riSH AND FISHERIES. 83 



It will not be necessary to delay over the next eight families of fishes 

 any more than to state that they include the immense groups of 

 Ci/prinidce, Carps, which is not represented in Australia, though the 

 Crucian Carp, Carassius carassius has been introduced into very many 

 of our rivers and ponds. There are none of the Family of Cyinnodontas 

 in Australia though represented by so many genera in Africa, Asia, 

 America, and Southern Europe. 



SCOMBRESOCIDiE. 



Body covered with scales, with a keeled series on each side of the 

 belly. Margin of the upper jaw formed by the inter-maxillaries 

 mesially and by the maxillaries, and by the inter-maxillaries laterally. 

 Lower pharyngeals united into a single bone, dorsal fin opposite the 

 anal and near the tail. Stomach not distinct from the intestine, which 

 is quite straight, without appendages. 



Fishes of this family are generally distinguished by some peculiarity 

 in the jaws. In Belone both jaws are produced into a long slender 

 beak, no finlets. In Scombresox the jaws are the same, but there are a 

 number of finlets between the dorsal, anal, and caudal. 



In Hemirluimphus the lower jaw only is prolonged into a long slender 

 beak. In Arrhamphus the upper jaw forms a triangular more or less 

 convex plate, and the lower jaw is not prolonged. In Exoccetus the jaws 

 are short and the pectorals converted into long organs of flying. All but 

 Arrhamphus are found on the coasts of N. S. Wales, and are excellent 

 table fishes. 



The Long Tom. 



(Plate XXXYI.) 



Belone ferox is the " Long Tom" of the Sydney fishermen, a " Garfish" 

 which is only taken in the net. They have teeth widely set apart 

 in their long jaws, and they skim over the surface of the water seizing 

 the small prey as birds do with the beak, and which without the 

 teeth they would be unable to hold. They can only swallow small fish, 

 and awim with an undulatory motion of the body. Dr. Giinther says 

 that shoals of them appear upon the coast with mackerel. In conse- 

 quence of their bones being of a green colour an opinion exists that they 

 are poisonous. There are one or two doubtful cases of fish-poisoning on 

 record, said to have arisen from eating the bones. 



Of the "garfishes" we have four species known to be found on our coasts. One, 

 Hemirhamphus regularis, is the favourite breakfast fish of the citizens of Sydney. 

 Hemirhamjyhus melanochir, or "river garfish," is a still better fish, but has become 

 very scarce. Heviirhamphus argenfeus, the common Brisbane species, but rare in 

 Sydney, and Hemirhamphus commersoni, also rare in Sydney, but abundant in the 

 far north. This last is the largest of the genus, but scarcely equal in quality to 

 the othei'S. The ordinary Sydney garfish (H. regularis) comes in from the sea in 

 the latter end of summer, to deposit its spawn in suitable spots in the harbour. 

 It is then in the finest condition, and makes its appearance in successive shoals, 

 some of them of enormous size. During the latter end of February of this year the 

 shoals were so large that several boat-loads were taken in one haul of the seine, 

 and the fish on the spot could be purchased for sixpence a bushel. — K.R.C. 



