116 EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



Long'-finned Pike. 



B. vii. D. 5. 1/18-19. A. 2/25-2G. V. 1/5. P. IG. G. 17. L. lat. Gl-67. 



L. tr. 6/Ll. 



Length o£ head 3 40, of caudal fin GOD, heii^dit of body GOO in the total 

 length. Eye large, its diameter 5"()0 in the length of the head, and 2"00 in 

 that of the obtusely rounded snout: interorbital space flat, 1'33 in the 

 diameter of the eye. Nostrils small, oval, approximate, the anterior tubular, 

 the posterior simple. Upper profile of head flat. Lower jaw much the 

 longer. Clett of mouth slightly oblique, the maxilla reaching to beneath the 

 anterior margin of the orbit ; in shape it is elongate-pyriform, with the lower 

 edge eraarginate, and the posterior rounded. Upper jaw with two pairs of 

 strong canines in front, the anterior pair erect with recurved tips, the 

 posterior similar but much larger and inclined backwards ; both jaws with 

 a broad band of villiform teeth, having an outer enlarged series, which in the 

 upper are subequal and throughout much smaller and more numerous than 

 those of the lower, in which the four or more rarely five posterior teeth are 

 remote and caninid ; teeth on the vomer in a horseshoe-shaped band, with 

 the arc in front, and two or three posterior ones on either side greatly 

 enlarged ; a narrow elongate band of small teeth on the palatines. The 

 dorsal spines are small and weak, the second and longest not being equal to 

 the diameter of the eye, and the distance between the origin of the fin and 

 the tip of the snout is 1"33 in that between the same spot and the base of the 

 caudal ; the second dorsal ray is the longest, and equals the postorbital por- 

 tion of the head : the anal commences beneath the origin of the second dorsal 

 and extends back far beyond it. the basal length of the latter being 1"30 in 

 that of the former, and equal to the distance between the origins of the two 

 dorsals ; the anal rays are not quite so high as those of the dorsal : ventrals 

 small, the outer ray the longest, reaching midway to the vent, its length 3'20 

 in that of the head : pectorals reaching as far back as the ventrals, and equal 

 in length to the maxilla : caudal emarginate, the least height of its pedicle 

 2'25 in the height of the body. Lateral line slightly curved downwards 

 above the pectorals, thence straight. 



Oo/ors.— Above brown with a tinge of gold, the head darkest ; silvery 

 below the lateral line ; the caudal pedicle deeply tinted with yellow : vertical 

 fins yellow ; inside of jaws anteriorly, and upper surface of tongue purple : 

 teeth dull red. 



Pull-roed examples of this fish are often obtainable in our market during 

 the winter months, and except that with us it frequents deeper water and 

 keeps closer to the bottom, it does not differ materially in its habits from 

 the Sj)J/i/r(p>i(V. Its much shorter and deeper body makes it recognisable 

 when lying on the floor of the market, even when the fins cannot be seen. 



Though from the small niunber of specimens of this fish and Sphi/rcFna 

 novcelwUandiaj, which we have so far had an opportunity of examining 

 intestinally, it would be pre.su::iptuous to draw a hard and fast line as to the 

 food, it is a fact that, in the majority of specimens of this species, remains 

 of crustaceans and molluscs were plentifully present, while in no case were 

 they discernible in the Short-finned Pike. As a food fish it is equally as 

 good as, if not better than, that species. 



The outward resemblance which this fish bears to the other members of 

 the family, all the species of which, Dinolestes included, are grouped 

 together by fishermen, dealers, and market officials as " Pike," makes it 

 difficult to gauge, even approximately, the northern limit to Avhich this species 

 attains. AYe have known it to occur in small numbers both in Botany and 



