FISH FAUNA. 



53 



to this record, a purely Xcw Zealand family,* and the latter is sure to turn 

 up sooner or later on our Jiorth-oastern seaboard. Five species — Plectro- 

 poma cinctum, Trachjpoma macracantlius, Apo(joii norfolcensis, Platusteflms 

 cultratum, and Parma poii/lepis—are peculiar to Lord Howe and Norfolk 

 Islands. 



ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



PERCID^. 



AXTHIAS, Block. 



AXTIIIAS CICKLOPS, £Uc. 



sp. 



A single example, so far as I am aware the second which has fallen into 

 the hands of anv naturalist, was picked up dead, but in a fresh and perfect 

 state, on the beach by Mr. B. H. Saunders during last April ; its length is 

 three and four-fifths inches. 



SEERANUS, C'ui-ier. 



Sp;nHA^'rs ouATALiirr, Cuv. ^' Val. 



This species is mentioned here on the authority of Ur, fxiinther (Catal. i. p. 

 120), but the occurrence in Australian waters of a West Indian fish belonging 

 to this genus is so improbable that I am inclined to believe either that the 

 specimen will eventually turn out to belong to a different species— the tin 

 rays are noticed by Dr. Giinther as slightly diifering from the normal number 

 —or that the example may by some chance have been erroneously labelled. 



Sei!R.\.^-us fuscoguitatus, Eupp. 



A single voung example imder seven inches in length. 



Seruaxus dt.meli, Gnth. 



Tlic " Black Rock Cod'^ of the islanders. It is plentiful and_ grows to &. 

 large size ; one which Mr. Saunders collected weighed seventy-five pounds,, 

 and measured forty-two inches, while Captain Langley brought a rather 

 dilapidated skin measuring no less than fifty-ibur inches, and it is said to 

 attain to even greater dimensions. As it is caught solely by hook and line, 

 it maybe imagined that tackle of great strength is required, since, in addition 

 to its weight," it fights with great determination in its efforts to escape. 

 Small examples up to ten pounds in weight are excellent for the table ; and. 

 with reference to the Sydney market, where however it is scarce and of 

 small size, not more than half a dozen species excel it. At the Solitaries, 

 a group of islets about two hundred miles north of Sydney, it is said to- 

 reach the weight of one hundred pounds. 



PLECTROPOMA, Cavicr. 



PLECTROrOJIA CIXCTUII, Gnth. 



The " Striped Rock Cod " is common both in rock pools and in the open 

 sea; it grows to at least eighteen inches in length, and both it and the 

 succeeding species are used as food. 



* Since writing tliis sentence I find that Mr. Francis Day has described a species from 

 Madras (Proc. Zool. Soc. ISSS, p. 264). 



