C:Che Commercial Fishes and Fisheries of Queensland.

AN ESSAY.

]. DOUGLAS OGJLBY.

'l'm;: fa1·-stretching and deeply indented coast of Queensland, inter­ sected as it is by numerous estuaries, forms an ideal spawning and :feeding ground for many and varied prod nets of marirni life. It is not, therefore, astonishing to realize that the wealth contained within onr wak:rs is incalculable, and will at some fotnl'f! time, when exploited by more practical and ::ie::ienti:Oc methods than are now in vogue, constitute not only one of the rie::hest but assuredly one of ti.le most permanent and reliable assets of the· State; one that dmnands no outlay for its upkeep, which with bonnteomi hand ill ev1!r engaged in filling up the gap$ made in its rHnk~ by the pitiless ra.vages of man, and which is wholly unaffected by flood er drought, by internal or external eorrvnlsion. Naturally with so magnificent a coastline we :find that fishes oeeupy a foremost position in our marine economy. It has been estimated th;;t the waters of Queensland, together with the ontlying islands and reds, nourish folly a thousand distinct varieties of fishes, at least one fourth of whid1 arc edible; many of these arc no doubt destined to prove of great commm·cial importance at no very 'distant date. To attempt to give, within the limits of sur:h an 11.rticfo as this, more than a mere sketch of the marvelous wealth awaiting exploitation in our seas would be absurd, and we shall, there.fore, confine ourselves to a review of such families or groups as \\;ll eventually prove of economic value to the people of the State-).

Before, however, eonuncncing' our remarks on the better known forms of edible fit'lhe~';, it is advisable to point out that much excellent and wholer,;ome food is being wasted here through the not unnatural pr~~judicc which exfats against eating the :flesh of sharks and rays. This prejudice is, however, based on a rniscouception of the faets, strengthened by the disgust and horror with which thegreatman..eatiiigsharksiiifcct the community. For instance all our rays, including the so·called "shovcl.-nose sharks" ( Rk-ynchobati.(,s and Rhinobat11s), and smaller 2 The Commercial Fishes an1l Fisl1erJes of Queensland. The Commercial l'ishes 1md FlslJel'ies of Qneensland. a

sharks, such as the '' gum mies'' (.1.l!f.uste lns) 1 '' wobbegongs '' ( Orectolobus) and "cat-shn.rks" (Bt·achrolitrits, II eteroscyllium, and Chiloscyllium) ar~ the further northwards we proceed. Our "6xcye" is the eastern repre­ eq;1ally as c~ean feeders as ~he fishes which we eonsumc without cornment :sentative of tbe famous "tarpon" of the Florida seas, which is i·eputed da1ly; that is to s&,y they, like the latter, live principally on crustaceans to be the noblest of all game fishes, the exploit.s of which entirely over­ mollusks, smaller fi...~es~ worms, and_ the like. Dr. Irving Field, writin~ shadow tho&i of the Atlantic salmon and the Indian "mahsecr ," while of th 1~ .North American representatives of the.se selachians, states that the leader of this n ot.able quartette is the "milkfish" of the Anglo­ they "11re not only palatable in the fresh condition but are as good a.r; Jndians, by ·whoru it is held in high estimation. So much, indeed, was many other f.lshcs when preserved by the standard methods.'' Some of lts flesh appreeia.ted by nativn IndiH.n potentates tl1at nearly two centuries the specieR whe:u e~1med he compares to ''medium grade salmon, •• nud ago it, together with the oxeye, was introduced into the great a1-tifieial :rA mar~'s tliat cooked in various ways he found that "the canned article rain-water tauks, which a:re sc~itttered over the length and breadth of wus b1g.hly. p raised for its ft a vor 11.nd palat ab ility. '' Other species the the native principalitie.s, and h<1s there bred and thriven · ever since, i-eprese~ tab ve.