616 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



ghvto t) W. Saviltt-Ktnt, F.Z.S.] 



SNAPPER 



An Australian species of Sea-bream 



occurs especially on the south 

 and south-west coasts of 

 England and Ireland. It is 

 of an orange-scarlet colour 

 above, and somewhat silvery 

 on the sides, with a large 

 black spot on the shoulder. 

 Several species of sea- 

 bream occur in Australia, 

 where they are known as 

 SNAPPERS. On e of the largest 

 of these, which attains a 

 length of more than 3 feet 

 and a weight of over 40 

 Ibs., is not only considered 

 excellent eating, but is also 

 the most popular sport- 

 yielding fish of that colony. 



The ancient Romans 



kept a species of sea-bream, the GILT-HEAD, in their vivariums, where it grew extremely fat. 

 This species is said to stir up the sand with its tail, to discover buried shell-fish. It is 

 particularly fond of mussels, and the noise it makes in crunching them between its jaws is 

 loud enough to be heard by the fishermen. 



Nearly allied to the Sea-breams are a group known, for want of a better name, as the 

 THICK-RAYED FISHES, some of which rank as of prime importance among the food-fishes of 

 the British Colonies. A general idea of the shape of the members of this family may be 

 gathered from the photograph of an Australian GROPER. The name of LONG-FIN, given to one 

 species, is bestowed on account of the fact that one or more of the rays of the breast-fin on 

 each side is drawn out into a filament, often of very considerable length, which is used as 

 an organ of touch. In other species, where the elongation is less, and more rays have under- 

 gone modification, an auxiliary organ of locomotion is the result. At the Cape of Good 

 Hope species of long-fin are very abundant, and preserved in large quantities for export. 



Other members of this family lack the elongated fin-rays altogether. The fishes known 

 as the TUMPETERS of New Zealand and Tasmania belong to this section. They are considered 

 by the colonists the best flavoured of any native fishes, and are eaten smoked as well as fresh. 

 But two species are known, 

 one ranging from 30 to 60 

 Ibs. in weight, and the other, 

 a much smaller form, scarcely 

 attaining a weight of 20 Ibs. ; 

 the latter is the more abun- 

 dant of the two, though con- 

 fined to the coast of New 

 Zealand. 



In the SCORPION-FISHES 

 we have a small group in- 

 cluding several forms remark- 

 able for their ugliness, having 

 added to an uncouth shape 

 skinny appendages, which, '* */ w. saviiu-Kmt, F.Z.SJ iMUford^n-st* 



projecting from the body, KING-SNAPPER 



resemble rather leaves Of A member of the group of Slime- heads 



