EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 89 



representative fislies of Moreton Bay"; he also remarks that it is locally 

 known as the " Diarbi " or "Poinbah," is closely allied to Seriola, associates 

 in a similar way in shoals, grows to a weight of about seventeen pounds, affords 

 excellent sport, is very voracious and extremely destructive to fishing nets, is 

 an excellent table fish, and is in best season during the winter months. In 

 hot weather the flesh decomposes very rapidly. 



According to Castelnau the Skipjack, as this species is called in 

 Melbourne, " is one of the most common fishes in the market. It is generally 

 found at Melbourne of a small size, but I have seen one in September which 

 was two and a half feet in length." In view of this account of its abundance 

 in Yictorian waters, and of the silence one way or other of McCoy on this point, 

 it is surprising to find the species dismissed by Lucas with the brief intimation, 

 " Loc. — Queenscliff." In all probability the Tailor is common along our 

 entire southern coastline, and we know that it is found on the West 

 Australian coast at least as far north as the Swan Eiver. Johnston, 

 refering to the Tasmanian coast, merely remarks : — " An odd individual 

 caught occasionally in the Perwent." 



So far the Tailor has not been recorded from the shores of Kew Zealand ; 

 neither does it occur among any of the numerous collections from the 

 Pacific Islands, nor can we find it noticed from the western shores of North 

 America It is not mentioned by Indian zoologists, yet there is an example 

 in the British Museum from the Molucca Sea. It is abundant along the 

 shores of the Eastern States of North America, and crosses the Atlantic to 

 the Canary Islands at least. It is very common at the Cape, and according 

 to Castelnau is known there as " Elftvish." 



It is credited by Gllnther with attaining to a length of five feet, but the 

 ordinary size of adults in our market does not exceed twenty four inches, 

 while the largest seen measured but thirty three. 



Genus IV.— TRACHYNOTUS. 



Tracliinotus (Lacep.) Cuv. & Yal. Hist. Nat. Poiss. viii. p. 39S, 1831. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobrauchiaj absent. Body more or less 

 elevated, compressed. Cleft of mouth small : snout obtuse and swollen. Eyes 

 lateral. Teeth on the jaws, vomer, and palatine bones, generally lost with 

 age. Two dorsal fins : the first composed of a few small spines, connected 

 by a low membrane, and with an anterior horizontal spine directed forwards :. 

 second dorsal aud anal similar, and more developed than the first dorsal : 

 two preanal spines, separated from the fin by an interspace : no finlets. Scales 

 very small. Lateral line without armature. Airbladder bifurcate posteriorly. 

 Pyloric appendages in large or moderate numbers. 



Geographical distrihution. — Atlantic coasts of tropical and temperate 

 America ; East and "West coasts of Africa ; from the Eed Sea, through the 

 Indian Seas to those of China and Japan, the Malay Archipelago, and 

 Australia. 



TEACHTNOTUS EUSSELLI. 



Scomber bofia paraJi, Eussell, Fish. Vizag. ii. p. 32, pi. cxxxvi. 



Scomber botla, Shaw, Zool. iv. p. 591. 



Tracliinotus russelii, Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss. A'iii. p. 436; Jerdon. 



Madras Journ. L. & Sc. 1851, p. 136. 

 Tracliinotus oblonqiis, Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss. viii., p. -137. 

 Tracliynotus oblongiis, Gnth. Catal. Eish. ii. p. 484. 

 Tracliynotus russellii, Day, Fish. Ind. p. 233, pi. Ii. B. fig. 3. 



