THE GAME FISHES OF THE PERSIAN GULF. 7i>9 



In fact so absorbed was the tilcher in its ill-gotten plunder, that one of the 

 boatmen nearly succeeded in driving the gaff home ! Another fisherman, a 

 good and true sportsman, now, alas, numbered in the Nation's roll of honour, 

 had a similar experience. He, likewise, had hooked a small Saran of a few 

 pounds in weight, which was in turn seized by some finny behemoth ; the 

 monster ran out the 200 yards of line without a check, broke it at the knot, 

 and left the angler in a state of wrathful indignation. 



Experience has proved that the habitat of the Pirao varies at different 

 periods of the cold season ; this change of location may possibly be due to 

 the temperature of the water. Thus in October and November the Pirao 

 should be sought for in 15 to 20 fathoms oi water. In December and 

 January the Pirao is more often captured close in shore in 3 to 6 fathoms, 

 and in April and May he is occasionally taken hy the locals actually from 

 the rocks at the extremity of Cape Jask. 



As a general rule the Pirao grabs the lure with the speed of a torpedo ; up 

 from the deeps he flashes and turning instantly down he dives to his favou- 

 rite haunts. At other times the luscious morsel glides unostentatiously into 

 his capacious maw. Do not let the novice be deceived by this mincing man- 

 ner — the term can also be taken in its culinary sense. When the restraint 

 caused by the line is realised, for the prick of the hook must be an every 

 day sensation judged by the spinous anatomy of its customary food, that 

 stupendous rush for liberty will follow as surely as night follows day. 

 The angler will be well advised to make no attempt to check this mad flight ; 

 if such an essay is made, fish and fisher will certainly sever an all too 

 transient acquaintance. 



The Pirao when hooked, invariably heads for the (ipen sea and he must 

 be followed nolens volens. Often and often has the author, after a furious 

 fight, found, when the gaff' strikes home and the stars are blazing in all 

 their brilliance, that the dinghy has been towed fully two miles out from 

 shore, and his only guide homewards is the yellow gleam of the Tele- 

 graph light. As the oars plash through the glowing phosporescence this 

 game Paladin may utter his characteristic grunt as he gives back his fleeting 

 life to his Creator. 



The next species of the genus Caran.c that claims attention is the 



GiSHRAN. Caranx nigrippinis. 



No illustration of this species figures in this paper, as from a photograph 

 it would be extremely difficult to differentiate between a Pirao and a gish- 

 ran. A description of this fish is therefore furnished. 



Description — 



Weight.— 4.\ lbs. 



Length. — 1 ft. 8f inches. 



Head. — Resembles that of Pirao. 



Eye. — Remarkably large, and of greater diameter than that of Pirao. 

 Broad posterior adipose lid well defined, but anterior adipose lid absent. 



Teeth. — Villiform on upper and lower jaws, and file-like on tongue and 

 palate . 



Body of considerable depth, and in contour similar to Pirao. 



Fins. Antenor dorsal. — Consists of 5 spines connected by thin membrane. 



Posterior dorsal and anal are rayed and are continued by a fringe to com- 

 mencement of free portion of tail, last rays are thickened ; 2 small spines 

 just in front of the anal fin. 



Pectoral.— Jjong and falciform. 



Caudal. — Deeply-forked. 



Colour. — Bluish to greenish on back, sides and belly white. Anterior 

 dorsal deep black. Anal has a white margin. Upper anterior corner of 



