168 EDIBLE EISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



Family III.-SCOMBRESOCIDiE. 



Branchiostegals variable : pseudobranchise glandular, concealed. Margin 

 of upper jaw formed mesially by the intermaxillaries and laterally by the 

 maxillaries. Barbels present or absent. Hypopharyngeals united into 

 a single bone. Dorsal fin opposite to the anal, in the caudal section of the 

 vertebral column, with or without posterior finlets : no adipose dorsal. Body 

 scaly : a keeled row frequently preseut along eacli side of the free portion of 

 the tail. Airbladder generally present, simple, sometimes cellular internally, 

 without pneumatic duct. Stomach not distinct from the intestine, forming 

 together a straight undivided tube with or without pyloric appendages. 



Geograpliical distrihution. — Carnivorous and herbivorous fishes, belonging 

 to the tropical and temperate zoues, for the most part marine, but with 

 many species entering or even inhabiting fresh water. 



Genus I.— BELONE. 



Belone, Cuvier, Eegne Anim. 



Branchiostegals generally numerous. Grill openings wide. Body elongated, 

 subcylindrical or compi'esstd. Eyes lateral. Jaws prolonged into a slender 

 beak, the upper of which is formed by the premaxillaries, which are united 

 by a longitudinal suture. Both jaws with fine teeth or roughened, and with 

 a single series of long, pointed, widely set teeth : vomer and palatines with 

 or without teeth. The anterior dorsal rays may or may not be elevated, 

 while the middle and posterior ones may be short or elongate : no finlets. 

 Scales small. Lateral line on the free portion of the tail with or without a 

 keel. Airbladder large. No pyloric appendages. 



Georjrapliical distribution. — Temperate and tropical seas of both hemi- 

 spheres ; many species entering and some resident in fresh w^aters. 



As food the members of this genus which find their way to the Sydney 

 market are excellent, but here, as elsewhere, a prejudice exists against them 

 in many quarters on account of the green color of the bones, a character 

 which appears to be constant in all the known species. They are exceedingly 

 voracious, and being very swift in their movements are correspondingly 

 destructive to all small fishes swimming high in the water. 



Both of the species here described belong to the section in which the gill- 

 rakers are wanting, and for which the name Ti/losurus has been proposed. 



BELONE EEEOX. 



BeJone fero.r, Gnth. Catal. Fish. vi. p. 242, 1866; Caeteln. Proc. Linn. Soc. 

 N.S. Wales, iii p. 239, and iii p. 394 ; Maeleay, Catal. Austr. Eish. ii. 

 p. 17G ; AYoods, Eisher. N. S. AVales, p. 83, pi. xxxvi. 



Slender Long Tom. 

 B. xi. D. 21-22. A. 25-26. Y. 6. P. 12. C. 15. Yert. 57/32. 



Length of head 3-33-3-75, of caudal fin 11-50-12-00, height of body 

 15-00-18-66 in the total length : breadth of body 1-20-1 -10 in its height. 

 Diameter of eye 2'75-3"00 in the postorbital portion of the head, 6'00-6'SO in 

 the distance between its anterior margin and the tip of the upper jaw. and from 

 1"10-1'25 in the interorbital space, which is flat. Preorbital elongate, with 

 the inferior margin straight, its height 4'00-l'10 in its length. Maxilla scarcely 