~ of ~u.r ''gummi es, ' ' h e contjnues, are ''preserved· ' best tant drain wade on them by men, crocodiles, cormomnts, by salting and dr.nng," and when p1'cpared in the same way he and ,and countless other enemies. B oth these species ll'.light , therefor e, be ot;-er:s ".~ou,1~ d~~Hc~ little ?r no (~~(!rence between it and the ordinary ad van tageoiisly utilized £01· stocking tanks and waterholes in our own s~,t-cod~sh, while It had tne addttlonal "advantage o.f being boneless. " back eo1mtry, ·where they would not only be valuabh: as a. source of Slllce \.nth f!Ol'l'Hlltmclable foresight the Government 0£ New s"outh Wa1os wholesome and nut.dtions food for 'the neighboring settlers, but also as have taken upon themselves the task of eaptnrin<> and sellina .. t a llleans of keeping clo'wn the numbers of the crayfishes (Paracham;,ps bl . ,., '"' d. a r easo:ia e Prl<'-C the product.-; of their seas, these fuhes have found their bi.cari natu.~ ), the borings of which form a serious source of danger to artificial dams. In the estuaries and bays along OUl' entire coastline way mtn the Sydney market, and ha ve so risen in pop;1lar esteem. that t~ey ar e 11c~w purc!rnsed with. avid~ty by the ve1~y people, who a ye;r ago we find several species of small deep-bcdied herringtt ; these grO'\Y to >rnuld have spurned them with chsgust. But enough has been written about eight inches long and are excellent breakfast fishes, having all the to sd·how that we are rejeetiug a potent supply of wholesome and pala.tablfl flavor o.f the trne British lwrring, while on our southern 8eaboard 2 there f 00 . .u.rri\'4'.i during the winter months count.less hosts of true "pilchards" ( .1imuliygasler ?1,£1or>ikha1·dtts), which are destined sornc day to form tho The next order with which we have to deal is the Isospondyli a lar..,.c• 0 n udrus of a fishery, which may, with the co-operation of our southern and m1portant cr1·oup t · · I } · ' ' . . o con ammg t ie lerrmgs, pilchards, sprats, sh;ids nejghbor, in time rival in magnitude and importance the pilchard ~almon~~. tL·~ut.s, smelts. barramnndil'l,1 and other .fishe.s o£ tlw highost :fisheries of the English Channel. With them are al ways associated two commc, , . 1deial , n:nportance. , to .manki · · nd · It is· no t generaJl Y kn- own that our l!lpecies of sprat, the "blue sprat" or "tailor maray" (StolephonM seas .'m . estuaries_ tee ~1. with many .rspecies of hcn·ings and herring-li ke robustus) and the "silver sprat" (Hyverloplrns sp1·attellides), both of fishes, m,my of wh1ch. tf properly utJlizP.d sho Id f · · bl · · · , • 11 prove o no rncomnder- which atta1n a length of from three to four inclles, are delicious pan­ a e. economrn value to the State, but arc under existing circumstances :fishes. and if properly treated would form the most delicate sardine on wholly lost t~ us. Among the largcl' forms which frequent our shore-; the market. The supply of these little 'fishes is practic11.lly inexhaustible, ~ay be men~1o~~cl the " MorHton Bay Salmon" ( Clta nos chanos) , the n.nd they vi&it the coast annually for the purpose of spawning from May oxeJ:'c ~errmg . (11'fegalops cy7Jr·ino·ides), the "hnna:na fish" (El . to ;July inclusive. In our northern seas several other species of sprats hawaums·is) a..nd th "} 1 f1 ·1 " ( . , ops . , · c ac Y .1s l Lilbul.a glossodonta) all of b · h and sardines swll.rm throughout the year, thronging the shallow inshore attam a Ienoth of frorn tw< t ,.. , f t ' · w IC · • >:> • • > .o n~e ee · an<1 arJ.rramuoc:l!., llas been o ul . - . - -- be manufactured a sauce and a paste equaling the finest products of loh11.b1t porma.ne.nlly or ~. t ct>rtaio «C1t8ons ~n~., n1 Iy •mpo""d o1t aEv•~ ral h1rge fl•llM Whicb (lVco<'frat()dus) ,rnd tile " palmer" (L~.te~\ . r :rnr. rre~h Wittcr8, ~ uch a.~ the "lung-ll.ab" British and E11ropean factories. lt will thus be .seen that even in this freshwater cluJ>P.id, known tecbnlcally as ~~l ~ut >t l.!