70 EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



tlie anterior half of the eyes, from tlie outer angles of wliieli a jmir 

 of rough divei'ging ridges are continued backwards along tlie temporal 

 region, on which they terminate in serrated spinous processes. Preorbital 

 very iinely serrated anteriorly : tiirbiuals with a deep, naked indentation on 

 the lower margin, and with the anterior and inferior edges strongly denticu- 

 lated ; their entire surface coarsely granulated : orbital ring rough, more 

 coarsely so inferiorly, and with several strongly denticulated spines behind 

 the eye : prcopercle with two margins; the anterior iinely serrated on both 

 limbs, and with two strong spines at the angle ; the posterior with fewer but 

 coarser serrations on the vertical limb, with strong denticulations below, and 

 crossed by three or four serrated ridges, which terminate in coarse spines on 

 the rounded and produced angle : posterior margin of subopercle concave, 

 the angle produced and spiniferous : interopercle finely serrated and bearing 

 a deep naked notch posteriorly : opercle serrated, and furnished Avith two 

 strong spines, the upper of which is the longer ; there is a shallow marginal 

 notch above the spines and a second below them : posttempnral with a single 

 strong spine posteriorly and small serrations above. Both jaws with a few 

 small conical teeth in front, and a single series of very fine teeth laterally; 

 vomerine patch small and triangular ; a cuneiform band, broadest 

 anterioi'ly, on the palatines. The dorsal commences above the sixth scale of ' 

 the lateral line and ends above the twenty seventh to twenty ninth scale ; 

 the distance between its first spine and the tip of the snout is about seven 

 eighths of that between the same point aiid the origin of the caudal ; the spines 

 are moderately strong and acute, some of them being laterally grooved; 

 they increase gradually in height to the last, which is from four and a 

 half to five times longer than tlie first, and 2'00-233 in the length of 

 the head ; the rays gradually decrease in height from the first, which 

 is a little longer than the last spine and twice as long as the last ray ; the 

 length of the base of the dorsal fin is equal to or rather more than that of 

 the head : the anal commences beneath the second dorsal ray, and ends some 

 distance behind that fin, which it resembles in shape ; its fourth spine is the 

 highest, equal in height to the fifth dorsal spine, and from 2'50-2'6G in the 

 length of the head, while its base is about two thirds of the same length, and 

 its outer margin is slightly convex : the ventral reaches to the vent ; the 

 spine is strong, smooth, and laterally grooved, three fourths of the length of 

 the rays, and l'GG-l"75 in that of the head : pectorals pointed, reaching to 

 the nineteenth or twentieth scale of the lateral line, and from l"2.j-l"33 in 

 the length of the head : caudal deeply forked, the base above and below with 

 four recumbent graduated spines ; the upper lobe is slightly longer than the 

 lower, and the least height of its pedicle is two sevenths of the height of the 

 body. Anterior margin of the opercle, and the cheek, scaly ; the scales on 

 the occiput extend forwards as far as the middle of the orbit : vertical fins 

 with a low scaly sheath ; a small elongated scale at the base of the ventral 

 outside. Lateral line nearly straight. 



Colors. — lied, with violet reflections, each longitudinal series of scales 

 with a large median spot, which is golden on the back and grows gradually- 

 paler on the sides, becoming silvery below, and forming well defined bands ; 

 abdominal region dirty white: fins red. 



Though a fairly common and first rate edible fish nothing is known of the 

 economy of the Nannygai, except that it appears on our coast in consider- 

 able numbers during the warmer months of the year, frequents the 

 neighborhood of sunken reefs, is taken, when present, plentifully with hook 

 and line, and commands a high price in the market. It is said to be a great 

 delicacy when slightly corned and smoked. 



