n8 FISHES OF AUSTRALIA. 



green or greenish-brown. The scales arc highly deciduous. 

 One of the most striking characteristics to the casual 

 observer will be the extraordinary telescopic mouth of this 

 little food-fish. The Silverbelly is a harbour or estuary fish 

 and it finds its food which is of an animal nature in the 

 vicinity of weedy and muddy flats. Other names by which 

 it is sometimes known are: "Silver Bream" and "Silver- 

 Biddy." In America the fishes of this family are known 

 under the general name of "Mojarras." 



When freshly cooked the flesh of the Silverbelly is 

 highly delicious. 



THE TRUMPETERS. 



(Family: Latrididcr.} 



To this family belongs that important and valuable food- 

 fish known as the Tasmanian Trumpeter (Latris heca- 

 teia). This fish grows to a large size, and is greatly 

 esteemed as a table-fish on account of its delicacy of flavour. 

 Examples of the weight of 60 pounds are sometimes caught. 

 It has only been taken so far on the coasts of Tasmania, 

 Victoria and South Australia. It is said to occur sparingly 

 on the coast of New South Wales, but there is no authentic 

 record of such. An allied species, the Bastard Trumpeter 

 (Latris ciliaris) is fairly common on the southern portion 

 of the seaboard of New South Wales and off Victoria and 

 Tasmania, being also found in New Zealand. It does not 

 attain to anything like the size of its handsome and valuable 

 congener just mentioned. Another food-fish of some value 

 though considerably less important than either of those 

 spoken of above is the Kelpfish or Marbled Morwong 

 (Chironemus marmoratus). It is a widely-distributed 

 species, having been taken from localities so far apart 

 from one another as North- Western Australia, Lord Howe 

 Island, Tasmania and the coast of Victoria and New South 

 Wales. It is essentially a rock-fish and is carnivorous. It 

 is common along portions of the New South Wales coast- 



