16S EDIBLE EISHES OP XEAV SOUTH WALES. 



Family III.-SCOMBRESOCIDiE. 



Brancliiostccfals variable : psoudDbraiu'liijr glandular, roncoaled. Margin 

 of upper jaw formed mesiallj by the intermaxillaries and laterally by the 

 maxillaries. Barbels present or absent. Hypopharyngeals united into 

 a single bone. Dorsal fin opposite to the anal, in the caudal section of the 

 vertebral column, with or wit bout posterior finlets : no adipose dorsal. Body 

 scaly : a keeled row frctpiently i)resent along each side of the free portion of 

 the tail. Airbiaddcr generally present, simple, sometimes cellular internally, 

 without pneumatic duct. Stomach not distinct from the intestine, forming 

 together a straight undivided tube with or without pyloric appendages. 



Geographical clixtrihution. — Carnivorous and herbivorous fishes, belonging 

 to the trojiical and temperate zones, for the most part marine, but with 

 many species entering or even inhabiting fresh water. 



Genus I.— BELONE. 



Bel one, Cuvier, Eegne Anim. 



Branchiostegals generally numerous. Gill openings wide. Body elongated, 

 subcylindrical or compressed. Eyes lateral. Jaws prolonged into a slender 

 beak, the upper of which is formed by the premaxillaries, which are united 

 by a longitudinal suture. Both jaws with line teeth or roughened, and with 

 a single series of long, pointed, widely set teeth : vomer and palatines with 

 or without teeth. The anterior dorsal rays may or may not be elevated, 

 while the middle and posterior ones may be short or elongate : no finlets. 

 Scales small. Lateral line on the free portion of the tail with or without a 

 keel. Airbiaddcr large. No pyloric appendages. 



Geographical dixtribiifion. — Temperate and tropical seas of both hemi- 

 spheres ; many species entering and some resident in fresh waters. 



As food the members of this genus which find their way to the Sydney 

 market are excellent, but here, as elsewhere, a prejudice exists against them 

 in many quarters on account of the green color of the bones, a character 

 which appears to be constant in all the known species. They are exceedingly 

 voracious, and being very swift in their movements are correspondingly 

 destructive to all small fishes swimmin^^ high in the water. 



Botli of the species here described belong to the section in which the gill- 

 rakers are wanting, and for which the name Ti/loanrus has been proposed. 



BELONE EEEOX. 



Belone ferox, Gnth. Catal. Fish. vi. p. 242, 18(5(5 ; Casteln. Proc. Linn. Soc. 

 N.S. Wales, iii p. -I'.V.), and iii p. 391 ; Maeleay, Catal. Austr. Fish. ii. 

 p. 17G ; AVoods, Fisher. N. S. AVales, p. 83, pi. xxxvi. 



Slender Long Tom. 



B. xi. D. 21-22. A. 25-26. V. (3. i'. 12. C. 15. Vert. 57/32. 



Length of head 3-33-3-75, of caudal fin 1I-50-1200, height of body 

 15-00-18-66 in the total length : breadth of body 1-20-1 -lO in its height. 

 Diameter of eye 2'75-3'O0 in the postorbital ])ortion of the head, (5()0-G80 in 

 the distance between its anterior margin and the tip of the upper jaw, and from 

 110-1'25 in the interorbital space, which is flat. Preorbital elongate, with 

 the inferior margin straight, its height 4'00-4"40 in its length. Maxilla scarcely 



