EDIBLE FISHES OE NEW SOUTH WALES. 143 



are broadest below : dorsal witli four narrow longitudinal violet bands and 

 small spots of the same color between them ; an olive green blotch between 

 the second and third spines ; anal with irregular rows of" violet spots separated 

 bj golden bands ; caudal with violet bars between the rajs ; jjectorals and 

 ventrals immaculate : irides crimson. 



How or why this fish obtained its vernacular name it would be difficult 

 to say, since it is not a native of New Zealand, nor indeed is the genus 

 represented there, so far as our present knowledge goes. 



Though obtainable in the market in considerable quantities and at all 

 seasons of the year, nothing appears to be known definitely as to time or 

 place of its spawning. They frequent rocky shores, and are partial to 

 sheltered spots where patches of sand are interspersed among the weed- 

 covered rocks ; in such places on a calm day they may be observed swimming 

 slowly to and fro, and may be caught with the greatest case by dropping a 

 hook baited with crab or yellowtail in front of them. 



Their food consists of small crustaceans, molluscs, and such other organisms 

 as they can pick up among the rocks which they frequent. As food it is 

 superior to the Parrotfishes. 



As is the case with so many of our Labrid Fishes, the Maori, whicb is 

 abundant on the coast of New South Wales — where, however, its range 

 northwards is as yet undetermined — has not so far been included in the 

 later lists of Victorian or Tasmanian Pishes, but reappears at Adelaide 

 according to Castelnau (Jz^Z/s adelaidensis), awd at King George's Sound, 

 whence it was received by Eichardson and Klunzinger, while the British 

 Museum contains examples from Swan Eiver, West Australia; the type 

 specimens are, however, said to have been obtained by Quoy and Graimard 

 at Western Port, Victoria. 



The Maori grows to a length of sixteen inches. 



Genus VI.— ODAX. 



Oda.v, sp. Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss. xiv. p. 298, 1839. 



Branchiostegals five : pseudobranchise present. Body elongate and 

 moderately compressed. Snout well developed, conical. Jaws composed 

 of numerous teeth firmly ankylosed together, and with the edge sharp : 

 dentigerous plate of the hypopharyngeal triangular, much broader than long. 

 One dorsal fin with sixteen to eighteen flexible spines : the anal with two 

 or three. Scales moderate or rather small : cheeks and opercles scaly. 

 Lateral line continuous. Airbladder of moderate size. 



Geographical distrihution. — Coasts of temperate Australia, Tasmania, and 

 New Zealand. 



ODAX EICHAEDSONI. 



Odax jyuUus, Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss. xiv. pi. ccccviii. {not descr. ; not 

 iS2)a7'us pnllus, Forst.') 



Odax ricliardsoni, Gnth. Catal. Pish. iv. p. 241, and Ann. Nat. Hist. 18G7 (3) 

 XX. p. 66; Casteln. Proc. Zool. Soc. Vict. i. p. 155 ; Klunzing. SB. Ak. 

 Wien, 1879, Ixx. p. 404 ; Macleay, Catal. Austr. Pish. ii. p. 107. 



? Odax hyrtlii, Steindachn. SB. Ak. Wien, 1866, liii. p. 464 ; Klunzing. SB. 

 Ak. Wien, 1879, Ixxx. p. 405. 



