FISH AND FISHEHIES. 47 



very prominent. This is one of the most delicious fish of our seas ; it is 

 often caught in nets set near the headlands of Port Jackson, as it is 

 peculiarly a rock-tish. The aboriginal name of this fish is " Bingatti." 



CJiilodactylus vittatus, Garrett, or Banded Morwong, Plate XIII, is 

 another kind which is rarely seen in the markets. 



The Trumpeter. 



Latris (Trumpeter) has the dorsal fin deeply notched, the spines 

 seventeen ; anal, many rayed, none of the pectoral rays extending 

 beyond the margin of the fin. Teeth viliform, no canines. Preoper- 

 culum minutely serrated. 



These are considered amongst the most delicate of our edible fishes, 

 but one species, L. ciliaris, is not much valued. It has seventeen spinous 

 and thirty-nine soft rays in the dorsal fin, and three spinous and thirty- 

 two soft in the anal. Head only one-fifth of the whole length. 



SCORP^NID^. 



Body oblong, more or less compressed, covered with ordinary scales 

 or naked. Cleft of the mouth lateral or subvertical. Dentition feeble, 

 consisting of viliform teeth, and generally without canines. Some bones 

 of the head armed, especially the angle of the prcoperculum ; its arma- 

 ture receiving the support of a bony stay, connecting it with the infra- 

 orbital ring. The spinous portion of dorsal equally or more developed 

 than the soft and than the anal. Yentrals thoracic, generally with one 

 spine and five soft rays or rudimentary. 



This family consists of carnivorous marine fishes only ; some resemble 

 sea perches in form and habits, whilst others live at the bottom of the 

 sea and possess in various degrees of development those skinny append- 

 ages resembling the fronds of seaweeds, by which they either attract 

 other fishes or hide themselves. These species also resemble in colour 

 their surroundings, and vary with change of locality. They move or 

 feel by means of simple pectoral rays. Nearly all are distinguished by 

 a powerful armature, either of the head or fin spines, and in some the 

 spines are developed into poisonous organs. (G.S.F.) 



Under the head of Triglid^ or Gurnards were formerly included the 

 above family. Now we have only one or two of our edible fishes 

 inckided in it, that is to say, the genera Sehastes and Scorpcena, both of 

 which comprise the red rock cod of our fishermen. They are rock 

 and ground fish, but soft, and seldom eaten. 



Sebastes has the head without a groove on the occiput and few small 

 spines. We have only one species, S. percoides, Richardson, which is a 

 reddish fish with five brown cross bands. 



The Red Rock Cod. 



(Plate XII.) 



This fish belongs to the genus Scorpcena. It has a naked groove on the 

 occiput, armed with spines and sometimes skinny tentacles. About 

 forty species are known from tropical and sub-tropical seas. They lead 