< i;ro9e,.1y "'PP!lt~abJe 0•1ly to t.he Jariro order, neglected so fa.r by our fishermen because 0£ the gonerally small :rivers ;iorth ot the D&weon: and overnu~Jle•w r ved Crom on bonrd the " Endea.your" M far uott.h <1s Iiervey D ~y. 4 r Tile Commer.ela.J 1''ishes and 1''1sbcries of Queensla;1d. The CommN·cial l•'islics a11d Fisheries o! Qn1ienslnnd. 5 ··----··-··· ------individua.l size of its members, great possihilitie~ exist, and we may their metamorphosis and assumed the form of the parent fish, the young eonlldently look forward to a t\me when, instead of importing thousands. eels. now about three inches long, make their way as quickly as circum­ of pounds' worth of sardines, bloaters, sauces, and the hundred and one sta~ces permit to the nearest land, along whi<:h they coai,;t until they p1·ol"ext in g1·oups of carp-like fishes and catfishes. JJarge as Uw clas;i is, however, importance to the freshwatHr eel eomes the "conger" (Le.ptocephalus), in species and individuals, it is of little value to us sinc1!, with the a mighty fish, whieh in suitable waters attHim1 a weight of 100 lb., but exception of a few sparsely natm·alhrnd specjes, su(:h as the carp Rnd the being' more of a southern species may be left out of our calcnlations. tench, the waters of ..Australia are entirely devoid of representati>es of The Pike-Eel (M1.1,1·a511e.sox C'i:nernus) is well and unfavourably known to the great cyprinoid groups, while the f.ow edible <:atfishe.s which we nossc;ss ot•r ·fi~herrnen. 1ts jaws and vorn(!l' bci11g armed with _long, trenehant. are mostly 1-1purned, tiloi1gh the great sea-catfishes (Nelu·m.a and l'achy­ c011ical tc>eth, .which it uses vig-orou8ly and viciousty. The flesh is we1l surus) a1~e of excellent quality and possess the inestimable advantage of flavored. but is so <~rowded. with small, .sharp, barbed i11uscle bones (about having no "muscle holleH" to worry about. .Rvon the common and mnclr .a s<:or<: .lo the square ineh) that it can not be reeommended to anyone abused "blue cat" of our estuaries, if treated scientifically hefore in search of a dinner, m1less he has an hour o:r two to spare over his meal. canning', should be not only j1alatable, but of comdderahfo expo1't value. Abont twenty species of "red eels" or" morays" (:1f.i~1Ymtid(.e) a.re found Of the eel-catfishes (Plotosidm) it would have been difficult to sav a in our waters, some of which are remarkable for the beauty of their good word, bnt for the one redeeming quality that to the familv bel~l;lgH' coloration. Most of these fishes grow to a large size, one-the long-tailed the "tandan" 01· "freshwater jcw" (Tandmrns tandamts), 0:1c of the reef-eel ( Rhabdura mam'iira )--reachjng a length of at least twelve feet. best river fishes of Australia. These eels are p1·edaeiom;, voracious, and pugnacions, quick to resent any encroachment on their territory, a:nd not hesitating to attack even man Passing over three small orcl~rs of no corrunercial 01· geographical value to us, we next come to an order-Apocles-which, thongh uot iu himself, !'!bould lw incantiously disturb tlwm in thei.r chosen haunts. the flrst rank, is of. some iruportanec in the eeonmuic world-imheme. 'J'o Their ftei:;h, howevHr, is well flavored and nutritions, and might be 0 it belong the eels, congers, morays, and .similar forms, an int~re8ting utilized for canning. group, many of which are of excdlent quality for the iabl..,, though .Again passing over three small and economically unimportant groups, apparently the "freshwMer eels" (Anguil.ca) alone arc utilized as food we come to the order Synentognathi, whieh indudes the "needle-fishes" here. Of these we have two species, W!Cognizable by the point of origin or "long-toms" ( 1'ylosm·u.~), the "garfishes" OJ~ "halfbcaks" ( H emi­ of the

