NOTES OF THE RDTRLE FISHES OF VICTORIA. 
11 
IS very nearly allied to a sort from Western Australia, .described 
by Richardson under the name of Pdmius. I owe the 
very scarce pam[)Iilet in which tlie genus Neomhastes is estab- 
lished to the kindness of our illustrious botanist, Baron Von 
Mueller. 
The Fe}itarog(i marmorata is rai’e in these waters, and is only 
remarkable by the large, movealde, sword-like s])ine, whicli it has 
below the eye. 
The jlat-headi^, or PlatyGepkalus, form tlie most important genus 
of the I'amily, as containing the most common and cheayiest of tlie 
Melbourne fishes ; tliey form several sorts, of which the two most 
c.ommon are the md the Lwvigatu-^ ; the latter is called 
roc/* flat-head. 
Tvlgla is remarkable not only for the beautiful ciimson ]>ink 
which adorns several of its species, but also by the great extent 
of its pectoral fins, which take the form - of large wings. The 
Trigloj pohjommata is generally known as the flgvv.g garnet; 
it is a fish of unsurpassed beauty ; its body is ciimson and 
silvery; its magnificent large pectorals are of a fine green, 
bordered with purple, and have a large oblong double black sjiot, 
lined with white; it is said to be good for the table, and 
always attracts notice by its extreme beauty. 
Lepid^otrigla vanesm and f^phynx are very pretty, but of smallei’ 
size than the preceding. All these fishes appear from time to time 
and accidentally on the market. I have observed no other sorts, 
and I believe that it is by mistake the New Zealand Trigla kmnu 
lias been said to inhabit the coast of Victoria. 
The family Trachintd^ contains the stone lifter ( Kathetostoma 
Lftive), a fish of hideous appearance, often met with in the Mel- 
bourne market, but of little estimation as food. This is not the 
case with the ivhiPmg (SW/hgo panctata), which is also very 
common, and is one of the best of the edilile fishes. 
Sphtr/ENIO/E are rc}>rescnted by the pike (Sphynena Novce 
lIoll(tndne)^w\\ud\ attains a large size, and is considered by many 
as the most delicate of the Victorian fishes. 
1 have formed a new genus (Nemphyrama) on a sort (midtira- 
d'ntUh) often called by the fishmongers Skip-jack Pike, an<l 
which is as good as the pike, itself. 
The family of Scia^nio.e was for a long time thought absent 
from the Australian seas, but an enormous sort, the king flsh, some- 
times, Init v^ry I’arely, makes its appeai'ance on the market ; the 
fishmongers often give that name to the yellow tail, but I have 
<mly seen the true king fish once in two years; it is considered a 
very great delicacy, ami is sold for .£2 or £‘h In my work on the 
Victorian fishes 1 nanuid this sort Hfylaoat A riktrcfiGa, but Professor 
M‘Coy tells me that he has com]>ared it with the Meagre of the 
