; Kner, Yoy. Novara, Pisch. p. 127 : Day, 



Fisli. Ind. p. 265, pi. Iviii. f. 4 ; Bleek. Atl. Iclithyol. pi. ccclxxxix. f. 



5; All. & Macl. Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, i. p. 279; Casteln. Proc. 



Zool. Soc. Yict. 1872, i. p. 94, and Proc. Linn. See. N. S. Wales, iii. p. 



380; Macleay, Catal. Austr. Fish.i p. 201 ; Woods, Pislier, N. S. AYales, 



pi. xxiii. 

 ? Sillago bassensis, Cuv. & Yal. Hist. Nat. Poiss. iii. p. 412 ; Quoy & Gaim. 



"Voy. Astrolabe, Poiss. p. 672, pi. i. f. 2. 

 ? Sillago ciliata, Johnston, Proc. Roy. Soc. Tas. 1882, pp. SO, 116. 



Trumpeter Whiting. 



B. \i. D. 11. 1/19-20. A. 1-2/20-21. Y. 1/5. P. 15. C. 17. L. lat. 70-72. L. tr. 

 6/14. Coec. pyl. 4. Yert. 14/21. 



Length of head 3'75-4'25, of caudal fin 5'50-6'00, height of body 

 5'00-5'66 in the total length. Diameter of eye 350-4'25 in the length of 

 the head, and 1'33-1'80 in that of the snout : interorbital space flat, 

 1'25-1'50 in the diameter of the eye. Nostrils approximate, subcircular, the 

 anterior protected by a flap, the posterior patent. Upper profile of head 

 slightly rounded. Upper jaw a little the longer. Cleft of mouth small and 

 transverse, the maxilla extending less than half way along the snout. 

 Preopercle finely denticulated : opercle with a single blunt point. Teeth in 

 the jaws in villiform bands, with the outer row a little enlarged ; an arcuate 

 band on the vomer. Dorsal spines weak, the second the longest, l"75-2"25 

 in the length of the head : second dorsal not so high as the first, its base 

 about one eighth longer than that of the anal : the anal commences opposite 

 the third dorsal ray, and ends beneath the penultimate ray : ventral fin 

 with the outer ray filamentous, its length from r25-l'50 in the distance 

 between its origin and the vent, and lo0-200 in that of the head : pectorals 

 1 ■66-2 '00 in the same : caudal emarginate, the least height of the pedicle 

 from 2'33-2"75 in the height of the body. Preorbital, maxilla, and snout in 

 front of the nostrils naked ; a row of minute scales behind each dorsal and 

 anal ray. Lateral line gently curved to beneath the anterior dorsal rays, 

 thence straight. 



Colors.- — Sandy brown above, silvery below ; the sides with a conspicuous, 

 median, longitudinal silvery band, and with seven or eight irregular dusky 

 blotches directed obliquely forwards, which are sometimes very faint or 

 even absent: cheeks golden, a dark green blotch on the opercles: spinous 

 dorsal blotched, rayed dorsal spotted, with olive green ; anal and ventrals 

 golden ; pectorals and caudal cloudy gray, the former wdth a deep black spot 

 in front of the base. 



So great is the confusion existing with regard to this and the succeeding 

 species of Whiting, that it is very diflicult to ascertain to which of them the 

 various authors refer ; it is, however, generally conceded that the two species 

 shed their ova at different seasons, and this accords with our own observations. 

 Examples of this species obtained during January and February have the roe 

 about half developed, and the months, March and April, given as the breeding 

 season in the Eoyal Commission Keport, are therefore correct. The ova is 

 deposited on sandy beaches in sheltered bays and lakes, and in estuaries, water 