8 r. H i~ much mo~e t>rohable I.bat it waa to a 8Urfe.it of the>;e, and not u~ history rehtl.e" of For remark ~ on the B~l'l'a.rnun11\ s€e p. 43 et seq. lamprcya, that an Jilnglish monarl.\h. succumbed. 8 ( G 1• F'.i$~e with tbi." habit, such :'.1$ the eol~ •u•d some specie<> of "mount~in minnow'' •re wa~ a member or this family (~Iurrena helena), which was kept in tanks in their a,L"~~s 'dnre technically lrnown as "c:.tadrornou.s" (lit.. running down) flsh<'s "" OPPO"Cd to .110 a.na 1"Qmous" ( · o ) " · , ' ...., ~., dining-halls by the ari$tocrnt~ of tne Roman F.:ro11ire, and l.o which slaves, who had committed from the sea t th runr1111,, up .cn·ms, such a~ the ~almon and ~!tad, wh.icll

windows. This sp<~cfos grows to a length of about three feet, but further After an interlude 0£ four non-economic ,.groups the large and north, on our tropical shores, other and much larger forms occur in important o:rdcr, known as the Percesoce s,. next claim~ our attention. abundance, while the rivers of Middle and Northern Queensland swarm 'fo it belong the mullets (Mugilidm), st'<.'1.-pikcs (Sphyramidm), a.nd tas..->~l­ with a shor t deep compressed spcciP.s, kno>vn as "Krefft 's long-tom." £.shcs ( Polynemi{Zce) . Of the first of these families foll~ twenty species occupy our coastal, estuarine, and fresh waters, all of which are excellent All needle-fishes have developed a curious habit, which must often table £.shes. and some of which, by rcasou of thefr ~Ule, numbers, and have been witnessed, though probably rn!snnderstood, by dw<~Hers on the periodical 1~igrations , arc destined at no vc:ry distant dnte to .bec~mi.e the shore; when under the influence of fear or or sexual emotion they ·rise mainstay of a <:a11.0ing industry which, unrn\n1ercial impr>rtanc1~, and doubtless will increase in value, \<:hen our day in Wide Bay r once "flushed" a large one which, rising within a <·r..rmerios arc properly running. Of" ihos~i mullets, whos0 sfae, and the .few feet of the boat, continued its flight until it w"l\S lost in the distance, vastnC>.f,,.s of whosu migrations, iuv(~sls them with a special import.anC'c to with the a.id of an occasional touch of the tail l1pon thA surface of the the community, pride of plae<:. must be allot.tea to the great sea m11llet sea, by means of which it gained renewed impr.tus. Severa1 l{inds of. (Jl'ugil (;epha l11.is). This fine sp e~!ics , which aUaius a weight of 10, flying-fishes inhabit our seas, but they are only abW1dant in our northorn and even in rarvith its complement of viewless threads, :Boating with similar for the most part from their natural enemies are ablu to grow to a U!'leful irr<~s ponsibility through anothel' element, but on the same errand bent­ rnatnrit'J, and it is OJl]y when the sexual impulse becomes overwhelmingly the one noxious, the other beneficent. strong that thoy emerge from the safo seclusion of these upper readlCS TJ1e Connn~rcial 1"if!J1cs and Fisheries Qf Qneensl1m1L The Cur11mercial Fisl1es and l' isheries ui' Qucen 11-Jand.------9 to seek the open .sea. These migrations take phwe during the summ.er forth ou predato:ry forayl'I, levying toll indiscriminately ~TI all creatures months and the sanw .fishes return during the fo'flowing winter as full­ which invade its self-c:onstituted kingdom. Nor does :t tolerate. ~n y roed sea-mullet, forming the bulk of the shoals of small but matu:rc fishes, encroachment on itfi doma.in hy other fishes, fierecly attackmg and drrvrng \vhich seek the s pawning grounds during June and ,July, after U1e D1ain off even large sharks, should they chance to iu,trude: A 1~o..:;t interesting body of grnvid fishes, having shed their ova, have disappeared. It is on ex.amplfl o£ protcctiv.; adaptability hi conneehon with this fish 11as b<.:en

