EDIBLE PISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 85 



Kabawai (Arripis salar) or Snapper, but tbat tbey are to be obtained in tbe 

 open sea if sougbt for, wbile in tbe Dunedin market tbey were observed 

 but once in tbree years, 



Tbe Kingfisb bas an extensive range outside of tbe Australian Colonies ; 

 it was originally described from tbe coast of Brazil, from wbence it crosses 

 tbe Atlantic to tbe Cape of Grood Hope, and it also occurs, but rarelv, at 

 St. Helena, and, if we are correct in assigning Lowe's S. diibia to tbis spe*^cies, 

 at Maderia also ; wbile, under tbe name of S. aureovittata, Scblegel bas 

 recorded it from tbe seas of Japan. 



Tbe Kingfisb grows to a lengtb of at least fifty two incbes, and a weigbt 

 of sixty pounds. 



SEEIOLA HIPPOS. 



Seriola hippos, Gntb. Ann. Nat. Hist. (4) 1S76, xvii.p. 392; Macleay, Catal. 



Austr. Fisb. i. p. 176 ; Woods, Fisber. N S. Wales, p. 60. 

 Seriola 7iiff rofasciata, Ca.steln. Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, iii. p. 352; 



(not Bilppell) Macleay, Catal. Austr. Fisb. i. p. 174. 



Samsonfish. 



B. vii. D. 8. 1/23-25. A. 2. 1/16. V. 1/5. P. 20-22. C. 19. Ccec. pyl. num. 



Vert. 10/14. 



Lengtb of bead 375-4-20, of caudal fin4-40-4-S0,beigbtof body 3-00-3-80 

 in tbe total lengtb. Eve moderate, tbe adipose lid scarcely overlapping tbe 

 iris, its diameter 3"70-400 in tbe lengtb of tbe head, l-20-l'40 in tbat of 

 tbe snout, and 1"25 in tbe convex interorbital space. Nostrils approximate, 

 tbe anterior oval and protected by a flap, tbe posterior mucb larger, 

 subcircular, exposed. Jaws equal. Cleft of moutb moderate, and very 

 sligbtly oblique ; tbe maxilla greatly dilated posteriorly, extending to beneath, 

 tbe middle of tbe orbit. L'pper profile of bead witb a slight concavity on the 

 snout, and rounded on tbe occiput ; a low longitudinal ridge on tbe interorbital 

 space and tbe occiput, beyond which it extends but a short distance. Teeth 

 in the jaws in villiform bands, v.itb several of tbe outer rows enlarged; the 

 bands separated at tbe symphyses, broad in front and gi*adually narrowing 

 posteriorly ; a patch of villiform teeth on the vomer ; palatines and pterygoids 

 toothed ; tongue witb an oval medi:"'.n band, and numerous detached lateral 

 patches. Dorsal spines low, the fifth tbe longest, one fourth to one fifth of 

 the length of the bead ; tbe anterior rays elongate, five eighths of the same ; 

 tbe origin of the rayed dorsal is nearer to that of tbe caudal than to the end 

 of the snout : tbe anal commences beneath the eleventh dorsal ray ; tbe 

 anterior rays are elongate, and rather more than half of tbe length of tbe 

 bead : ventral fins reaching two thirds of the distance between their origin and 

 tbe vent, which distance is subequal to the length of the head ; the anterior 

 ray attached to tbe body by a skinny flap : pectorals short, about five ninths 

 of tbe lengtb of tbe bead : caudal forked, tbe least height of the pedicle 

 equal to its width, and three fourths of the distance between tbe base of 

 tbe last dorsal ray and the origin of the caudal ; a well marked pit in front 

 of the origin of the caudal above and below. Entire head, with the exception 

 of tbe cheeks scaleless : bases of tbe vertical fins naked. Lateral line 

 irregularly waved, following the curvature of the back. 



Colors. — -Bluish above, the head darkest; sides golden; lower surfaces 

 silvery : spinous dorsal dusky, hyaline basally ; rayed dorsal pale yellowish- 

 brown, darkest marginally ; ventrals, pectorals, and anal dusky, with a 

 silvery base, and a narrow whitish outer margin. 



