194 EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



removed — having been compared to tliat of the Sole and Flounder." On 

 the same subject Castelnau remarks: — "Those of the Victorian ^vaters are 

 not geuerally used as food, although the fishermen say that when their thick 

 skin has been removed they are not to be despised." Johnston, too, referring 

 to its estimation in Tasmania, says : — " Some of them are said to be very 

 good for the table when skinned ; but they are not held in esteem in the 

 market, and consequently are seldom seen there." 



MONACANTHUS HIPPOCREPIS. 



Balistes Mppocrepis, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. Uranie, Zool. p. 212. 



Aleuterius varialilis. Richards. Yov. Erebus & Terror, Fish. p. 67, pi. lii. ff. 



1-7. 

 Monacantlnis liippocreph^ Holland, Ann. Sc. Nat. 1854, ii. p. 338 ; Steindachn. 



SB. Ak. Wien, ISGS, Ivii. p. 1002; Gnth. Catal. Fish. viii. p. 246 ; 



Casteln. Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, iii. p. 399 ; McCoy, Prodr. Zool. 



Vict. dec. xiii. pi. 125. 



Variable Leatherjacket. 

 Plate XLVIIl. 

 D. 39. A. 37. P. 13. C. 12. 



Length of head 3'80, of caudal fin 633, height of body 3"25 in the total 

 length. Eye moderate, its diameter 4'20 in the length of the snout, and 

 ]"20 in the interorbital space, which is convex. Nostrils small, approximate, 

 oval, subequal. Snout long, obtusely rounded, its upper surface slightly 

 convex. Gill-opening situated beneath the posterior half of the orbit, its 

 length 2'85 in that of the snout. Dorsal spine strong and straight, its length 

 1'40 in the same ; it is situated above the posterior half of the orbit, and is 

 compressed and transversely expanded; anteriorly it is rounded, and bears 

 a double row of small spinate points, with a narrow, mostly naked, space 

 between them ; the hinder lateral margins are armed with much stronger spines 

 pointing outwards and downwards, and the space intervening between the 

 two sets of spines is covered by minute conical points. Soft dorsal and 

 anal fins rather low, with the outer margins convex, and. the middle rays the 

 longest, those of the anal being a little longer than the dorsal rays, 2 60 in 

 the length of the snout : the anal commences beneath the sixth dorsal ray, 

 and ends a little behind that fin; its basal length is 1'20 in that of the 

 dorsal: ventral spine small, immovable, its tip encircled by small spines: 

 pectoral small, rounded posteriorly, situated behind the vertical from the 

 orbit, its length 266 in that of the snout : caudal subtruncate, with the 

 angles slightly produced in old examples ; the pedicle with three pairs of 

 strong spines directed forwards, its least height 366 in the height of the 

 body. Scales well marked, rough, and velvety. 



Colors. — Upper surfaces olive green darkest on the head, shading into 

 lighter below ; middle of the sides with an oval orange blotch, within which 

 a horseshoe-shaped band is present or absent ; lips surrounded by two or 

 three dull blue yellow-edged bands ; sides of the abdomen with narrow, 

 sinuous, blue bands : fins pale yellow, immaculate ; caudal with a broad 

 sublunate band, convex anteriorly, near its outer margin. 



This large and handsome species is not so often to be found in the market as 

 are the two which follow, and appears to be of a more sf)litary disposition 

 than they. The flesh of the Variable Leatherjacket is beautifully white and 

 flaky, and of excellent flavor. It is more of an ocean fish than the majority 

 of its congeners ; and the few that find their way to market are taken on the 

 outside reefs by hook and line, and is not exigeant as to the character of the 



