51 



THE MAGPIE PERCH 



(Chilodactylus gibbosus) 



Will be readily recognised from its 

 j)ecnliiir iipi)earance. In eolonr it is a 

 pinky white, with two large transverse 

 bauds (if brown or black colour. Its 

 natural habitat is amongst the weeds, as 

 can be seen from the peculiar formation 

 of the pectoral tins, which are elongated 

 in the rjiys to permit of their being used 

 for supjiorts, as in the case of the Butter 

 Fish. It is more plentiful in the warm 

 months of the year, but at no time is it taken in large t|uantities..' The sjiecimens shown are 

 from the back beach at Queenscliff. 



THE LUDRICK. 



(^Melanichthys tricuspidata.') 



One of the best 

 talde fishes though not 

 at all common, it is 

 found in the Gipps- 

 land Lakes, and is also 

 laught in Holison's 

 Bay. On being cooked 

 it has a very thick 

 skin, which peculiarity 

 together wath its trijile 

 row of teeth distin- 

 guish it from the or- 

 dinary Black Perch, 

 which it much re- 

 sembles. 



GIPPSLAND 

 PERCH. 



{Latris colonofum.) 



This fish abounds 

 in the Gijjpsland 

 Lakes whence large 

 quantities are for- 

 warded to the Mel- 

 bourne market, as 

 it is an excellent 

 table fish. It is 

 also caught in tlie 

 Bay where it es- 

 pecially affects the 

 creek and river 

 mouths. 





