THE GIANT HERRINGS. 23 



CHAPTER II. 



The Giant Herrings The Osteoglossids The Dorab The Herring 

 Family The Salmon Family The Alepocephaloids Stomiatoid Fishes 

 The Beaked Salmon The Carp Family The Catfish Family. 



THE GIANT HERRINGS. 



(Family: Elopidce.) 



THE Giant Herrings are represented in our Australian 

 waters by two important species: The "Ox-eye" or Big- 

 eyed Herring (Me galops cyprinoides) and the Giant 

 Herring (Elops saurus). Though essentially tropical 

 fishes, both of these are obtained as far down our coast as 

 Port Jackson, and possibly still farther south. On the New 

 South Wales coast they are most abundant in the vicinity 

 of the two great northern rivers the Clarence and the 

 Richmond and they are still more abundant farther north 

 on the coast of Queensland. In addition, it is probable that 

 they are distributed over the whole of the northern and 

 north-western coastlines of Australia; to what extent is not 

 at present known. They are both carnivorous fishes. 



The Ox-eye is very closely related to the famous 

 sporting fish of America known as the Tarpon. It is a 

 large species, attaining a length of several feet, and has 

 remarkably large scales. When freshly captured, its skin 

 has the appearance of burnished silver. The last ray of the 

 comparatively short dorsal fin is prolonged into a long fila- 

 ment. The dorsal fin is situated at about half the distance 

 from the snout to the extremity of the tail. Its eyes are 

 remarkably large, round and lustrous. 



In addition to its Australian habitat, the Ox-eye is 

 found along the shores of India, the Malay Archipelago and 

 other tropical localities. It has also recently been obtained 

 in the Philippine Islands. On the east coast of Australia 

 it is known to penetrate the rivers right up into fresh- 

 water. 



