EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



E. armatus is abundant in tlie bare and estuarieB of South-eastern 

 Australia from Morcton Bay to Port Phillip, and, thougli it has not been so 

 far recorded, is probably found in similar spots in northern Tasmania. Its 

 westward range extends at least as far as Nt. Vincent's Gulf, from which 

 locality Castelnau received specimens from Waterhouse. In addition to the 

 trivial name used here it is known at INlclbourne as " Bastard Dory " owing 

 to its shape and the prolongation of the rays of the vertical fins, and 

 "Zebra-fish" from its striped appearance. It attains to a length of nine 

 inches in Port Jackson, but referring to the IMelbourne market Castelnau 

 states that " in winter the specimens are small and do not measure more 

 than from four to six inches ; but iu the warm months (December and 

 Januarv) they are much larger, and some are nearly a foot long." He 

 further remarks that these large examples are generally females with well 

 developed ova ; the breeding season, therefore, in the southern Colony would 

 appear to be the latter part of the summer. 



Family II.-SERRANID^. 



Branchiostegals seven, rarely six or eight : pseudobranchia3 present. Body 

 oblong or ovate. Eyes lateral. Opcrcles denticulated or spiniferous. 

 Mouth in front of the snout, with lateral cleft, which is slightly oblique. 

 Teeth in the jaws villiform, with or without canines : teeth on the vomer 

 and palatines : absent or present on the tongue. Dorsal fin generally 

 continuous: ventrals thoracic. Scales ctenid, rarely eyelid, small or of 

 moderate size. Lateral line continuous. Airbladder present, simple. Pyloric 

 appendages in small or moderate numbers, or numerous. 



GeoffrfqyJiicnl distribution. — Carnivorous fishes of tropical and temperate 

 seas, sometimes ascending rivers. 



Genus I.— SERRANUS. 



Serraims, sj). Cuvier, liegne Anim.; Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss. ii. 



p. 210, 1828. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobranchiai present. Body oblong. Eyes 

 lateral, of moderate size. Opercle with two or three flat spines : preopercle 

 with its vertical limb more or less serrated, and its horizontal one usually 

 entire. Teeth villiform, with distinct canines present in both jaws: teeth 

 on the vomer and palatines : tongue naked. One dorsal fin with from eight 

 to twelve spines : the anal with three. Scales small, ctenid or eyelid. 

 Pyloric appendages in large, moderate, or small numbers. 



The Sea Perches frequent the coasts of all temperate and tropical 

 countries, and sometimes ascend to a great distance up rivers for predatory 

 purposes, one species having been found as high up the Ganges as the 

 confines of Nepal ; none, however, so far as has been ascertained spawn in 

 fresh water. About one hundred and fifty species are known, many of 

 which are most handsomely colored. (Gunther, Study of Fishes, p. 381.) 



SEREANUS D.EMELI. 



Serranus damelii, Gnth. Ann. Nat. Hist. (4) 187G, xvii. p. 391 ; 

 Casteln. Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, iii. p. 3G5 ; Macleay, Proc. 

 Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, viii. p. 2oi ; Woods, Eisher. N. S. Wales, 

 p. 33. 