aec:ount of th.is eontinuous migration of yourig ft.she(.; up and down our ur·o11gbt to my notice by rny friend )fr. A. Rayuw.nd .Tones :-He tell~ rivers a.nd creeks, th.at it is imperative apon our Governments to protect me that, 1Jeiug anehored for the night in a patch of always the shoals of ln1lllct are held prisoners in fresh or brackish waters wheuc~ same. Jn the position descr\bed the hron;c;: band.., and formc.d to the propagation of their Rpecfos, for· the ova will not mature in ~uch so pt'i•fect a replic.11 of the withered blades amoug the living grasses tlrnt, pli1 ..ces. This _m11y happen dtlwr by the silting u.p o:f n lake entnwcc, if the eyes were withs of the water from which are highly esteemed for the delicae.y and fla.vor of their flesh. drought, or through other bec1rnse :>Jatur<-!, in her inscrutable wi<;dom, has decreed t.ha.t its nie111bel's bring these perishable products of our northern a.ncl mid(Ue s<~ahoards shall lie prone on one or. the other side instefl.d o.f. facing the '.\-'Ork! in ('t°n straight to the southern c-0nsnnrnr., and thus by a single act assi;;it our upright po ~i t ion like their dose connections on either hand. Thi!3. ho•v• northern fellow-citizens with our money and produce, and in rctu.rn cvfrr, is a mere afterthought, fol' the yonng flatfu.h, on its emergenc~ f.rom reliev<~ tbe pn:ssure on our housewives and charitable institntions by the ovum, has tho eyes, like those of othci:· fts.lu~s, pl.aced i;:ymmet.ri<'ally lowc!l-ing the ab~nrd pr.ice 0£ fIBh ·.vhich prevails in the city. .All. on the opposite t\ides of the head, and at this period of its life th<.' "body the rail~ways too should be provioth to and frow1 the mctropolis.7 plaee to pht1.~e . At a vory early stage, however, one oye is forced round the do1.·snl .surface of the head, i1nd thenccforvvard becomes the upper 'So far as we in Brisbane i:.r<: co.nc;c,.n ecl we m!ght as well bti in Tim!Jn<,ton for nil the (Iha.nee we e;·er get to l)Ureha.ae a rreahwater tt6h for our con.im111 1.lon ; ~uc h magnificcmt oyc, as d/' "GoidP.n PeTC;h." ° F14~.h\V"a ter Jew," and. othnr:; rr.i1{h t he lit•nugbt up ds.fly to the metropolitan market from vart ou~ stations on the Condamin" nncl other ri>'eT&­ migt'atio11 has ta.ken place. It i'l to t his involuntary movement of an eye That this has not been Clone Jong ago is a i;rn.v" blot. on our r:.Lilwa.y udmlnl~tratlon . 'flw Comml'rcial Fiii!hes aud l:'islieries f,~ Qneen!'.llantl. 1•> 12 'rite Cvmniereial F'islres aml fisheries of QneCnF;Iand. ..

...\mc ng Queensland flatfi:shes it is only n ecessary to mention that the which the n ormal p elagic ovwu of its Ol'der beMme t co-op1m1tion of bot.h p rodm:ers and consumers. · ·was tfoS(!ribcd by Sir William Macle11y as J$y11a1lfum selhcinvi . .All the lll€'mbers of. this order are grollild fishes, living and feeding Quc~nshrn d is ric::h in flonmfo1·s of several geUi!l'a and many spt>ci.es, at tlH· bottom, a11 d but r arr:ly in vading the realm of the sul.'faee fishes. but the«.ie are at prcse:ut a negligible .fact.(H' in t hC' economy of our All tho speeiPs are carnivorous, fmbsisting on smaller fishes, crustaceans, fi.shc:rit1.E1 , bi:-cmnsc the produce of the seine imd the handli.n e i.s snuuI molh1sks, sand- wor1n.s 1n·ogress by tue.«ns of an on well as on th(' eoast of I ndia, and is every where held in the highest esti.mation. Of " tongue !'oles" ( Hym.phurus) 1vH have sever.al fine spec:ies on our const, 0£ which the most common is th <~ "spotted $Ole " (S. gitttafos) , \Ve ha ve :n o ~v come to the gl'Ntt and diver!Sc order which is know1i which is co:11mon alon g- all our eastHn seaboard an d attains a. length as the J>.'Jt·comorph·i, arn:l contain" more thnn half tlw known fi!";he.s of. -0f t wc:nty inches; like all its e011geners it is 11. fine p an-fish . Among the globe, and which rnr..y lm br1wk~t e d with the U ospondyli (herring, the trn~ soles are many of exceptional ex~ell en c>.e; illld, though it is sardine, shatl, saln,on, etc.) and the A.1wca·nlhi11i (<~od, Jing, ha~\ P, <~t.c . ) -somewhat invidious to make cornpa"t'isons, special mention may be made as heing of rnost vn1ne to mankind in genr' ea1. To us in Qn E> ensland .of tho: " narrow- banded sole" (.Aseraggodes rnacle.aya-niM), the " peacock it is