EDIBLE PISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 75 



OTOLITHUS ATELODUS. 



Otoliilius atehdus, Grnth, Ann. Nat. Hist. (3) 1867, xx. p. GO; ]Macleay, 

 Catal. _ Austr. Fish, i p. 15G; Woods, Eisher. IN". S. Wales, p. 54, 

 pi. xvii. 



Otolilhus ieraglin, Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. AVales. v. p. 48. 



Teraglin. 



Plate XXIII. 



B. vii. D. 10. 1/29-30. A. 2/9. Y. 1/5. P. 19. C. 17. L. lafc. 74-77. L tr. 



16/33. Coec. pyl. 5. Yert. 13/12. 



Length of head 415— 4-33, of caudal fin 5-50-5-90, height of body 

 4"90-5"10 in the total length. Eyes prominent, the diameter 5"80-6"25 in 

 the length of the head, I'oO-l 66 in that of the snout, and 1'33-1'50 in 

 that of the convex interorbital space. ISTostrils moderately approximate, 

 pierced in a naked groove, the anterior circular, the posterior elongate-oval 

 and vertical. Upper profile of head flat,^ or very slightly concave. Lower 

 jaw the longer. Cleft of mouth wide and but little oblique, the maxilla 

 reaching to or slightly beyond the iiindcr margin of the orbit. Opercle with 

 two weak spines, having a deep indentation between them. Teeth in the upper 

 jaw in a villiform band, broadest in front, with a symphysial patch of 

 recurved conical teeth, and with one or two series of strong lateral teeth ; 

 the lower jaw with a large anterior patch of recurved teeth, and two lateral 

 series, the inner of which contains the strongest teeth in either jaw. The 

 dorsal commences slightly behind the opercular flap ; the spines are 

 feeble, the fourth the longest, from 2'50-275 in. the length of the head, 

 and much longer than any of the rays ; the first spine is minute, and the 

 basal lengtli of the spinous dorsal is two thirds of that of the rayed fin : 

 the anal commences beneath the nineteenth to twenty first dorsal ray ; 

 its spines are small, and the anterior rays are subeqaal to the highest 

 dorsal spine : ventrals pointed, their length about one third of the dis- 

 tance between tlieir origin and the vent, and from l'85-2'00 in the length 

 of the head: pectorals small, 1'60-190 in the same length: caudal emargi- 

 nate, the least height of its pedicle one third of the height of the body, 

 and rather less than the distance between the last dorsal ray and the 

 base of the caudal. Maxilla scaleless ; soft dorsal with a low adipose sheath. 

 Lateral line gently curved throughout its entire length. 



Colors- — Upper surface and sides silvery, below white : dorsals yellowish- 

 gray with darker spots at the base ; caudal yellowish-gray with the outer 

 margins dark ; pectorals with a black spot at the base inside ; ventrals pink ; 

 anal silvery with the elongate rays dusky : inside of mouth and inner 

 margin of opercle orange. 



The difficulty of formulating any general rule as to the breeding season of 

 our marine fishes, and especially of those which, like the present species and 

 the Jewfish, are confirmed wanderers, is well exemplified by the examination 

 of several specimens recently obtained in the market, which led to the 

 following results : — During the earlier part of September examples, forwarded 

 for sale to the Sydney market from Lake Macquarie, w^ere found to be in a 

 forward state of spawning, the ova being almost fully developed, whilst in 

 others, taken in Port Jackson during the following November, the contents 

 of the ovaries were not more than half developed. As with the preceding, 

 the spawning grounds are quite unknown, nor is it known whether the ova, 

 when shed, is buried beneath sand or gravel, attached to the fronds of 



