86 



not always to be depended upon. They mysteriously 

 appear and disappear. This season they have been captured 

 in considerable numbers, with the more common species, 

 around the jetties and wharves ; but it is stated that it has 

 been upwards of four years since they were last seen in the 

 same estuary. Their migratory habits are not very well 

 know^n. The other members of the family are seldom seen 

 in Tasmanian waters, and are therefore unimportant. 



GoBiDiE, Pediculati, Blennid^e, Sphyr^nid^, 

 Atherinid^. 



There are fourteen species in Tasmanian waters which 

 belong to the above families, which include the Gobies, 

 the Hand Fishes, the Blennies, the Silver-bellies, and the 

 Tasmanian Jack or Pike. With the exception of the last 

 named, which is rarely captured, they are all small fish ; 

 and, although some of them are peculiarly intei-esting from 

 a naturalist's point of view, they are of no value whatever 

 in the fish market. They may therefore be ignored in this 

 general sketch. 



MuGiLiDJE. Tfie Gray Mullet Famihj. 



There are only two representatives of the Mullet Family 

 known to exist in Tasmanian waters ; viz. — 



The Sand Mullet. . Mugil cephalotus, Cuv. and Val. 

 The Sea Mullet . . Agonostoma Forsterij Bl. 



The first of these is found principally towards the north- 

 east of Tasmania (the Scaniander and George's Bay), and 

 is very highly ])rized in the market. It attains a much 

 greater size than the following species ; but its distance 

 from the chief towns is sufficient to account for its great 

 scarcity in the market, whei-e it always commands a good 

 price. 



The Sea Mullet is caught in the shallow bays of the 

 upper waters of estuaries, particularly those of the Derwent 

 and Tamar, in very large numbers. In the latter river the 

 young ascend regularly as far as the Cataract Bridge, 

 Launceston, every year, about the months of November and 

 December, when they are caught in large numbei's by 

 amateur fishermen with the rod and line. It is supposed 

 that they follow the ordinary shoals of prawns which are 

 then found in myriads in the fresh water of the North Esk 

 and in the Tamar. It is most probable that these young 

 fish linger near the spawning beds in the lov»'er salt-water 

 flats until about the time of the appearance of the prawns, 

 and then ascend into the upper fresh-water flats along with 