pre-eminent over all other groups, for £1-om it arc dr awn the great ~ole '' (Pardachir'll.s he divided in to many groups, the largest· iind nm<>t imp0rtm1 t of even b~' their famous relative of the Dagger Bank. But in addition to which is the Perc.oidea. This has further been hroken up iuto t welve these t her.. , a1·e many others, all of which are doubtless oqua.Uy palatable. seetiom;, tho fi r.st (lf whieh, known 1J.s the Perci.formes, co11taius, as its D uri11g the earlier stagei:i of their existence some of our soles push their name implies, all the true p erc.11-like ft.shes. This section is Yery rich way up rivers for many miles beyond the infl:uence of salt water, and in families, genera, aud species and, ns the following remarks will show, t here, amid i;c~cure surroundings, attain matu rity, prior io dropping is of the highest commercial im portan ce to the St.ate. down to the more congenial clement in whfoh they pass tho :re.i;;t of Conuneucing with the gre11 t family Se·rrani

between the river and the estuary, and attain.s a weight of 6 lb. and four last it is advisable for culinary purposes to c~oose the young fish ()Vel' ;P it has not as yet been recorded from .further north than tho of 15 lb. and under in preference to tho.se of a mOrQ . advanced age. J>ine River; the "golden pe't'ch" (P/.ecb·oplites veight of folly 3 cwt., but la:rge ns these are they are Stead), and though in our rivers it never reacbe.s sueh a size, it is, mero3 dwarfa lmside the Persian G11lf examplH recorded by Dr. George nevertheli>ss, a large and pow<~rfnl fish; it ranges as far north as the Bo1JengRr, which had attained the stupendous size of twelve feet. Tiike, Mary.10 ·1'hc "wirmh" (.Acanth·istius sM-ratus), well kuo\Vn in sou thern the large cods these fish become coarse and unpalatable: wi.th age, but waters, straggles northward at leHst as f.ar a.~ Cape Moreton but, though examples up t.o 30 or 40 lb. arc excellent as I can p ersonally · avouch. claiming a place among the food-fishes, is held in little estimation either Those who only kno"" our gl'oper in its adult state ;u:; a coarse-looking­ here or clsRwhere. Gn~a.t, however, is the diffcrenC',e between it and dirty brown object, "nll head mid stornaeh " as a friend puts it, would its harles; it is reported to be °fm oxcellent table fish, and grows to a length of 42 inches. Next .dlany ot.lwr smaller serranids inhabit our eoasts, but space does in order come the testrieted group to which belong the "rock-cods" not admit of our going more folly into their l1iswry furtlu~.r lhan hy ( 7t:pinepkeitis) and "groupers" (Pt·omicrops), of which abont fifteen saying tbat nearly all of them are worthy of a place on the pan, onJy speC'ies oeeur ii1 our waters. Several of these are found more or ii. very few being of so small a size as to be 11 egligible in that respect'. less c:ommonly in the seas a.nd estuaries of the metropolitan district. One genus, T1u:1·ap0Jt., 1·z however, demands a more extended notiee, because :Phwed in order of abundance these are the "narrov:-bane.l'•mna are sceptical of tllJs weight it may ~ wo~th meo.tlooinK t hu.t the write.r ha.~ its month and g nllet uutil the. fotus bursts its envdopo and beeomGtl a SOllll <\ ~1>E!<•imen, wblcli had t een retrtcvud at the Hamilton Wall, Br isbane River, after an free s-wimming organi.sn1. This habit, which shares w:ith 80me of our ·nnsatistaetocy enoollllt&r witlt R abark 'l'hii; fish was weighed in my presoocc and turned the it fiCll.le 1tt 6 ;1:1. i:i oz., 11otwitl11ltu11dlng that •• 1(1.rge hrr:io h:ul been bllten out of its fla.nk as ------cleanly u.f< if <, p . GS) i;ivcs tl>e name "Queensla.ncl Groper" to tb11 rcrngb-R«al<>d P. 111,fa.,.a but, out or 11 "ouple of ~core of groper~ A11amined in the .shop "If. an cqtial amount of money 1md energy were c.xpendi.d on the conservation and wlrnlows or nnsba.n« and on IJORNI the '' Endenvour," wo w-ere unable to 'letect R .single arttt!.cl~ I prupa.i;;,.tion ot these fiRhe6, RDd th('il" Introduction Into suitable atre:uns, as has been eirnmpk of that Hpocios, all being P. Uince1>Zuta. Axp(lndcd on tho acclimatization of th(I tl'oui, it would be of much greater advantage to the l:ltate. T would earnci;tJy invite the Government to conslder bow beijt to oany out this "Seo Pao~r en th~ Au~trali ao rre~hwaier 2·1t~rapons by Ogllby and M<:Cultoch in the i!IU:gc!tion. <: urr~ut volume of the Memoirs of tho Queensland :.l-1uaeum: lG '.i~he. Cvmmcrciul liisl1es nnd !<'isJ1orlcs oi' Quccnslan

