RED-MULLETS OR GOATFISHES. 131 



New South Wales. These are: the Blue-striped Goatfish 

 (Upeneus porosus), the Spotted Goatfish (Upeneus 

 signatus) and the Bar-tailed Goatfish ( Upeneus tragula) . 

 Of these the principal one is the Blue-striped Goatfish. 

 Tins attains to a larger size than any of the others, and is 

 at the same time the most common. Generally speaking 

 the Goatfishes are small species; but ordinarily-large 

 examples of the kind under discussion are about 10 inches 

 in length. 



The Blue-striped Goatfish is distributed over the whole 

 of the coast of New South Wales and is also known from 

 Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia 

 and New Zealand. In the last-mentioned place, it is some- 

 times known under the Maori name of "Pakurakura." 



The largest specimens brought into the Sydney Fish 

 Markets, are usually obtained in Port Jackson, by means of 

 either trammel-nets set around the rocks, or by sunken 

 prawn-nets hauled in fairly-deep water. Small specimens 

 may be obtained in large numbers in Port Jackson, by means 

 of hauling-nets, drawn over sandy-"grassy"-flats, in such 

 localities as Grotto Beach at the entrance to Middle Har- 

 bour and, also, the beach near the head of North Harbour. 



The observer will notice the barbels which hang from 

 the chin in this fish. These are typical of all the Goatfishes 

 and are tactile organs, assisting the fishes to locate their 

 prey, which consists largely of small crustaceans, worms, etc. 



Amongst these fishes we find displayed the very richest 

 of colours; but the fishes have to be seen alive to be pro- 

 perly appreciated, as these colours disappear to a very large 

 extent, immediately after death. 



The Blue-striped Goatfish is so named because it 

 possesses on each cheek, several narrow bands of a most 

 beautiful light-blue. The body generally is of a rich car- 

 mine, with violet reflections above; the lower surface being 

 silvery-white. 



The Spotted Goatfish is found over a large part of 

 the New South Wales coastline but has not so far been 

 recorded from any of the other States. It is not so common 

 as the preceding and does not usually attain to a larger size 

 than about 8 inches. 



