EDIBLE FISHES OP NEW SOUTH WALES. 153 



Beardie: Ling. 

 Plate XXXVII. 



B. vii. D. 5. 60-G5. A. 50-59. V. 7. P. 23. C. 23. Ccec. pyl. 16. Vert. 14/34. 



Length o£ head 4'40, of caudal fin 10-00, height of body 4-40-4'55 in the 

 total length : breadth of head 1'55 in its length. Eye moderate and sunken, 

 its diameter 4'75 in the length of the head, and 1'10-1*25 in that of the 

 snout, which is broad, very obtusely rounded, and vertically truncated in 

 front: interorbital space flat, 1"15-1'25 in the length of the head. Nostrils 

 pierced in a nasal fossa, approximate, the anterior circular and slightly 

 tubular, the posterior longitudinally oval and simple. Upper profile of head 

 slightly concave in front. Upper jaw tlie longer. Cleft of mouth large, the 

 maxilla extending to or a short distance beyond the orbit : mandibular barbel 

 lialf the length of the pectoral. Upper jaw with a narrow band of villiform 

 teeth, and an outer enlarged series of rather widely set incurved conical 

 ones ; lower jaw with a similar enlarged series, but with no villiform band, 

 that being replaced by a limited number of small sharp teeth interspersed 

 between the larger teeth, and forming a patch , at the symphysis. The first 

 dorsal commences midway between the origin of the pectoral and the 

 opercle ; the middle ray is the longest, 2 '40-2 66 in the length of the head : 

 the two outer ventral rays are filamentous, the second the longer, not quite 

 reaching to the vent, and from 1'50-1'60 in the length of the head : pectoral 

 rounded, most of the rays terminating in hair-like filaments, its length 1'40- 

 1'55 in that of the head : caudal rounded, the pedicle strongly compressed 

 and attenuated, its heigbt nowhere so great as the diameter of the eye. 

 Fins scaly. 



Colors. — Rich chestnut brown above, paler below, especially on the 

 thoracic region : fins darker, with a narrow white marginal band ; the two 

 outer ventral rays white. 



Nothing is knowa as to the breeding of this species, but as in an example 

 obtained during the first week in August the lobes of ova were only just 

 becoming apparent we may conclude that the spawn is deposited during the 

 summer months. 



The Beardie, though common enough, is not often brought to market, 

 since from its frequenting weedy and rocky localities, it never or very rarely 

 comes within the scope of the operations ot the seine fishers, and it is, there- 

 fore, only the few specimens which fall to the lot of the hook and line men 

 ■which ever appear there. 



Their food consists of small fishes, crustaceans, molluscs, and such like, 

 and its flesh is white, flaky, and of moderate flavor, but being rather soft 

 it is preferable, when baked, to any other mode of cooking. 



It is common along the New South Wales coast south of Broken Bay, but 

 we have no certain knowledge of the distance to which it pushes in a northerly 

 direction, more than that it has not been recorded from the coast of Queens- 

 land. The Beardie frequents our harbors and inlets as well as the coastal 

 reefs and bomboras, and is readily taken with a fish, crab, or prawn bait. 

 It is " rather rare" says McCoy " in Victorian waters, but is caught with hook 

 and line during the colder months in Port Phillip on rocky reefs in five or 

 six fathoms water ; it is sold in the markets commonly for the table, but the 

 flesh is soft and not very good. The fishermen report the spawning time to 

 be in April." If we are right in considering that .Johnston's L. swanii is not 

 specifically distinguishable from L. callarias, the range of that fish extends 

 to Tasmania, where, however, it is not common. 



The Beardie grows to a length of sixteen inches. 



