■280 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION D. 



The Australian Bass, or Eastern " Fresh- water " Perch, is 

 that fiae food — and game — fish which is found inhabiting many of the 

 east-flowing rivers of eastern Australia. Ifc is particularly abundant 

 in the east-flowing rivers of New South Wales, as well as those flowing 

 into the G-ippsland Lakes in Victoria. As a sporting fish, it is considered 

 by very many to be second to none in Australia. Certainly it is a fine 

 fish, a game fighter, and of great edible value. It is also possessed of 

 an elegant shape, and, apart from its importance as a food fish, it is a 

 iish to make the heart of its captor glad indeed. 



The Australian bass attains, exceptionally, a weight of as much 

 as 6| lbs., but, ordinarily, one of 3 lbs. in weight may be looked upon 

 as a large fish. 



Of recent years this fish has been very greatly sought after by 

 riverside folk, and city anglers, alike ; and special measures for its 

 future preservation have of late been instituted by the New South Wales 

 State Department of Fisheries. 



Though a permanent denizen of fresh water — in which it spawns — 

 the Australian bass occurring in the lower reaches of the rivers are 

 often found to take to the normally saltwater portions of a number of 

 the rivers during heavy freshets ; returning again as soon as the water 

 conditions are favorable. 



As I have elsewhere pointed out, this perch has been confused in 

 the past with the estuary perch, a fish from which it differs greatly, 

 both in habits and conformation. The estuary perch is a less active 

 fish, more " slab-sided," of greater depth, having the upper profile of 

 the head excavate (this giving even a more " roach-backed " appearance 

 than in the Macquarie perch, before referred to), and possessing a smaller 

 and less-forked tail. Though the estuary perch is able to penetrate 

 far up into the rivers, as also does the sea mullet, like the latter it 

 has to come to the salt-water to spawn, while the Australian bass, as 

 before mentioned, spawns in its home waters. The egg of the estuary 

 perch, it may also be mentioned, is freely floating or pelagic, while that 

 of the Australian bass is smaller, and is demersal and attached. 



The Australian bass is captured usually by rod and line, using a 

 living bait, or else artificial flies or spinning baits of many designs. 

 In a state of nature, the fish subsists upon aquatic insects, insects that 

 fall into the water from the air, frogs, small fishes (including its own 

 kind), small reptiles, prawns or shrimps — and, in fact, almost any living 

 thing in the waters, according to circumstances and locality. Where 

 the river banks are in anything like their natural condition, however, 

 the principal food consists of insects. Sometimes mistakes are made, 

 however, apart from those induced by anglers. As a case in point, I 

 may mention that the stomach of an Australian bass taken by me in the 



