54 THE EDIBLE FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 
rivers exist, even penetrating right up in to the fresh water. 
Though captured sparingly at other times, after heavy freshets 
in our coastal creeks or rivers it is netted in considerable 
numbers and forwarded to market. The same thing occurs 
about midwinter, when the fish comes down in numbers to 
the salter and more open waters to spawn. 
It is a fairly deep-bodied fish, with a highly-arched back 
and somewhat compressed sides. Though a weight of 5 pounds 
is attained by this fish, examples of that size are quite 
uncommon, the more usual size, as seen in the markets, 
varying from about 12 ounces to 2 pounds. 
The Estuary Perch is a voracious fish, and practically 
subsists upon anything in the way of living organisms. 
As an edible fish it is of good quality. 
In addition to being netted, this Perch may be caught 
with hand-line or rod. 
Freshwater Perch (Percalates fluviatilis). 
PratTE XXII (Upper Figure). 
This perch is closely allied to the preceding, but may 
be at once distinguished from it by its more elongate and 
rounder body, which has a fairly even and elliptical outline, 
while in the Estuary Perch, as previously pointed out, the 
profile of the back is more gibbous or humped. The tail, 
too, is larger and altogether more powerful than that of the 
Estuary Perch. Other important differences between the 
two species are easily to be seen upon examination being 
made. (Further reference to these points will be found in 
my “ Fishes of Australia.’’) 
Though in certain localities the Freshwater Perch and 
the Estuary Perch will be found occurring together—that 
is where the two species “‘ overlap ’’—the natural habitat of 
the former is in the wholly fresh-water portions of our 
eastern rivers and their tributaries. Here it occurs in great 
abundance. After continued rains and when the rivers and 
creeks are swollen, large numbers of the Freshwater Perch 
are netted in the lower waters, and are forwarded to market. 
