FISH AND FISHERIES. 65 



Carnivorous fishes of small size, in every shallow sea but more 

 numerous in the Arctic than Antarctic circle. This family contains some 

 remarkable genera which have the eyes on the top of the head and 

 directed upwards (Uranoscopits, Leptoscopus, Agnus, Anema, and 

 Kathetostoma). In the Trachinma division of the family the eyes are 

 more or less lateral. This contains our sand whiting, Sillago maculata, 

 Quoy and Gaim, Plate XVII. The body is covered with small ctenoid 

 scales, the cleft of the mouth small and the upper jaw longer, eye large, 

 lateral, two dorsals, first with nine to twelve spines, ventrals thoracic ; 

 ■vdlliform teeth on jaws and vomer none on palate ; preoperculum 

 serrated; head with wide muciferous channels. 



The Whiting. 



(Plate XXIII, upper figure.) 



The " whitings" are not like those of Europe. * There are in all four 

 Australian species — the common sand whiting (Sillago maculata), abundant on the 

 New South Wales coast ; the trumi^eter wliiting (Sillago bassejisi-i), also abundant 

 here, and the most common species in Brisbane ; Sillago x>unctata, the wliiting of 

 Melbourne, and rare on this coast ; and Sillago ciliata, Plate XXIV, occasionally 

 seen here, and properly a fish of the tropical seas. The first of these whitings is far 

 the most important as an article of food. It is perhaps in more general use even 

 than the schnajiper, constituting almost all through the year the most generally 

 used breakfast fish we have. Of its excellent quality when in good condition and 

 in the proper season there cannot be a doubt, but the great favour in which it is 

 held induces, we fear, its extensive use at times when it ceases to be good, and 

 may probably be unwholesome. It is in best condition when it first appears to 

 come in from the sea, about the middle or latter end of summer. It is then a large 

 clean fish, with the roe formed but not full-sized, and it continues in its excellent 

 condition until the roe has attained full maturity or been shed. This occurs 

 generally about March or April. The actual deposition of the spawn has never 

 been observed, but there cannot be a doubt that the sandy and muddy beaches of 

 bays and lakes are the favoured spots. There is a similar want of reliable evidence 

 as to the time of the appearance of the young fry, but we believe that there are 

 sufficient grounds for concluding that the spawn deposited at the end of 

 summer does not germinate until the warmth of spring. The young fisii, and those 

 of all stages of growth short of the adult fuU-roed fish, seem to reside in the 

 harbours, estuaries, and lakes in which they were born until their departure to the 

 sea ; and it is while thus still, as it were, in their nursery that the most improvi- 

 dent havoc is played on them by the fishermen. The ages of these fishes at the 

 time when they depart for the sea, and the precise period of their migration have 

 not been determined by any accui'ate observation, but it is known that they 

 invariably return in considerable shoals. From the evidence of Mr. C. Smith we 

 are inclined to think that this whiting has two spawning seasons in the year, but 

 if so, and there is little reason to doubt it, as it is certainly the case with the 

 European herring and other well-known fishes — the spring spawning is much the 

 least important. It is a ground fish, and, though it has been taken with the hook, 

 is generally caught in the seine. The " trumpeter whiting" is not in such request 

 as the other, nor is it found in such abundance. The time of arrival from the sea 

 is winter, or a month or two later than the sand whiting. Its habits are much 

 the same in other respects. The other species of Sillago need not be mentioned 

 here, as they cannot be included among our useful fishes. There are other genera 

 of Trachiniihe found in Australian waters, but none of them having any pretension 

 to utility for food or any other purpose.— R.C.C. 



In the sand whiting, which is shorter than S. p)unctata, the upper 

 parts are of a light olive colour marbled with rather larger brown spots ; 



* The whiting of Europe is a Oadus or Cod. 



