SILLAGINIDAE.
No. 25. - SILLAGO. - Native name, MURDAR. "Rock whiting" of the settlers.
"Rays, D. 10-23; A. 18; P. 13; A. 5."
Inhabits rocky shores and deep water. Caught by the seine, 3rd April,
1841. Good eating.
No. 11. - SILLAGO PUNCTATA, C. et V 3, P. 413. - Native name MURDAR.
"Common whiting" of the settlers. "Rays, D. 12, 1-26; A. 22; P. 11; V.
5."
Inhabits shallow sandy bays abundantly, and is much admired for the
delicacy of its flesh, but it is dryer eating than the whiting of Europe.
SCIAENIDAE.
No. 55. - CORVINA? - Native name T'CHARK or T'CHYARK. King-fish of the
sealers. "Rays, D. 9 - 1-27; A. 1-7; P. 15; V. 1-5."
Teeth strong and sharp. Grows to a great size; as I am informed by the
natives, that they often spear individuals weighing sixty or seventy
pounds. This fish enters the fresh-water periodically, like the Salmon of
Europe, to spawn, and it is the only fish in this country which I have
distinctly made out to do so. It is tolerably good eating. The specimen
was caught at the mouth of Oyster Harbour by a hook, on the 30th August,
1841. (This may be the adult of the CORVINA KUHLII of the HISTOIRE DES
POISSONS, 5. p. 121.)
SERRANIDAE.
No. 19. - CENTROPRISTES TRUTTA. SCIAENA TRUTTA, G. Foster, Icon. 210.
(vide Ichth. of Ereb. and Terror, p. 30.) - Native name KING-NURRIE, or
IINAGUR. "Salmon" of the sealers. Pectorals yellow or orange coloured,
with dark bases; scales faintly fan-streaked; last rays of dorsal and
anal elongated. Faint oblong, orange-coloured spots on the sides, not in
vertical rows. "Rays, D. 9-16; A. 2-10; P. 16." Eye remarkably brilliant.
Good eating in the summer time, but far inferior to the SALMO SALAR. It
congregates in vast shoals, and pursues the fry of other fishes in
shallow bays, but never enters fresh-water. It is often taken of from
seven to ten pounds weight. It affords excellent sport to the angler. The
specimen was caught by the hook from my own door on the 4th May, 1841.
No. 3. - CENTROPRISTES (CIRRIPIS) GEORGIANUS. C. et V. 7. p. 451. Jenyn's
Zool. of Beagle, p. 13. - Native name WARRAGUIT. "Herring" of the
settlers. Rays, D. 9-14; A. 3-10; etc.
Inhabits rocky shores, and is taken in the summer, by net on sandy
beaches. Specimen caught by the hook, on the 27th March, 1841.
No. 23. - SERRANUS? vel CAPRODON (Schlegel.) aut PLECTROPOMA. - Native name
TANG or TAA (It bites.) The "Perch" of the Sealers. "Rays, D. 10-24; A.
2-9; P. 14; V. 1-5."
Eye fine crimson: pupil deep blue-black. Tail slightly rounded.
Remarkably strong canines, from which peculiarity it has obtained its
native name of TAA, as it bites severely when taken, if the fisher be not
on the alert. It is good to eat, but is not common. Caught by the hook on
9th of April, 1841.
No. 4. - PLECTROPOMA NIGRO-RUBRUM. C. et V. 2. p. 403. - Native name
BUNDEL. "Crab-eyed soldier" of the settlers. "Rays, D. 10-17; A. 3-9."
Inhabits rocky shores, and is not common. Specimen caught by the hook, on
the 4th April, 1841. Good eating.
No. 21. - HELOTES? - Native names, BOORA, BOWRU, also CHARLUP. The "Pokey,"
or "small Trumpeter" of the sealers. "Rays, D. 11 - 1-11; A. 2-11; etc."
Inhabits rocky places. Good to eat. Caught by the seine, on the 3rd
March, 1841.
CIRRHITIDAE.
No. 24. - CHEILODACTYLUS GIBBOSUS. Solander. Icon. Ined. Banks. No.
23. - Richardson Zool. Trans. 3, p. 102. - Native name KNELOCK (not
certain).
Inhabits sandy beaches; is little known to the sealers. Caught in a net,
3rd March, 1841.
No. 39. CHEILODACTYLUS CARPONEMUS. - C. et V. 5. p. 362. - Native name
CHETTANG. "Jew-fish" of the sealers (the name "Jew-fish" is applied
otherwise by the colonists).
Inhabits rocky shores. Some specimens weigh upwards of sixteen pounds.
Caught by hook, 17th May, 1841.
No. 42. - CHEILODACTYLUS. Native name TOORJENONG. "Black Jew-fish" of the
sealers. "Rays, D. 16-26; A. 2-10; P. 13; V. 5."
Inhabits rocky points of sandy bays, where they love to run in and root
up the sand with their fleshy mouths. They are sluggish, and easily
speared by the Aborigines, whose chief food it constitutes at certain
seasons. The specimen was speared in my presence by Wallup, on the 8th of
June, 1841. The TOORJENONG grows to a large size, exceeding twenty pounds
in weight. It is a gross feeder, and its flesh is hard and dry, but the
head and sides are much prized by the natives, and the head of a large
one makes tolerable soup.
No. 45. - LATRIS? (vix. GERRES?) - Native name QUIKE or QUIK, (horned).
"Rays, 9-16; A. 3-16; P. 14; V. 1-5."
Caught by the hook, off Rocky Point, on the 17th of August, 1844. Good to
eat. (A spine before each nostril, probably springing from the heads of
the maxillaries).
SPARIDAE.
No. 1. - PAGRUS GUTTULATUS. C. et V. 6, p. 160. - Native name KOJETUCK.
"Common Snapper" of the sealers, "Rays, D. 12-9; A. 3-8; P. 1-5."
The Snapper grows to a large size, attaining from thirty to forty pounds
weight, and is very voracious. It devours crabs and shell fish, crushing
them with its strong teeth. It is common on all the rocky inlets of the
coast of New Holland, extending down the eastern shores to Sidney.
CHAETODONTIDAE.
No. 41. - CHAETODON SEXFASCIUTUS. Richardson Ann. of Nat. Hist. - Native
name KNELOCK.
Inhabits rocky places. Not common.
No. 40. - CHAETODON. - Native name MITCHEBULLER or METYEBULLAR. Teeth very
minute.
Inhabits rocky places. Speared by Warrawar, on the 27th of May, 1841.
No. 27.2. - CHAETODON. - Native name WAMEL or WAMLE. "Rays, D. 10-20; A.
3-17."
No.
