100 EDIBLE FISHES OP NEW SOUTH WALES. 



SILLAGO MACULATA. 



SilhKjo macnlata, Quov it Gaim. Yov. Frcvcinct, Zool. p. 'JOl, pi. liii. f. 2 ; 



Vuv. & A'al.iii p." Ill ; Block. Pore. p. 02, ami Kovis. fSill. 187i, p. 71; 



Gnth. C'atal. I'isli. ii. p. 21-'); Kner, A'oy. Novara, Fiscli. p. 127: Day, 



Fislx. liul. p. 20."i, pi. Iviii. f. 4 ; Block. Atl. Iclithyol. pi. ccclxxxix. f. 



5; All. & Mad. I'roc. Jiiini. Soc. N. S. Wales, i. p. 279; Castela. Proc. 



Zool. Soc. Yict. 1S72, i. p. 94, and Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, iii. p. 



3S0; Maeleay, Catal. Austr. Fi.sh.i p. 201; Woods, Fisher, N. S. Wales, 



pi. xxiii. 

 ? SiUagoba.tsensis, Cuv. & Val. Hist. Nat. Poiss. iii. p. 412 ; Quoy & Gaim. 



Voy. Astrolabe, Poi.ss. p. (572, pi. i. i". 2. 

 ? Sillafjo ci/iata, Johnston, Proc. Eoy. Soc. Tas. 1882, pp. SO, 116. 



Trumpeter Whiting. 



B. \i. D. 11. 1/19-20. A. 1-2/20-21. V. 1/5. P. 15. C. 17. L. lat. 70-72. L. tr. 



(; 14. Ccec. pyl. 4. A'ert. 14/21. 



Length of head 375-4'25, of caudal fin 5"50-G'00, height of body 

 500-5'(30 in the total length. Diameter of eye 3'50-4'25 in the length of 

 the head, and 1";}3-1 80 in that of the snout : interorbital space flat, 

 1'25-1"50 in the diameter of the eye. Nostrils approximate, subcircular, the 

 anterior protected by a flap, the posterior patent. Upper profile of head 

 slightly rounded. IJpper jaw a little the longer. Cleft of mouth small and 

 transverse, the maxilla extending less than half way along the snout. 

 Preopercle finely denticulaied : opc-rcle with a single blunt point. Teeth in 

 the jawsin villiform bands, with the outer row a little enlai-ged ; an arcuate 

 band on the vomer. Dorsal spines weak, the second the longest, l"75-2"25 

 in the length of the he^d : second dorsal not so high as the first, its base 

 about one eighth longer than that of the anal : the anal commences opposite 

 the third dorsal ray, and ends beneath the penultimate ray : ventral fin 

 with the outer ray filamentous, its length from 1'25-1'50 in the distance 

 between its origin and the vent, and 1 50-2 "00 in that of the head : pectorals 

 I'G >-2 00 in the same : caudal emarginate, the least height of the pedicle 

 from 2'33-2'75 in the height of the body. Preorbital, maxilla, and snout in 

 front of the nostrils naked ; a row of minnte scales behind «ach dorsal and 

 anal ray. Lateral Hue gently curved to beneath the anterior dorsal rays, 

 thence straight. 



Colors. — Sandy brown above, silvery below ; the sides with a conspicuous, 

 median, longitudinal silverv band, and with seven or eight irregular dusky 

 blotches directed obliquely forwards, which are sometimes very faint or 

 even absent: cheeks grdden, a dark green blotch on the opercles: spinous 

 dorsal blotched, rayed dorsal spotted, with olive green ; anal and veutrals 

 golden : pectorals and caudal cloudy gray, the former with a deep black spot 

 in front of the base. 



So great is the confusion existing with regard to this and the succeeding 

 species of Whiting, that it is very difficult to ascertain to which of them the 

 various authors refer ; it is, however, generally conceded that the two species 

 shed their ova at different seasons, and this accords with our own observations. 

 Examples of this species obtained during January and February have the roe 

 about half developed, and the months, March and April, given as the breeding 

 season in the Royal Commission i-»eport, are therefore correct. The ova is 

 deposited on sandy beaches in sheltered bays and lakes, and in estuaries, water 



