Fome of Our Food Fishes. 45 



Whether fresh or dried it is an excellent tish, much superior to the salt 

 cod of the shops. It grows to a fair size and is oblong in shape with a 

 thick fleshy body ; the colour is brownish red with black blotches. Allied 

 to the pacou tire several other fishes which also have been much appreci- 

 ated by epicures. The cartaback is spoken of as being excellent, yet only 

 those who live up the rivers get an opportunity of tasting it. It will be 

 noticed however that Stabroek Market was better off' in the olden time 

 for it must have been sold there. I have had great difficulty in identifying 

 the species ; even yet I cannot say with certainty what it is. There 

 appear to be several species sometimes distinguished as large and small, 

 probably better known among the Indians. The smaller are species of 

 Metynnis and the larger Mylopus rubripinnis ? All are very deep in 

 outline as broad as long, giving the impression of a disc. The colours 

 are bright, the silvery sides being especially brilliant. Whether the 

 perais (Pygopristis and Pygocentris) are included among the Cartabacks 

 is uncertain : they are however allied and are said to be good eating. 

 Unlike some other disc-like fishes these have a fair thickness of meat. 



The perais are the most dangerous tish in our upper rivers. Unlike 

 most other fishes they come round any struggling animal and being so 

 numerous cut it to pieces before it can escape. The cleaning of a tish at 

 the water-side is dangerous in presence of a shoal of these fishes for they 

 will bite oft' a finger before a person is aware of their advance. Ducks 

 lose their toes in many cases and have learnt to keep to the shallows 

 where the water is not deep enough for the disc-line bodies of the perai. 



The teeth of the perais resemble those of the sharks, except that 

 there is only one row in each jaw. The consequence is that a clean cut 

 is made in an instant. Although so dangerous they are very beautiful. 



It may not be out of place to mention here that the teeth of fishes 

 are varied to a wonderful extent and are often found in other places than 

 the jaws, in fact, they may be anywhere in the mouth down to the 

 gullet. There seems to be no system like there is in the mammals ; in 

 some cases they resemble incisors and in others canines, but true molars 

 are replaced by curious processes, w r hich in the rays are like small pave- 

 ments between which molluscs are cracked as if they were nuts. Another 

 curious set are those found in many of the skin fishes, w T hich may be 

 compared to wire brushes. A large number have no teeth and in some 

 the mouth opening forms a sucking disc with which a strong hold is 

 secured to rocks and fallen trees where the river currents are strong. 



Our largest fresh-water fish is the arapaima (Arapaima gigas) which 

 has been reported sometimes to weigh as much as four hundred pounds ; 

 this however must be exceptional, the larger specimens generally caught 

 being only about one-fourth of that weight. It is undoubtedly a grand 

 fish, and in Brazil where it is known as the pirarucu it is commonly salted 

 and used by travellers instead of the well-known cod. As it is only 

 found beyond the rapids the people of the coast never get an opportunity 



