32 FISHES OF AUSTRALIA. 



ceived its English vernacular name from the excessive 

 number of small and troublesome bones contained within its 

 body, and which effectually prevent it from being exten- 

 sively used as food. It is found in some abundance in the 

 waters of the Murray River system, and is very largely used 

 in parts as a bait for the capture of Murray Cod. 



A few general particulars in regard to its external 

 structure will assist riverside folk to identify this fish for 

 themselves : 



It possesses a highly-compressed body, with a serrated 

 abdomen. The snout is obtusely rounded, projecting a little 

 beyond the mouth, which is narrow. It has no teeth. The 

 eyes are nearly covered by thick adipose (or fleshy) lids, 

 as in the Sea Mullet. The last ray of the dorsal fin is greatly 

 elongated, being produced into a long filament. From the 

 last-mentioned character, the fish is sometimes known as 

 the "Hair-back." In colour it is of a uniform silvery white. 



It attains commonly a length of 12 or 13 inches. 



Before leaving this family, I must mention that the 

 fish known in Victoria as the Yarra "Herring" is not a true 

 herring, but is the Australian Grayling; while that known 

 in West Australia as the Swan River "Herring" is one of 

 the Mullets, known in New South Wales as the Yellow- 

 Eye Mullet. 



THE SALMON FAMILY. 



( Family : Salm-onidee. ) 



ALTHOUGH several species of this family are to be found 

 in many of the fresh-waters of Australia at the present time, 

 we have only one indigenous kind, and that is such an insig- 

 nificant little fish as to be practically of little or no import- 

 ance. The species that I refer to is the Australian Smelt 

 (Retropinna retropinna) ; which, though small and only 

 attaining to a few inches in length, is widely distributed; 

 being found in New South Wales, Victoria, South Aus- 

 tralia, Western Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. (I 



