8 



it emits a " tooting " note, not unlike that emitted when 

 dying by some of the Siluridse {Arius aiistralis) ; hence its 

 local name of " trumpeter." Like Enoplosns arinatiis, it is 

 not a migratory fish, and may be found in the harbour of 

 Port Jackson all the year round in small quantities. 



Another valuable food-fish belonging to this family is 

 Serraiius damelii, the Black Rock-Cod. This fish was for- 

 merly plentiful, but now not so abundant in Port Jackson ; 

 to the northward, however, of our harbour it is still found in 

 considerable numbers, and attains to a large size, some- 

 times weighing more than 20 lbs. The following is an 

 extract from the report of the Royal Commission on the 

 Fisheries of New South Wales, 1880, p. 10 : — • 



" The genus Scrramis comprises most of the fishes known as 

 ' Rock Cod.' There are many species of it in these seas, and the 

 number increases in the warmer latitudes of the north, but one 

 only is sufficiently useful as an article of food to merit notice, 

 and tliat is the ' Black Rock-Cod ' l^Scrrauus daincUi, Glinther)." 

 " It is found on all the rocky parts of the coast, and in the 

 harbours about bold headlands. It takes the bait readily, and 

 is seldom captured by the net. It attains a great size, fishes 

 weighing 35 and even 40 lbs. being not uncommon. It is found 

 as far as Jarvis Bay to the south ; to the north it has probably a 

 much more extended range. It has been observed of this fish 

 that those caught off the ' Solitaires ' and other places to the 

 north of Port Jackson are, as a rule, of larger size than those 

 found to the south. It is rarely seen now in the Sydney market, 

 owing to the great falling-ofif in the supply obtained from Port 

 Jackson Heads, Coogee, and other places where it was formerly 

 abundant. It is difticult to account for this falling-off in the 

 supply ; for the causes which undoubtedly affect the supply of 

 other fishes do not api)ly to this. The spawn is not deposited in 

 shallow bays constantly raked by nets, the young are never taken 

 in the seine, and the number of the adult fish captured has never 

 been sufficient to account for the deficiency. It is probable that 



