98 EDIBLE EISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



lateral lon^itudmal keel, "witliout giipplementarj keels aliovc and below. 

 Scales small, covering the entire body, anteriorly forming a distinct corselet, 

 ■svliich sends backwards three prolongations, the upper passine: along the base 

 cf the spinous dorsal, the central one along the middle of the side to immedi- 

 ately behind the pectoral, the upper edge of which is sunk in a groove, and 

 the lower, which is also grooved, passing along the median line of the 

 abdomen to a short distance behind the termination of the ventrals. Air- 

 bladder absent. 



Colors. — Back green Avilh violet reflections, below silvery ; a broad 

 dusky band covering the upper surface of the head and extending along 

 the dorsal profile to the base of the rayed dorsal, growing gradually narrower 

 posteriorly ; five to eleven dark longitudinal Avavy bands on the sides, the 

 lower ones faint or wanting : dorsal fins dusky, the upper third of the 

 anterior spines, darkest, of the rays yellowish, as also are the tips of the 

 finlets ; anal and ventral fins whitish ; pectorals and caudal blackish : irides 

 silvery. 



The Horse Mackerel, as this fish is invariablv called here both by fishermen 

 and dealers, appears on our shores in considerable shoals at irregular inter- 

 vals, and even ascends our shallow bays and estuaries to some distance in 

 pursuit of fry. Specimens obtained from Port Jackson and Botany during 

 the month of 31arch, contained ova in an early stage of development. 



Like all its allies these fishes are exceedingly active and voracious, nothing^ 

 which it can swallow coming amiss to its appetite, while as food it is 

 moderate when quite fresh. 



So far the Port Jackson District is the only recorded Australian habitat 

 of this species, with the exception of a single specimen, in which the lower 

 body bands are very strongly marked, obtained by McCoy in Port Phillip. 

 It is, therefore, to be hoped that the figure given by him (Prodr. Zool. Yict. 

 dec. xvi. pi. 155) and the accompanying description, along with those 

 presented here, will draw attention to our larger striped Scombrids, and 

 enable us shortly to gain a clearer insight into their distribution in Aus- 

 tralian seas. It is also found in Indian and Japanese Avaters, and was 

 originally described from the coast of Chili. 



"With us eighteen inches is the maximum size to which it attains, but the 

 type specimen is twenty six inches in length. 



Pelamys cTiiJensis is included in Sherrin's " List of Fishes in New Zea- 

 land" (p. 301), but is not mentioned in the index or the letterpress ; we are^ 

 therefore, unable to say whether it is common or otherwise. 



Family XV.-TRACHINID^. 



Branchiostegals five to seven : pseudobranchia; present. Body more or 

 less elongate, compressed posteriorly. Cleft of mouth varying from small 

 to very deep, and from almost horizontal to nearly vertical. Eyes more or 

 less lateral. Some of the bones of the head usually armed : preopercle 

 without bony stay. Teeth in the jaws small and pointed, with or without 

 canines : vomerine teeth present : palate edentulous or dentigerous. One 

 or two dorsal fins, the rays generally greatly outnumbering the spines : the 

 anal similar to the rayed dorsal : ventrals thoracic, with one spine and five 

 rays : lower pectoral rays simple or branched. Scales present or absent. 

 Airbladder generally absent. Pyloric appendages in small numbers. 



