EDIBLE FISHES OF XETV SOUTH WALES. 165 

 ■ % 



Estuary Catfish. 



B. xi. 1 D. 1/4. 2 D. + C. + A. 222-234. Y. 10. P. 1/9. Yert. 12/52. 



Length of head 4'15, height of body beneath the origin of the second dorsal 

 8"00 in the total length. Head broad and depressed, its breadth 1'30 in its 

 length. Eye small, entirely covered by the skin : interorbital space a little 

 concave mesially. Nostrils widely separate, the anterior, which is pierced 

 on the summit of a slight eminence, small, circular, and situated on the 

 front of the snout ; the posterior a narrow longitudinal slit pierced behind 

 the base of the nasal barbels which reach to or slightly beyond the posterior 

 margin of the orbit ; all the barbels rather short, those of the maxilla 

 reaching as far or not so far back as the nasal barbels ; the outer mandibular 

 barbels are the longest, and are compressed and broad basally, as also are 

 the inner; their length is equal to the postorbital portion of the head. 

 Lower lip broad and pendent, with a pair of lateral lobes on each side, the 

 upper of which, situated at the angle of the mouth, frequently resembles a 

 small barbel. Premaxillary teeth conical, forming two small circular patches; 

 mandibular teeth molariform, with an outer conical series, in two much 

 larger spatuliform patches ; a large subcordate patch of molariform teeth on 

 the vomer. The first dorsal fin when laid back reaches slightly beyond the 

 origin of the second ; its spine is moderately strong, feebly serrated in front, 

 its length 2'00 in the postorbital portion of the head : ventral fin not quite 

 reaching to the origin of the anal, its breadth at the base 1"60 in its length : 

 pectoral spine feebly serrated, longer and stronger than that of the dorsal. 



Colors. — Dark brown above shading into dirty white below, when fre- 

 quenting muddy estuaries : stone gray or clouded yellow blotched and 

 marbled with deep rich brown when on sandy ground. 



The Estuary Catfish breeds during the spring months, and the ova 

 are few in number and of large size. Hill s account of the breeding 

 habits refers to the River Catfish, Gopidoglanis tandanus, and is copied 

 by Tenison "Woods. It is common in our bays and estuaries, and, 

 although a well flavored fish, is unsaleable except at a nominal price 

 to foreign sailors or Chinese, owing to a prejudice caused by its appear- 

 ance. Their food consists of small fishes, squid, cuttlefishes, and other 

 molluscs, prawns, &o. It is taken by hook and line, seine, and trawl, and is 

 nocturnal in its habits ; care should be taken in handling these fishes, as 

 they are both able and willing to inflict a severe wound by means of the 

 serrated spines of both the first dorsal and the pectoral fins. Mr. Hill 

 remarks, " Not only is the pain intense, but the after consequences are 

 generally grave," and he gives an instance from personal knowledge, of an 

 Aboriginal whose hand having been wounded by one of these fishes, had, 

 through inflammation having set in, to have his arm amputated ; that so 

 extreme a case as this is very rare, is, however, undoubted, as we have our- 

 selves on one occasion been rather badly cut, and have seen others of our 

 party similarly injured, while incautiously searching among the debris of the 

 trawl or dredge, and in no case were the after effects more unpleasant than 

 might be conjectured when the saw-like nature of the weapon is taken into 

 consideration ; it is probable, however, that, should any of the mucus 

 remain in the wound, it would produce considerable irritation in the part 

 affected ; immediate and careful washing would, however, obviate this. 



This species is common in all the estuaries and bays of the metropolitan 

 district, but, owing to its unsaleable qualities, it is difficult to trace the limits 

 of its distribution. It has not, however, been recorded by the naturalists of 



