6i6 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



rhtf b) IV. SavMt-Kint, F.Z.S.'] 



SNAPPER 



An Australian spec'us of &ca-bream 



[Milfird-nn-Sia 



occurs especially on the south 

 and south-west coasts of 

 England and Ireland. It is 

 of an orange-scarlet colour 

 above, and somewhat silvery 

 on the sides, with a large 

 black spot on the shoulder. 

 Several species of sea- 

 bream occur in /Australia, 

 where they are known as 

 SNx\PPERS. One of the largest 

 of these, which attains a 

 length of more than 3 feet 

 and a weight of over 40 

 lbs., is not only considered 

 excellent eating, but is also 

 the most popular sport- 

 yielding fish of that colony. 

 The ancient Romans 

 kept a species of sea-bream, the GlLT-llEAD, in their vivariums, where it grew extremely fat. 

 This species is said to stir up the sand with its tail, to discover buried shell-fish. It is 

 particularl)' fond of mussels, and the noise it makes in crunching them between its jaws is 

 loud enough to be heard by the fishermen. 



Nearh' allied to the Sea-breams are a group known, for want of a better name, as the 

 Thick-rayed Fishes, some of which rank as of prime importance among the food-fishes of 

 the British Colonies. A general idea of the shape of the members of this familj^ may be 

 gathered from the photograph of an Australian Groper. The name of LONG-FIN, given to one 

 species, is bestowed on account of the fact that one or more of the rays of the breast-fin on 

 each side is drawn out into a filament, often of ver\' considerable length, which is used as 

 an organ of touch. In other species, where the elongation is less, and more rays have under- 

 gone modification, an auxiliar)' organ of locomotion is the result. At the Cape of Good 

 Hope species of long-fin are very abimdant, and preserved in large quantities for export. 



Other members of this family lack the elongated fin-rays altogether. The fishes known 

 as the Tl'Ml'ETERS of New Zealand and Tasmania belong to this section. They are considered 

 by the colonists the best flavoured of any native fishes, and are eaten smoked as wcW as fresh. 

 But two species arc known, 

 one ranging from 30 to 60 

 lbs. in weight, and the other, 

 a much smaller form, scarcely- 

 attaining a weight of 20 lbs. ; 

 the latter is the more abun- 

 dant of the two, though con- 

 fined to the coast of New 

 Zealand. 



In the ScoRi'io.x-i'isHEs 

 we have a small group in- 

 cluding several forms rctnark- 

 able for their ugliness, having 

 added to an uncouth shape 

 skinny apfjcndages, which, 

 projecting from the bod\', 

 resemble rather leaves i>f 



fhul. h If. !i,ivillr.Knil, r.Z.S.'} 



KINC;-SN APPER 



A mcmhtr of the gnoup of Slimc-licadi 



\_Milford.tn-Sc, 



