EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 43 



otters by an interspace ; a small patch of teeth, similar to the partially 

 developed postlabial teeth, on the anterior part of the palatines. Dorsal 

 spines increasing in length to the seventh or eighth, whence there is little or 

 no difference to the last, which is 2'lo-2o5 in the length of the head ; the 

 rays are subequal to the spines in height ; the base of the rayed portion is 

 five eighths of that of the spinous : the anal commences beneath the first 

 dorsal ray and ends opposite the termination of the dorsal, the rays of which 

 are not nearly so long as those of the anal ; the third spine is the loni-^est, 

 much stronger, and but little shorter than the longest dorsal spine, but not 

 nearly so strong as the second anal spine : ventrals not extending to the 

 vent, l-33-l"G0 in the length of the head: pectorals small, 1-25-1-33 in the 

 same : caudal slightly emarginate, the least height of the pedicle equal to 

 the distance between the last dorsal ray and the origin of the caudal. Scales 

 moderate, feebly ctenid, adherent ; cheeks and upper third of operde scaly, 

 remainder of head naked : dorsal and anal fins with a basal scalv sheath : a 

 row of small scales between the rays. Lateral line following the curvature 

 of the back. 



Colors. — Blackish or dark brown above, lighter below ; or silvery gray 

 with a variable number of dark brown transverse bands. 



This is by far the most comoaon species of Girella sent to the Sydney 

 market. It is not easy to arrive at any certainty, from published documents, 

 as to locality made use of for depositing the spawn, but in Mr. Glover's 

 report to the Eoyal Commission he states, writing from Twofold Bay, that 

 "Bream, black, silver, and red, and the Black-fish .... spawn among 

 weeds, and in deep holes with a muddy bottom"; so far as estuaries and creeks 

 are concerned this is doubtless correct, but that they also spawn on the outer 

 beaches is equally certain as the young, measuring from one to three inches, 

 are to be found in rock pools during the autumn and winter months. As to 

 the season of shedding the spawn that appears to be indisputably fixed for the 

 first three months of the year from our own observations in the neighborhood 

 of Sydney, those of Mr. Glover at Twofold Bay, and those of Mr. Hood 

 Pegus at the Clarence Heads. 



Like most, if not all, herbivorous fishes the Blackfish rapidly deteriorates 

 in flavor after death, nevertheless when freshly caught it is by no means to 

 be despised, especially if the contents of the stomach are immediately 

 removed. 



These fishes go in shoals and are chiefly taken for the market by means of 

 the seine, and Tenison Woods writes " in certain seasons they may be caught 

 in abundance in shallow water with the line, the only bait being a green con- 

 fervid weed obtained on wood under sea water." 



The Blackfish is very abundant along the entire coastline of the Colony, 

 frequenting estuaries, creeks, and tidal rivers, as well as the open sea; it is 

 also common on the coast of Victoria, where it goes by the names of " Black 

 Perch"' and " Rock Perch" and, according to Castelnau, is "esteemed as an 

 article of food." Speaking of it in Tasmania, Johnston mentions that it is 

 common, but does not ascend estuaries as far as Chri/sopTirj/s aiisfralis ; it is 

 called " Black Bream" in that colony. Of the extent of its range to the 

 westward we have no certain record, while it is not mentioned by Saville 

 Kent from the Queensland coast, thoiigh there can be little doubt of its 

 occurrence in the southern waters of that colony at least. 



The average length of examples forwarded to the Sydney markets is about 

 twelve inches, but examples of the length of twenty one are occasionally 

 obtainable. 



