THE BREAM FAMILY. 125 



length being not uncommon). Though there is really no 

 reason to think that this fish is uncommon, it is not brought 

 to market very often. The reason for this is not very far 

 to seek as the Giant Boar-fish dwells and obtains its food 

 upon sandy ground in deep water ; the same kind of ground 

 as that upon which the "Old-Man" Snapper is found. 

 Here it lives wholly upon marine organisms which live in 

 the sand. Very few people fish in these localities, except 

 those who fish for "outside" Flathead; in which case the 

 bait used would be too large for the comparatively small 

 mouth of the Giant Boar-Fish. 



It will be observed that the snout in this fish, is admir- 

 ably adapted for "grubbing" in the sand for food; just as 

 in the previously-mentioned species, the long-drawn-out 

 snout is so wonderfully suited for poking about amongst 

 crevices and crannies in rocks, enabling the fish to pull small 

 marine animals out of places which it could never reach, if 

 it had a blunt muzzle. 



The Giant Boar-Fish is of a greyish-colour; lighter 

 below; with wide, dark, brownish, longitudinal bands on 

 the upper part. 



THE BREAM FAMILY. 



(Family: Sparidce.) 



HERE we come to another and still more important family 

 of Australian fishes which includes two, at least, of our most 

 important food-fishes the Snapper* (Pagrosomus auratus) 

 and the Black Bream (Chrysophrys australis). 



Amongst the other members of this family might be 

 mentioned the Tarwhine (Chrysophrys sarba) and the 

 Yellow-mouthed Perch (Lethrinus chrysostomus) . 



The Snapper. What the Murray Cod is amongst 



* There appears to me to be no sound etymological reason why the 

 name of this species should be spelled " Sr/mapper." The mere fact of its 

 having been spelled in that way by so many is not a sufficient justification. 



