LONG-TOMS. GARFISHES, FLYING-FISHES. 65 



the back, from the back of the head to the beginning of the 

 dorsal fin. Sides iridescent, bright, silvery; the upper 

 portions dotted over with green. Beak: above, dark-green; 

 below, iridescent silvery. 



The colours are altogether more Garfish-like than are 

 those of the Stout Long-Tom. 



The Stout Long-Tom is not at present known 

 from any other State than New South Wales, though it 

 probably occurs in Queensland. In appearance, it is very 

 different to the Slender Long-Tom, being relatively much 

 shorter or thicker. It reaches a length of about 3 feet 6 

 inches, though specimens of from 2 to 3 feet are the more 

 common sizes seen. Like the Slender Long- Tom, it is a 

 most voracious fish, but its jaws are more powerful than in 

 that species and the teeth are very much stronger, though 

 not so numerous. 



Fig. 24. STOUT LONG-TOM (Tylosurus macleayana). 



The colours are as under: Dorsal surface uniformly 

 dark-green. Anterior half of sides, iridescent whitish 

 silvery, with a fairly well-marked line of demarcation be- 

 tween the dorsal surface and the sides. In the posterior 

 half, the upper parts of the sides are yellowish, fading into 

 green. A comparison of the colours as here given (they 

 having been drawn by me from fresh specimens) will at 

 once show the possibility of at once identifying the two 

 species by these characters alone. 



Both of the above-mentioned Long-Toms are of some 

 importance as edible fishes, the flesh being of good quality. 

 A certain antipathy to them exists among some people owing 

 to the greenish colour of the bones, there being an impres- 

 sion that green-boned fishes are poisonous ; but this idea is 

 altogether fallacious. 



The eggs of the Stout Long-Tom, are, for a teleostean 

 fish, comparatively large, in size and colour each egg ap- 



