NOTES OF THE EDIBLE FISHES OF VICTORIA. 
9 
the lower Yarra, and in the neighbouring swamps; boys often 
(^atcli them alive, and sell them as young golden fish. 
'I’he most impoitant of the Murray fishes, after the cod, is the 
go! <Ie.it perch, wldcli 1 liave named Dnles inmdvs; it is certainly 
very nearly allied to Richardson’s Dnle-'i arnhlguu^^^ but does not 
entirely agree witli the descri|)tion given by that learned zoologist; 
it unites beauty of colours to tiie good quality of its desh; and 
it sometimes weighs up to six or even seven j)ounds. 
The following lislies couie in tlie same natural family as the 
former, but Itave been se[>arated from them under the name of 
Pri^if ipomtiildoe : — The Mvrr<ty silver perch {Thetupon RichAvrd- 
soni) is found in great numbers in all the livers of Riverina, and is 
often brought to the Melbourne market. It is very nearly allied 
to Thempoii and perhaps similar; but here again the 
description [niblished does not agree witli it, and this lastfisli being 
an inhabitant of the rivers of Western Australia there is sutficient 
i-eason to (insider it as ditierent till spocimens may be compared 
from the two localities. Another Itlackish, and much larger sort, is 
also sometimes found in the Murray; I have called it Therap. niger, 
I have also <lescribed, under the generic names of Mtrnuyitt 
and RiveruiAt, several fishes of the Murray River. The first have 
eleven spines, and the second twelve to the dorsal fin. 
Of the family ai' MuLUD.E, Ave only kneAv till lately of one repre- 
sentative, fite re<l gttrnef (Upeneicltfhys porostfs)^ which is highly 
considered as a table fish, and is also remarkable for its beautiful 
carmine hues, and the pi-etty blue stripes of its head ; but this year 
two specimens of an Indian sort, Upenens Vlitmingil, have been 
obtained in the market. 
The family of Sparid/E is, in these seas, the most impoitant of 
all, as it contains the Ritapper emd the Brertm o^ the colonists; the 
first sometimes weiglis uj) to fifty jnmnds, and is as remarkable 
for its beautiful silvery pink and red colours, as foi* its excellency 
as a table fisli. The males take with age a mo.st extraoidinary 
ap]>earance, the anterior jnofile of their head resembling a 
monstrous human face, Avith an enormous large nose, and a \my 
prominent forehead. The fishermen pretend that these old 
specimens, living constantly amongst the roitks, owe their singular 
forms to tlie constant lilows they receive from the stones, but 
this evidently cannot I>e the case, as the females ahvays maintain 
their or<linary form. I had long ago observed, at the Cape of 
Good Hope, a fish of tliis family with an enormous excrescence 
in form of a nose, and tliinking this was a sjiecific character, I 
had called it Cltrystypltris nasutas; but after liaving seen the 
Melbourne specimens I do not doubt tliat it is a mr)nstrons 
old male of the common, hut most Iteautifid sort (T tliat colony 
(i)hrys. gUMcepis). 
