118 



Full size (No. 2) about 38 to 40 inches long, and about 

 18 inches greatest girth. One of the most important food 

 fishes of Tasmania. 



Fam. XI. SCOMBRID JE (including the Nomeldm and CyttidcB 



of some authors). 



63. Gasterochisma melampus, Rich. (Z). Butterfly Fish. 



B.7. D.17:110:VI. V.lo. H.210:VI. P. 21. 

 L. lat. 64. L. tr. 27. 



Giinth. Cat., II., p. 387. Hutton, Cat., N.Z., p. 20. 

 The fish from which the above characters were taken was 

 recently captured at the mouth of the estuary of the 

 Derwent. Hitherto it has only been seen on rare occa- 

 sions off the coast of New Zealand. The following are 

 the principal dimensions : — Total length, 39 inches ; length 

 of body, 35 inches ; length of head, 8| inches ; length of 

 snout, 4 inches ; length of pectoral fin, 5^ inches ; length 

 of anal fin, 5f inches (not reaching to vent as in Dr. 

 Giinther's figure ; greatest depth, 9 inches ; least depth, 

 1 inch ; breadth of eye, I inch ; distance of extremity of 

 maxillary from snout, 4 inches ; distance of 1st ray of 

 posterior dorsal from snout, 20;^ inches ; distance of 

 extremity of 1st ray of anal from snout, 23 inches. In the 

 figure in Dr. Giinther's " Study of Fishes," p. 455, the 

 anterior dorsal spines exceed in length the 1st soft rays of 

 dorsal and anal. In the mature specimen above de- 

 scribed, the highest of the gently arched anterior dorsal 

 spines are not so long as either the first longest soft ray of 

 anal or dorsal, which are nearly equal. 



64. Scomber australasicus, Cuv. and Val. The English 



Mackerel^ or Southern Mackerel. ** 

 D. 10 : 1 • 11 : V. A. 1 : 1 • 11 : V. L. lat., about 160. 

 Giinth. Cat., II., p. 359. Allp. MS. Macl. Cat., 392. 

 I have not seen specimens, but the fishermen assure me that 

 a fish called by them The English Mackerel is seen in 

 immense shoals, after long irregular intervals of time, 

 on the East Coast, followed, as in the case of the Horse 

 Mackerel, by their rapacious enemies the Kingfish. Pro- 

 fessor M'Coy (Zool. Vict, Dec, III., p. 43,) gives reasons 

 for regarding the Hobson's Bay species, — which most pro- 

 bably may prove to be identical vdth. the Tasmanian, — to 

 be merely a variety of Scomber pneumatophorus (De la 

 Roche), viz. — 



D. 12:111 :V. A. 112:V. P. 19. C. 17. 



65. Thynnus thynnus, L. (E). The Tunny. 



D. 14 : 1 • 13 : IX. A. 2 • 12 : VIII. Vert. 16-23. 

 Giinth. Cat., II., p. 362. Allp. MS. 

 Seen occasionally in the estuary of the Derwent. Have not 

 examined any specimens. 

 56. Naucrates ductor, L. (E). The Pilot Fish. 



D. 3-6 : 1-26-28. A. 2-16-17. Caec. pylor. 12 - 16. 



Vert. 10 - 16. 

 Gunth. Cat., II., p. 374. Allp. MS. Macl. Cat., 659. 

 Not uncommon in Tasmanian waters. 



