FISTTRS— WAITR. 125 



Previously it was known only fVoni a voiy small portion of our 

 coast line, ranging from Port Hacking in tlu; south to Lake 

 Macquai'ie in the north. At Station 51 we secured it very freely 

 off the Shoalhaven River in 15 fathoms, while its northern range 

 was extended to Cape Hawke, off which point (Station 3:^) it was 

 trawled in 10-12 fathoms. As against the plentiful suj)ply 

 obtained it may be argued tliat it was only taken on four 

 occasions ; it will be well, therefore, to point out that this species 

 is most probably an inhabitant of shallow water, and that most 

 of our stations indicate a greater depth than suits it. Station 

 23 was in 16-19 fathoms ; and although 21-48 fathoms was sounded 

 at Station 24 it is quite possible that this fish was taken wlien 

 the trawl was first lowered, and before it descended to greater 

 depths. It may be further pointed out that it was obtained 

 most abundantly in the shallowest water wherein we trawled, and 

 has indeed been taken in fresh water. Mr. J. D. Ogilby 

 exhibited before the Linnean Society* an example caught in 

 fresh water fifty-eight miles above the mouth of the Richmond 

 River, and Dr. E. P. Ramsay had previously recorded the same 

 species under the name tSolea Jlioviatilis from fresh water in the 

 Hunter River. 



As far as I am aware, the breeding habits of this species were 

 previously unknown. All the specunens of sufficient size were 

 full of almost ripe ova, and as the extreme dates are the 2nd and 

 19th March, the end of that month may be approximately deter- 

 mined as the spawning season. Eleven inches is recorded as the 

 maximum size obtained, but eight or nine is about the average. 

 On evidence it is mature at a much smaller size, for a large num- 

 ber of our specimens measuring only six inches in length were in 

 full spawn. As to its edible properties, all on board the " Thetis," 

 where it was freely partaken of, pronounced it to be of admirable 

 flavour. 



SYNAPTURA, Cantor. 



SYNAPTURA NIGRA, Mademj. 



Black Sole. 



(Plate xxx.) 



Synaptura nigra, MacL, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., v., 1881, p. 49. 

 Ogil, Edible Fishes, N.S.W., 1893, p. 160, pi. xxxix. (outline). 



Stations 23, 50. 



Of this species Ogilby writes : — " The Sole appears to be a 

 purely estuary fish, never, so far as we can ascertain, having been 



* Ogilby— Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., xxi., 1896, p. 817. 



