222 NEW SOUTH WALES. 



The Trevally, or more correctly Crevalle^ Caranx georgicmus, is 

 another abundant fish along our entire sea-board from north to 

 souths and forms a conspicuous feature in our fish supply; the young 

 and half-grown are much more numerous than the adults, and are very 

 generally present in our markets, while the latter prefer to kee|D off at 

 some distance from the land, though not in so marked a manner as the 

 adult Yellowtail, Traclmvus saiirus, does. 



The Kingfish, Seriola lalandii, and its congener the Samson-fish, 

 8. hippos, also belong to this family ; the former is by far the more 

 plentiful and is found along the entire length of our coast at all 

 seasons; they school at the surface during the autumn when they 

 shed their spawn, but it is a noteworthy fact that, unlike the two 

 preceding fishes, the young do not appear inshore at a very early age, 

 in fact not until they are of the marketable size of quite a foot in 

 length. It is a bold predacious fish, and does considerable damage 

 to the inshore fisheries, such as those which are carried on for the 

 different kinds of Mullets, Whiting, &c., by harassing the parents 

 when on the spawning beds, as well as by the consumption of the 

 fiy, which is illimitable on account of its insatiable voracity. The 

 Kingfish attains to a weight of sixty pounds, and when even a small 

 shoal is enclosed within a net it frequently proves no unmixed blessing 

 to the owners, for their determiued efforts to escape often prove 

 triumphant, the rush of so many large fishes, acting in concert, being 

 irresistible. Smoked or salted, the Kingfish, when taken in sufficient 

 quantities, would doubtless form a desirable article of export. 



Closely allied to the Carancjidx is the i{\Tm\j Pomatomidpj, of which 

 i:h.GTvd\oT, Poniatomus saltatrix, is the sole representative. The spawn 

 is shed in the open sea but within tidal influence, and the young fishes 

 soon find their way to the shelter of the harbors and estuaries, where 

 they rapidly increase in size, and whence they are sent to market in 

 large numbers for sale as bait in company with Yellowtails, &c. The 

 half -grown and adult fishes form a conspicuous feature in our markets, 

 and are bought up with avidity, being indeed one of our most delicious 

 food fishes, though care must be observed in selecting individuals for 

 the table, as the flesh deteriorates very rapidly; they take smoke 

 excellently, and no doubt, when our factories shall have become uii 

 fait accompM, will be turned to profitable account in that way, while 

 there is no reason to doubt that, carefully prepared in tins, they Avould 

 readily commend themselves to purchasers, and form no mean rival to 

 the imported Salmou for home consumption. 



In the great family of the Basses fScrranUla') several species claim 

 our attention, either because of the excellence of their flesh or because 

 the capture of them may at some future time attain to such dimensions 

 as to necessitate their taking rank among those of economic import- 

 ance. 



First in the list may be placed the Avistralian Perch, Pcrcalates 

 colunorum, a common fish of our cismontune ]"ivers and estuaries, 

 which is often well represented in our markets, where it commands a 

 ready sale, being held in some estimation as a food fish. The range 

 of the species is rather limited and may be roughly given as the 

 coastal rivers of south-eastern Australia., from the estuary of the Rich- 

 mond to that of the Murray Hiver, and northern Tasmania. AVithiu 



