EDIBLE riSHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 73 



circular, the .posterior mucli larger, suboval, and vertical. Upper profile o£ 

 head slightly concave. Cleft of month slightly oblique, the maxilla not quite 

 reaching to beneath the posterior margin of the orbit. Vertical limb and 

 angle of the preopercle serrated, the serrations becoming obsolete in large 

 examples : opercles with two flattened spines. A row of strong, pointed, 

 slightly curved teeth in the jaws, rather stronger in the upper than in the 

 lower, and with a narrow band of finer teeth inside them. Dorsal spines 

 weak; the third or fourth the longest, from 2"15-2'40 in the length of the 

 head ; the rayed portion lower than the spinous: the anal commences beneath 

 the ninth or tenth dorsal ray; its first spine is short, the second about 

 equal to the seventh dorsal spine and half the length of the contiguous 

 ray ; the anterior rays much longer than those of the dorsal : ventrals 

 pointed from l"io-r70 in the length of the head : pectorals from l"4-0-l'5O 

 in the same length : caudal truncate or rounded, the least height of its 

 pedicle from 3"00-3"25 in the height of the body. Lateral line gently curving 

 to above the anal fin, beyond which it is straight, and is continued to the 

 extremity of the caudal fin ; the tubes branched posteriorly. Airbladder 

 large, with numerous branching lateral processes. 



Colors. — Deep steel blue above, gradually changing through the silvery 

 of the sides into the white of the lower surfaces ; head not so brilliantly 

 tinted above as tlie back, its sides suffused with gold ; a black axilhiry 

 blotch : all the fins, except the ventrals which are white, pale brown : irides 

 golden and brown : inside of jaws and lower margin of the opercular region 



orange. 



In the seas of Europe, as in our own seas, little is known of the breeding 

 habits of this fish. In neither is the locality selected known, and the only 

 evidence elicited by the Royal Commission as to the spawning season in this 

 Colony is that of Mr. Ilood Pegus, who, referring to the Clarence liiver 

 writes : — " Jew fish are plentiful all the year round, but especially in March, 

 April, and May. They spawn in May, and are caught with hook and line 

 as well as with the net and trap." Of five s])ecimens examined three, sent to 

 market from Broken IJay and Port Jackson during the months of August and 

 September, contained barely visible ova, while two others from Broken Bay and 

 Botany obtained in November and December were without any trace of it. It 

 is probable, therefore, that even in the same localities there is considerable 

 individual variation in the date for depositing the spawn, or it may be that, 

 as with the Mullet, there are two different spawning seasons selected by the 

 different schools of the same sjiecies. 



The Jewfishes are bold, cunning, and voracious, ascending rivers to, or even 

 beyond, the extreme limit of the tide; this, however, is only for predatory 

 purposes, as it certain that they do not breed in such places; they are regular 

 attendants on the breeding grounds of the Mullets, and commit great ravages 

 both among the young fish and the ova. Their food consists chiefly of fishes, 

 cephalopods, and crustaceans, and in fact of all suitable creatures which they 

 can overtake and overpower, and their great swiftness and strength enables 

 them with ease to satisfy even their A'oracity. As food those measuring less 

 than two feet are the best for the table, and whether fried or boiled are 

 excellent ; it is at this stage that they are known as " Silver Jew" ; they are 

 then coming in shoals along the coast, seeking the harbors, estuaries, and 

 salt water lakes, with which our coast abounds, and in which instiuct teaches 

 them that they will find a more plentiful and more easily obtainable supply 

 of food, and, man excepted, fe«er enemies than they are likely to meet 

 outside. 



