EDIBLE EISUES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 137 



The Pigfish, so called on account of its elongate, conical snout, and thick 

 fleshy lips, is, for the reasons adduced under the heading of Blue Grroper, 

 not often obtainable in the Sydney markets ; nevertheless, it occurs more 

 commonly than either of the Gropers, or than the succeeding species. 



Nothing has been recorded as to the season of spawning, nor the places 

 selected for depositing the ova, nor whether any special precautions are 

 taken to ensure the safety thereof after its extrusion and fertilisation. From 

 personal observation, however, we are inclined to fix the early spring 

 months — such as September and the first halfc" of October — as the period at 

 which this important function takes place, several specimens which have 

 passed through our hands within the specified time having been found dis- 

 tended with spawn, which could with but slight pressure be made to ooze 

 from the fish ; individually the ova are very minute. 



In the quality of its fiesh the Pigfish is as excellent as in appearance it is 

 handsome, and it is, therefore, the more regretable that the market is not 

 more bountifully supplied with them, since there can be no doubt that they 

 are common in all suitable localities in the Port Jackson district ; beyond 

 the metropolitan district, however, we have no record of its occurrence on any 

 part of the Australian coast, and the specimen which formed Giinther's type, 

 and which is merely labelled " Australia," probably came from Sydney; it is, 

 however, included by Johnston in his supplementary list of Tasmanian fishes, 

 and by Sherrin in his list of New Zealand fishes. 



The common Pigfish attains to a length of eighteen inches, and the author 

 does not remember to have ever seen one measuring less than twelve. 



COSSTPHUS BELLIS. 



Cossyphus heUis, Ems. & Ogl. Proc. Linn. Soe. N. S. Wales (2) 1887, ii. p. 561. 



Banded Pigfish. 



B. vi. D. 12/11. A. 3/12. V. 1/5. P. 17. C. 14. L. lat. 32. L. tr. 6/13. 



Yert. 11/17. 



Length of head 3-33-3-60, of caudal fin, 5-00-5-25, height of body 3-50- 

 3'70 in the total length. Eye rather small, its diameter 4'50-5'50 in the 

 length of the head, 1'60-2'LO in that of the conically pointed snout, and 

 1"10-1"20 in that of the slightly convex interorbital space. Nostrils small, the 

 anterior opening at the extremity of a low tube, the posterior a little larger, 

 oval, and almost horizontal. Jaws equal. Lips fleshy. Cleft of mouth of 

 moderate size, horizontal, the maxilla, which is almost concealed by the pre- 

 orbital, club-shaped, and extending to beneath the posterior nostril or the 

 anterior margin of the eye : intermaxillary processes extending backwards to 

 between the anterior margins of the eyes, their length one third of that of the 

 head. Length of preorbital rather more than its depth: posterior margin of pre- 

 opercle feebly serrated. Upper profile of snout flat, of occiput convex. Two 

 pairs of canines anteriorly in each jaw, those of the upper jaw subequal ; 

 the symphysealpair in the lower jaw much smaller than the outer pair ; sides 

 of the jaws with a single series of conical teeth, six or seven in number in 

 the upper, twelve to fourteen in the lower jaw ; inside these are several 

 irregular series of small granular teeth : a posterior canine tooth curving out- 

 wards. The dorsal fin commences above the opercular flap, and terminates 

 a little in front of the last anal ray ; the spines are strong, and each is fur- 

 nished with a skinny terminal filament ; they increase in length to the last, 

 which is from 2-5b-3"20 in the length of the head, and about five 