C!E>1:uarine catfishes and with the exotie freshwater C!icMidn, has been deteriorates so rapiclJy after capture that it is a very difficult matter to doveloped independently in each case. H ow it originated we can· only deliver it a.t the market in a satisfactory condition; only by thorough surmise; whe ther from a natural desire to sl1ield its offf>pr.ing from some bleeding and cleaning immf:diatdy after captul'C cnn this he accomplished. threatened peril, by removing the ova from the dangci· zono or, as it is T he tailor i ~ ·also one of 011r best fishes for smoking a.nd ca11ning, and to be feared is more probable and as also would in sorue degree aecount with more up-to- ., should prove to be ouc of the most is demersal. ln his over-anxiety to cornmme as many as possible before valuable comrne!·cial fish~s of our seas.a being driven off by the female, a few may have lodged in the plrnrynx Passing over wit.h brief rwtiee the Rachycr.ntrida?, a family containing and there, assi~ted uy a iwrfoct oxygenation, have l'apidly developed; but one or at mo.st two f>pecies of large edibfo fishes, known as '' e1•a.b­ and so, from tltis original aec~idfmtal propagation, the habit became eaters" or" sergeant-fishes," we come to the la:rge and importaut family conlh·med and no:-mal. of the "trevallies" ( Cut·iJ.ngida!) . 'l'his family is r epresented in our The next. group which demands our attention jg the Sil.l.ag,tnie<:.ies, many of which arc of considerable import­ whiting fuwily ,1~J of which our seas supply scw(~ral ~pec ies, the nwst ance as fooort to Catholic count1'ies. Another well-known gravelly hoLtom, ·whel't\ they obtain a plentiful supply of small mollusks, pehlgie carangid, which, however, seems to be r are on our eoast, is the er 11!'ltll.cc~a11s, worms, and the like. !\ext in importa:nee comes the coi.:unopolitan "pilot-fish " ( Naucra tes (htclm'), whose good offices to the "trumpcle:r. o:r su:rmner whiting" (ff rnu. rnlata), a much .smaller fish, shark in leading him to his prey have been for long age,s a fruitful theme rar.e:ly exceeding th1·ee qnart~r:s of a pound, and ea.sily distin1:,YJ.1isllahle to many wri.ters, whose imagination outdistan<',<'S their regard for verity. by the permanency of. the obliquo bars on the sides; this species rather In the light of. cold reason, however, it 'Nill be found that it follows the affects muddy ground and is, ttH·:refore, more of an estuary fl.sh, but it shnrk, as it also does the sailing ship, in order, so to spci1.k, to feed upon is equally palatable as its larger cousin. Other. spocics are found in the crumbs which £111! from tile strong man's table; in fact, sooner than deeper water; one of tl1ese (S. a·u.ricomis), l'e:t!L'l.1·kable for the hroad miss the chance of a meal it ·will with perfect sangfroid lead its lxmefaet01· golden fringe of its v ertic~a l fins and the dark grnen spots on thB <\hecks to a niec~ly ba.ited hook, c!areless that such action leads to cel'tain 0Ds write t he 11nme of thi ~ 1\•h " l.ai1er"; thl$ can only mean "a fish that one of the most delicio11s of our .foo

