128 FISHES OF AUSTRALIA. 



Black Bream : This famous Australian fish, which is 

 of such immense importance both as a food and a game fish, 

 is found along the greater portion of the Australian coast- 

 line. On the coast of New South Wales, it is particularly 

 abundant, inhabiting all the coastal lakes and estuaries, 

 where it frequents rocky and sandy bottoms, subsisting 

 chiefly upon small crustaceans and mollusks. It is easily 

 able to reduce to fragments, even fairly stout shells, by 

 means of the powerful molars on each side of the jaw. The 

 Black Bream is seldom taken on the outside grounds. 



This is so well-known as a sporting-fish, that there is 

 no need for me to here enlarge upon its virtues in that 

 respect; suffice it to say, that the angling for it, affords a 

 pleasurable occupation to many thousands of our amateur 

 fishermen. Often the most tempting of baits and the finest 

 of lines have to be used, before this wily fellow can be 

 hooked. And when he is hooked what a brave fight he 

 makes ! 



Fig. 47. BLACK BREAM (Chrysophrys au*tralix). 



As a food-fish, it is always sought after, finding a ready 

 sale, both wholesale and retail. Some idea of its great im- 

 portance, may be gathered when I state, that in the Fish 

 Markets of New South Wales alone, about 18,000 baskets 

 (of about 75 pounds weight each) are sold annually. 



The Black Bream attains a weight of about 6 pounds. One 

 in the collection of the N.S.W. Department of Fisheries 



