EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 11 



space concave, owing to the great projection of the supraorbital margin; 

 its breadth from 1'40-1'6G in the diameter of the eye. A slight concavity 

 on the occiput. Lower jaw the longer. Cleft of mouth wide and oblique; 

 maxilla triangular, extending to between the middle and the posterior 

 third of the oi'bit. Opercle with three spines, the middle the largest, 

 the upper minute : preopercle rounded, the vertical limb finely serrated ; 

 a compressed, frequently bicuspid, spine at the angle ; horizontal limb 

 with two spines pointing downwards and forwards : posttemporal and 

 clavicular bones spiniferous. Teeth in the jaws in villiform bands, wdtli 

 two or three pairs of canines anteriorly in each, the outer in the upper 

 jaw being much the strongest ; mandible with from one to three pairs of 

 lateral canines; an angular band of minute teeth on the vomer, and a 

 narrow elongate band on the palatines. Dorsal spines strong, the first 

 and last equal in length, the fourth and fifth the longest, 2'2.5-250 in the 

 length of the head ; the membrane veiy deeply notched ; dorsal rays not 

 nearly so high as the spines ; base of soft dorsal 1'15-1"33 in that of the 

 spinous : the anal commences beneath the first dorsal ray and ends beneath 

 the fourteenth ; the second spine is very strong and a little longer than the 

 third, 266-2"85 in the length of the head ; the rays are slightly longer 

 than the spines, and much longer than those of the dorsal : ventrals small, 

 their length about two thirds of the distance between their origin and the 

 vent, and 2'10-2'o0 in that of the head: pectorals rounded and well 

 developed, reaching to above the anal spines, l"4!0-l'o5 in the same : caudal 

 slightly rounded, the least height of its pedicle about two sevenths of the 

 height of the body. Scales moderate, ctenid, firmly adherent ; basal half of 

 all the fins scaly ; snout and anterior half of preorbital scaleless. Lateral 

 line approximately following the curvature of the back. 



Colors. — Red, deepest above; head with four black bands; the first straight 

 and short, commencing between the posterior margins of the eyes and 

 extending backwards along the occiput ; the second slightly curved from the 

 postero-superior angle of the orbit to the hinder edge of the occiput ; the 

 third arcuate, from behind the middle of the eye to the origin of the dorsal ; 

 the fourth slightly curved crossing the opercle ; body with six vertical black 

 bands, the anterior four extending on to the dorsal, and the middle two on 

 to the anal fin. 



• 



Though occurring at all seasons of the year in the Sydney market the 

 Banded Sea-Perch appears in larger quantities and more regularly during the 

 warmer months, when they visit Port Jackson and Broken Bay for the 

 purpose of spawning, retiring during the colder months to deeper water. 

 They are essentially rock-fishes, and are almost invariably associated with the 

 Eed Eock-Cods {Scorpcrnd), being taken by hook along with them. Their 

 food is similar to that of the last species, and their flesh is firm, flaky, and 

 pleasant. 



They attain to a length of eight inches, 



PLECTEOPOMA NIGEOEUBRUM. 



PJectropona nigronih^uvi, Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss. ii. p. 402, 1828 ; 

 Quov & (xaim. Yov. A.strolabe, Poiss. p. G59, pi. iv. fig. 1 ; Gnth, 

 Catal. Fish. i. p. 158 ; Macleay, Catal. Austr. Fish. i. p. 22 ; Ogilby, 

 Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, x. p. 119. 



