Sir J. R'chardson on Australian Fish. 279 



Cheilodactylus nigricans, Richardson. 



Radii.— Qv.—; D. 15126 ; A. 3|10 ; C. 15|; P. 9 et V. ; V. 1|5, 

 spec. 



Toorjenung, NeiU's drawings, No. 42. 



This fish is the "Toorjenung" of the natives of King George's 

 Sound, and the " Black Jew-fish " of the sealers, Mr. Neill says 

 that it grows to a large size, feeds grossly, and that its flesh is dry 

 and dark-coloured. It is much prized by the aborigines, and forms 

 a principal article of food arnong the native families, who are expert 

 in spearing fish. The head of a large fish is said to make good soup. 

 It is an inhabitant of rocky points that project from sandy bays, and 

 moves sluggishly along the bottom, ploughing the sand with its soft 

 fleshy lips ; hence it falls a ready sacrifice to the native spear. 



In shape this fish approaches to carponemus, but is rather more 

 elongated in the body, and has a more arched spinous dorsal. Its 

 eye is more remote from the gill-opening, being nearer to the middle 

 of the head, and the preorbitar is shorter, its length not exceeding 

 the diameter of the orbit. The most striking dissimilarity to the 

 preceding species is in the longest pectoral ray, which projects only 

 about one-sixth of its length beyond the membrane. It is the upper- 

 most of the simple rays, and the four others are graduated and also 

 project beyond the membrane as far in proportion. The disk of the 

 preoperculum is broad, that of the interoperculum fully equal to it, 

 and both these bones and the cheek are scaleless in the specimen, 

 which has sustained some damage in the head, but not apparently in 

 these places. Ch. carponemus and aspersus have interopercular 

 bones rather narrower than the disk of the preorbitar, and both these 

 bones, with the cheek, are covered with small scales which do not 

 extend to the preorbitar. In aspersus a small part of the cheek next 

 the preorbitar is scaleless. In all these species the operculum and 

 suboperculum are densely scaly. The integuments of the cheek of 

 nigricans are full of pores, and the lips are large and fleshy. About 

 forty-eight scales occur in a row between the gill-opening and caudal, 

 with three or four rows in addition on the base of that fin. About 

 seventeen compose a vertical row at the shoulder. The scales of the 

 lateral line are, as in the other species, smaller than those above and 

 below, which also overlap them. The exposed disk of a scale is rough, 

 with minute points, but the exterior margin is thin and membranous. 

 The base is faintly marked by a dozen or more slightly divergent fur- 

 rows, which do not produce marginal crenatures. The sixth and 

 tallest dorsal spine equals one-third of the height of the body and is 

 higher than the soft rays, which rise considerably above the posterior 

 spines. The third anal spine is more slender and considerably longer 

 than the second one. None of thein are strong. The caudal is 

 forked to half its depth, and has acute lobes. 



In Mr. NeiU's drawing this fish is represented as having a dark 

 greyish-black colour on the back, head and fins, and as being pale on 

 the belly. The lips are flesh-coloured. Length of the specimen 21 

 inches. The drawing is two feet long. 



