110 EDIBLE PISHES OE NEW SOUTH WALES. 



free portion of the clayicular spine, and ends above the fourteenth anal ray ; 

 the first spine is roughened anteriorly ; it is not so long as the second, which 

 is normally the longest, 1'50-1'6G in "the length of the head ; the tenth spine, 

 when present, is minute and may easily be overlooked ; the first ray of the 

 soft dorsal is unbranched, and its base is from one fifth to one seventh 

 nearer to the origin of the caudal than to the tip of the snout ; the third or 

 fourth ray is the highest, about three fifths of the highest spine ; the last 

 ray is undivided : the anal commences beneath the second dorsal ray; all 

 the rays, except the last three, are simple, the last being divided to its base : 

 in small examples the ventral fin reaches to the vent, but in the adult fish it 

 falls a little short of it ; the spine is stronger than those of the first dorsal, 

 the fifth of which is about equal in length to it ; the third and fourth rays 

 are equal and longest, from 1' 10-1 '33 in the length of the head : the pectoral 

 is rounded posteriorly, and the middle rays, which are longest, are from one 

 fourth to two fifths longer than the head, and reach back as far as the fourth 

 to the seventh anal ray : caudal emarginate in small, truncated with the 

 outer rays slightly produced in large, examples ; the least height of the 

 caudal pedicle equal to its width at the same spot, and about three sevenths 

 of the distance between the dorsal fin and the base of the caudal. Scales 

 minute. Lateral line almost straight, the scales smooth : the series of keeled 

 scales along each side of the bases of the dorsal fins well developed, and 

 numbering about twenty three pairs. 



Colors. — Upper surfaces and sides of the head red, with or without an 

 admixture of brown ; lower surfaces white w^ashed with pink : dorsal and 

 caudal fins reddish with a strong tinge of yellow, the latter color frequently 

 predominating on the posterior half of the caudal ; anal and ventral fins white 

 or pinkish ; pectorals externally pale red, the membrane frequently tinged 

 with violet, and with a broad pale blue marginal baud posteriorly ; the inner 

 or posterior side olive green or purple, with more or less numerous light blue 

 spots on its outer half, and with a large black blotch on the lower third of 

 the fin, the spots on which are milk white. 



There is not, so far as we are aware, any recorded notice of the spawning 

 season of this fish on the Australian coast, and the only light which we can 

 throw on the subject is, therefore, from our own necessarily limited observa- 

 tions ; these fix the season at or about the two last months of the year, 

 specimens examined during the last week in October being full of ripe ova, 

 while others were found to have spawned towards the latter end of December; 

 others again dissected during May and June contained no ova. The fry are 

 never seen in our harbors, nor have I ever found it occurring aiDong the 

 debris of the seine net. Little is known as to the place and method of 

 shedding the spawn, but since Sars' discovery that the ova floats, it is 

 probable that these do not differ materially from other fishes dwelling at 

 moderate depths, such as the Cod (Gadus morrliua'), the flotation of whose 

 ova is unquestionable. We have ourselves noticed that about July and 

 August the Gray Grurnards {Trigla gurnardus) ofl: the north coast of Ireland 

 were full of roe, and schooled on the surface of the Avater. 



As a food fish our Eed Gurnard is excellent, the best way of preparing it 

 being undoubtedly by stuffing and baking. Their food consists of worms, 

 small molluscs, crustaceans, and fishes. 



JVotwithstanding the large size of the pectoral fins these fishes have not 

 the power of sustaining themselves in the air, and can only leap out of the 

 water and immediately fall back again like other fishes, and this power even 

 they do not often exert, or only at least when striving to escape from an 

 enemy, and perhaps at the schooling season. 



