lO 



other members of the Percidae form important articles of 

 food, some of which will be considered under our fresh- 

 water fishes. 



Gerrid^. 



Gerres ovatiis, a small but delicious fish, known to the 

 fishermen as " silver bream," " silver bellies," &c., is often 

 taken in great numbers at certain seasons ; it seldom 

 reaches 8 inches in length, and appears to enter the har- 

 bour of Port Jackson in July. It is a handsome fish, of a 

 bright silvery hue, with a silver-blue tint on the upper 

 portion of the body. The flesh is rather soft, probably 

 from the species being one that does not keep well ; never- 

 theless it is of good flavour. 



MULLID/E. 



This family supplies us with two or three species of very 

 delicious fishes, known as red mullets. They are usually 

 taken at night in the seine and trawl, but seldom in suifi- 

 cient numbers to warrant them being classed among our 

 useful fishes. The largest species is Enpenats porosiis, a 

 very beautiful fish, of an orange- or vermilion-red, with 

 yellow streaks and blue and violet markings and spots. 

 It reaches to I2 inches in length. 



Spar ID. E. 



This family furnishes some of the most important of our 

 food-fishes, and from it comes our chief supply. The car- 

 nivorous Sparidae include the Schnapper, Pagrns niiicolor, 

 the immature young of which are known respectively as 

 the " squire " and red bream. It is a hghly-coloured 

 species, of a rich pink or red colour, with blue iridescent 

 spots on the scales. 



