MALAYAN FISHES. 27 



THREAD FINS. 



(POLYNEMIDAE.) 



These fish are all excellent as food and from some rough ising- 

 lass or fi.yh sounds are obtained. 



One of our Kurau {Pohjncmus paradiseus) is tlie Tupsi fish 

 of India and the Mango fish of Burma. This small fish which 

 attains a length of aljout 9 inches only, is considered a great luxury 

 both in India and Burma. It has very long filaments, longer than 

 itself, proceeding from each side, just below the pectoral fins. 



The common Kurau {F- indiciis) attains a length of 4 feet 

 and about 20 lbs. in weight. 



The Kurau janggut (P. tciradactijlvs). which is also known 

 on the Queensland coast by the very unsuitable name '' Cooktown 

 Salmon," grows to a very large size. 



Day quotes Hamilton Buchanan as observing " I have been 

 assured by a creditable native that he saw one wliich was a load for 

 six men and which certainly therefore exceeded in weight 320 

 pounds avoirdupois." 



BARRACUDAS. 



{8P1IYB.AENIDAE.) 



The Alu-Alu are carnivorous and highly voracious fi,shes 

 which give good sport with a trolling bait or spinner. 



Cantor mentions two .--ijecies only, S. jello and S. ohtusata, as 

 inhabiting the seas off Penang and Singapore but I have a snap- 

 shot of one taken by me otf Paliang which does not agree with Day^'s 

 plates of either of these fish and is I think S. nooae-hoJlandiae. 

 It is more than probable that other species will be discovered in 

 these waters. 



A well known American game fisherman from Honolulu who 

 visited Singapore recently recognised the fish both in the Singapore 

 market and from the photograph as the Alu-alu of Hawaii. 



Eoughley^ writes of Spliiiraena novae-hollandiae, 



" The Short-finned Pike is an edible fish of very consider- 

 able value and is deservedly popular, though it has probal)ly 

 never been tasted by a very great portion of the community. 



"' It forms one of a too numerous collection of very 

 valuable table fishes which are scari/ely utilised, owing to the 

 unenterprising methods adopted in their capture." 



1 Fishes of Australia. 



