THE FLAT-FISHES. 181 



The Southern Flounder : This fish occurs in the 

 waters of Victoria and Tasmania : being found most com- 

 monly, however, in New Zealand. It is the species which 

 is retailed in Sydney fish-shops as "New Zealand Flounder" 

 after having been exported from New Zealand in a frozen 

 or smoked condition. It attains to a somewhat larger size 

 than either of the preceding. 



In New Zealand, where this fish is often known under 

 the Maori name of "Patiki," it is very common in the 

 shallow bays and tidal estuaries on every part of the coast, 

 and is everywhere esteemed as food. The Maoris used to 

 capture them on the shallow mud-flats by means of a long 

 slender spear: choosing the night-time, and each carrying 

 a lighted torch or a pan of flaming kauri gum on the 

 shoulder ; thus attracting the Patiki and enabling them to 

 be observed and speared as they glided over the bottom. 



The Queensland Halibut: This is a highly-interesting 

 member of the Flat-Fish family, it having retained a more 

 symmetrical shape than any of the other species ; conse- 

 quently, its eyes are as often found on the right side as 

 on the left. Its body is more elongate, not having such a 

 great relative depth as is usual in these fishes and it is 

 said to frequently swim in a vertical position. 



It has a fairly wide distribution in the Indian Ocean, 

 and also occurs on the coast of Queensland, growing to a 

 length of nearly 2 feet. 



It has a most ferocious aspect, the mouth being very 

 wide, and each jaw being armed with two series of long, 

 slender, curved teeth ; the front teeth of the inner series 

 of the lower jaw being the longest. These long teeth 

 ( which are widely-separated from one another) are received 

 into a kind of groove or pit in the upper jaw, immediately 

 in front of the vomer. 



The Black Sole is, no doubt, a very familiar fish to 

 most of my readers. Owing to its rather unique shape as 

 compared with our other fishes, it is not readily forgotten 

 when once seen. The long dorsal and anal fins are joined, 

 at their ends, to the small caudal fin, this giving the fish the 

 appearance of being without any tail fin at all, and making 

 its general outline a fairly-regular oval. 



