riSH AND PISHERIES. 69 



of its pectoral fins, which would lead one to imagine it capable of 

 supporting its body in the air, like the noted flying-fish. It is not, 

 however, known to exert this power, or even to possess it. Their heads 

 are said to be so placed as to enable them to move among the stones and 

 rocks, and remove from thence any crabs or shell-fish which may be 

 concealed, their well-armed head preventing them from receiving injuries 

 while exploring the rocky retreats for their prey. The flying gurnard 

 is not a common fish here, and its flesh is not so dry as in gurnards of 

 other parts of the world, and, served up with a nice sauce, it makes a 

 very good dish." 



The family Catajohracti can be passed over, merely stating that one 

 species, Dactylophorus orientalis, Cuv. and Yal. (which has the habits 

 of the Flying-fish), is seen as far south as Port Jackson, though more 

 commonly in the tropics. It is the Indo Pacific species. 



The families of " Gobies Blennies," &c., have been already mentioned. 

 Passing at once to the eleventh division of the Ancanthopterygians, or 

 those generally resembling the mullets. They have two dorsal fins 

 more or less remote from each other ; the anterior either short, like the 

 posterior, or composed of feeble spines. Ventrals abdominal, with one 

 spine and five rays. 



SPHYR^NID^. 



The first family is the Barracudas, or Sea Pike.* There are three 

 fishes of this small family occasionally found in Port Jackson and on 

 other inlets of the coast. They are easily known by the elongate 

 muzzle and strong teeth, and in general outline are not unlike the 

 British pike. This gives them the name which they bear of " pike" 

 amongst the Sydney fishermen. They are only caught by the seine, and 

 are most abundant in summei", when they seem to come to the coast in 

 small shoals. They are also caught at other seasons, but the adult fish 

 rarely in large quantities. The young are taken much more frequently 

 in seines. 



The Pike. 



(Plate XXYIII.) 



" Pike," as generally understood here, is Sphyrmna obttisata, Cuv. and 

 Val. (Plate XXVII), a long narrow fish, with a long head and scaly oper- 

 cula. It is greenish lead coloiir above, silvery beneath, fins deep yellow, 

 outer rays black, a dark band from snout to tail below lateral line ; 

 there is also a black blotch under the root of the pectorals. We have 

 another species in Port Jackson, *S'. JVovce, HoUandice, Giinth. Another 

 kind of Pike is Lanioperca mordax, Giinth. (Plate XXYIII). 



Mugilidse or Grey Mullets. 



Distinguished by moderately large cycloid scales, dentition very feeble 

 or none, no lateral line. 



* This name is no doubt the same as Barracovita, and is of Spanish origin. The 

 application of it to Thyrsites atun in the Southern seas was founded on some 

 fancied resemblance to the West Indian fish, which originally bore the name, 

 though of course they are entirely different. 



