220 FISHES OF AUSTRALIA. :"' 



body are continued right into the mouth on to the palate 

 and the top of the tongue. The result is that the mouth 

 might be wide open and no one not even a little Shrimp 

 at close quarters could tell that it was. Now, growing on 

 the end of the snout, and immediately over the centre of 

 the mouth, is a thin but stiff filament, about 24 to i inch 

 in length, forming a fishing-rod ; and, on the end of this 

 little rod, is a soft, fleshy appendage, which is the bait. 

 This appendage is divided at its extremity into several 

 soft, short filaments, so as no doubt to give a rough 

 general resemblance to some small marine animal. When 

 the little Angler feels that it is hungry, all that it has to 

 do is to rest amongst the weed, open its mouth, wag its 

 little fishing-rod and bait about, and one or other of the 

 little Shrimps, which are very plentiful in these localities, 

 will be sure to come after the tempting morsel, probably 

 even standing right on the brink of the little tyrant's mouth 

 in the act. Comparatively-large Shrimps are swallowed 

 whole by the Anglers without being in any way mutilated. 



Nothing is known in regard to the breeding habits of 

 any of our Angler-Fishes, but one species which dwells 

 upon the floating "Gulf-weed" makes a wonderful nest, sus- 

 pended by means of silk-like fibres, which prove strong 

 enough to support the huge bunches of eggs, that hang like 

 grape-clusters within its orbicular case. Each nest is made 

 of one seaweed; the different "twigs" being brought to- 

 gether and made fast to each other by the fish, by means 

 of a pasty sort of substance provided by the animal itself. 



The species of Angler- Fish here illustrated (Fig. 77), 

 is one of our less common kinds. 



THE LEATHERJACKETS OR FILEFISHES. 



(Family: Balistldte.) 



MANY kinds of Leather jackets swarm in Australian seas. 

 They are the bete noire of both amateur and professional 

 fishermen; and, of the latter, perhaps the Crayfishermen 

 are the greatest sufferers from their depredations; as they 



