48 MALAYAN FISHES. 



SUCKING PISHES. 



(ECHINEIDWAE.) 



These flslies, generally known as Be mora, attach themselves 

 b}- means of a remarkable adhesiTe disc on the u]3per surface of the 

 head to boats and ships, or to whales, sharks and turtles and in 

 this war manage to do a good deal of travelling with the minimum 

 amount of effort. As they are not strong swimmers they obtain a 

 much larger supply cif food by riding about in this way than other- 

 wise would be possible. 



The natives of Cuba, Zanzibar and the Torres Straits use these 

 fish for catching turtles ; the fish being held by a metal ring round 

 the base of the tail to which a line' is attached. " When one of 

 these fish, a foot in length, has its wet sucker applied to a table, 

 and is allowed time to lay hold, it adheres so tightly that it is im- 

 possible to pull it otf by a fair vertical strain" (Lydekker)\ 



The Qemi {Echineis naucrates) is very common in these seas. 

 It takes a bait readily, is edible, and may, occasionally, be seen in 

 the markets. 



QOBLIN-FISHES. 



{SCOBPAEXIDAE.) 



Some members of this family are Perch-shaped and edible, 

 growing to a large size (Sebastes, Scorpaena, etc.). 



Xearly all are distinguished by a ])owerful armature, either of 

 the liead, or fin spines, or both, and in some the spines are provided 

 with poison glands (Scorptuna, Pierois, Pelor and Stjnanda) and 

 a sting from these spines is extremely painful. 



Lepu is the Malay synonym for all memliers of this family. 



FLAT-HEADS. 



{PLATYCEPHALWA E. ) 



This family with a single genus, Plati/ce-plialus, and some 40 

 species, inhabits the coasts of the Indian Ocean and the Western 

 Pacific. 



The Malay generic term is Baji-baji, so called from the wedge 

 shaped head, and so far some four species have been identified in 

 Malayan seas. 



They live on the bottom, hidden in the sand as a rule, and as 

 they depend on their protective colouring and spines to save them 

 from possilde enemies, they do not swim to any distance when dis- 

 turibed but dart away for an instant and then lie motionless half 

 buried in the sand. 



This peculiarity renders them particularly liable to be taken by 

 trawls and a large proportion of the catches made Ijy the 'New 

 South Wales trawlers is composed of these fish. 



Thev are good edible fish and common in the markets. 



1 Eoyal Nat. History. 



