SCORP^ENOID FISHES. 191 



tropical seas through a shoal of "Suckers" attaching them- 

 selves all round the sides and bottom. 



Two species of Sucking-Fishes occur commonly in 

 Australian waters, particularly on our eastern coast. These 

 are the Long Sucking-Fish (Echeneis naucrates} and the 

 Short Sucking-Fish (Remora remora). The former 

 reaches a length of 3 feet. It is of elongate form, is of 

 a dark-brownish colour, and has the central portion of the 

 caudal fin very much rounded. The latter is a small species, 

 commonly attaining a size of 8 to 10 inches, is relatively 

 stouter in build, of a greyish colour and possesses a forked 

 caudal fin. 



The "Suckers" are carnivorous, usually subsisting upon 

 other fishes. 



SCORP^ENOID FISHES. 



(Family: Scorpcenidce.) 



THIS is a large family of carnivorous marine fishes, em- 

 bracing about 250 species. Included in their number are 

 some of the most extraordinary-shaped fishes imaginable; 

 in fact some of them surpass the wildest flight of an over- 

 heated imagination and look altogether "impossible/' 

 Among the various species are to be seen hideously-dis- 

 torted heads (Glyptaiichen, etc.), tremendously-elongated 

 fins (Ptcrois, etc.), skins covered with curious weed-like 

 appendages (Scorpcena, etc.), and in nearly all of them the 

 head is set with more or less dangerous spines, some of which 

 are erectile. 



Amongst the Australian species the most noticeable are 

 the Red Gurnet-Perch (Sebastapistes percoides), the Red 

 Rock Cod (Scorpana cruenta), the Bullrout (Notesthes 

 robusta), the Fortescue (Centropogon austral is) t the curious 

 Goblin-Fish (Glyptauchcn panduratus), the Red Fire- 

 Fish (Ptcrois rolitans) and the Velvet-Fish (Aploactis 



