and Polceontologtj of Victoria. 187 



in the market, although not very good for the table: these are 

 the M. {Ghjphidodon) nigroi-is, called the "black perch," and the 

 Glyphidodon Victoria, commonly called the "rock perch /^ The 

 Parma squamipemiis has occurred also to me not very uncom- 

 monly in the bay. Several brilliantly coloured fish of the family 

 Labridse occur as rare occasional visitors, but they are not worth 

 special notice, the commonest and best-known being that called 

 " parrot-fish ;" it is the Labrichthys ephippium. The Labrichthys 

 laticlavius, L. psittacula, and several others also occur occasion- 

 ally. A much esteemed fish in the Yarra and other Victorian 

 rivers is called "black fish" by the colonists; it is abundant, 

 and sometimes exceeds a foot in length : it belongs to the genus 

 Gadopsis, so remarkable for combining a spiny first dorsal fin 

 with all the other characteristics of the Anacanthini ; it is a 

 mere variety, apparently, of the fish called " freshwater trout " 

 in the Tasmanian rivers, the Gadopsis marmoratus. The Lotella 

 callarias is a rare visitoi', confounded with the Pseudophycis har- 

 batus and two other species of Pseudophycis under the com- 

 mon name of " cod " and " rock cod " by the fish-dealers. The 

 " flounder " of the colonists is a good table fish, with which the 

 market is now regularly supplied; it seems peculiar to these 

 seas, and is the Rhombosolea flesoides. A true sole (Solea), 

 nearly allied to the Solea margaritifera, also occurs, although 

 rarely, at the Heads. Amongst the Siluroid fishes the most 

 important is the Copidoglanis tandanus, which is now regularly 

 supplied to the Melbourne market by railway from the river 

 Murray, under the name of " Murray catfish." The Yarra Yarra 

 and some other of the rivers near the southern coast contain in 

 great abundance a beautiful and active fish, excellent for the 

 table, and affording capital sport to the angler. By ichthyo- 

 logists following the classification of Cuvier it would be referred 

 to the Salmonidse, the adipose second dorsal fin being well 

 marked ; and so much does it resemble a grayling, in the cu- 

 cumber smell when caught, in general appearance, habits, mode 

 of rising to the fly, and playing, as well as in flavour, that 

 anglers are in the habit of calling it now the "Australian gray- 

 ling;" its close resemblance in food and habits to the true 

 Salmonidffi helped the Acclimatization Society to argue that 

 certain of our rivers would serve for the experiment of accli- 

 matizing the European salmon and trout, and, as experience has 

 since shown, successfully ; it is vulgarly also called the " Yarra 

 herring,^' and is the Prototroctes marcena. There is only one 

 other fish known in Victoria with the second adipose dorsal fin 

 and other characteristics of the Cuvierian Salmonidse (but now 

 referred to the Scopelida?) ; it is the large and beautifully 

 coloured marine form, the Auropus purpurisatus. of which I have 



13* 



