TOO THE EDIBLE. FISHES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 
There are no dorsal or anal finlets like those of the Barra- 
couta. The mouth is armed with a number of long, fang-like 
teeth. 
The Hairtail is not often obtained. It probably occurs 
in abundance in moderate ocean depths. 
SWORDFISHES OR SPEARFISHES. 
Spearfish (Tetrapturus indicus). 
Prate LXVII. 
Though there appears to be no prospect of the flesh 
of this fish being used as food in New South Wales in the 
near future, the use of Swordfishes and Spearfishes in general 
for this purpose, in other parts of the world, is sufficient 
justification for its inclusion here, particularly as my own 
acquaintance with this fish leads me to the idea that future 
investigation into its occurrence in our waters will tend to 
show that it is far more abundant than has previously been 
thought. Though of a pelagic or oceanic nature, occasionally 
examples of this Spearfish find their way into the waters of 
Port Jackson; and during the month of January, 1908, a 
large one was found dead, jammed between a pontoon and 
a wharf, at a distance of about Io miles up from the entrance 
to the Port—surely an ignominious death for such a lord 
of the ocean. 
The largest of these Spearfishes which has come under 
my personal notice measured about 12 feet 6 inches. 
It may be mentioned that the snout in this species is 
produced to form a powerful, rounded, spear-like weapon of 
offence. 
The example here illustrated is the one referred to in 
“Fishes of Australia’? (pp. 170 and 171) as having been 
captured in Port Jackson during 1905. 