and 'Upwards, is of pelagic habits, roaming in .shoals over vast tracts 0£ W.ong our coast at all seasons, but for thn reasons already stated rarely the opon sea ; it is common off our coast in tl1e winter season, and is appe.ars jn our markets; th is magnificent fish gr~ws to an cmormoui1 siZf:, very de.st:ructive t-0 the small.el· surfaee-focding fl.shes, such as pifohards Qne whic.h I saw some yea1~s ago hanging in a well-known Queen-street and sprats. Their eapture could he hest effected in the OJlOn ,sea by sliop measuring well over four feet and turning the scale, so I was assured, means of floating trammel nets, which would also account foi· tm1a, at 80 lb. Another large and ya]uable species, which is abundant alo:ng tmmy, crab-eater, trevally, and other :fishes of si.milar hH.bits. The young our sN1board from Routh to north, is tlrn "king trevally" (C. spf;cio .~·us); fishei;, of two feet imd nndcr, are with us all the year l'Ouncl, and a.re h1 it.s ildult !3tato this is an e>;ceptionally thick and solid fish, of a general ex:c cH~nt rating eiLher fresh or 1>mokcd, but. as the only means of capture sil-rery appeara.nec, and attaining a length of three feet; but i11 the now in vogue is by t.he handline, the supply which reachcfl the publi c~ earlier stages of its growth, wlnm it is better known as the "golden ill prncticaDy .negligible. A second large i:ipec~ie s, the "snm.son-fish" treYa!ly" and "band<~d trevlllly," it is a very bcaatifol object, being of (S. kippos) is also taken in our southern waters, and grows to a weight a shining golden ground-color, tral1Svcrsely barred ·with 11bout twelve of at least. 25 lb., but the remarks as to its capture and pre-sent market alternately wide and narrow jetty bands; tJi.ese gradually fade away value. whieh have jnsit hecn made eoncerning the preceding specie.'!, with inercasi11g age. Om· northern seas also 11old another fine carm1gid, apply NJnally to thi~ . Both these are splendid game fishes, not yielding vnrionsly known as the" pluroed trcvally" Ol.' "silvery ruoontlsh" (Alectis up theil' lives until every ounce of strength and every trick of cunning VluJ;ica). 'J'hi.s fl:ne hat strange-looking species attains 11. lenglh of three, has b('en exhausted. It is greatly to be regretted that hitherto no eluhs ·or even according to Dr. F rnn.c.i.s Day five, foet; as a food-fish it holds have been formc:tl in om seaboard towns for the purpose of exploiting this equal rank with it.s fellows above mentioned. branch of the an gler 'r>° art, ll..'1 has »l reacty been done in several southern One more genus (Tra,chinotns) of hirgfl catangoid fishes ha.s still watering places, which do not enjoy equal facilities for the sport that to be dealt with. Of these·we have four kinds on tho Queensland coast, we do. Surely the attempt to capturi~ these magnificent :6she.s by rod three of which H.re wo1'thy of mention in any article dealing with our and fliw tackle: the matching of bis cunning and resource agaimt that food su p:ply. First comes the "swallowtail" ( T. botla), better known of so noble a rival, should appeal to the instincts of every true .sportsman. down sontb 1113 the "darti> by reason of its cxceedi11g swi£tnes.s. This F.ven as a commorcial proposition the establishment of such a fishery is a hamlsorne silvery fish with a series of six: or seven dull blue "finger woulcl. advantage rn~iny ; it would bring vit-iitors, and incidentally their marks" along the middle of each side. It is pre-eminently a sul'f fish, monf'.y, into our seaside towns; it would l'aise up a superior class of and as .such is a source of keen delight to the sportsman. who freqn<>,nts professional fo:;her.:r.nen, whose bm;incss it would he to bring their patrons

future a use for these interesting if unwelcome pirates, whether by 'l'be next. family which demands our attention contains many fishes salting or otherwise. These fo;hes, at least when adult, arc toot·bless, but: of considerable economie importanec, and is represen~ed in our \\'atcrs they have in their gullet four, two above and two below, eIJormous~y by :fullv a sr.ore of species, all of wltieh are highly ~r1zed for the table, strong movable plates, between· which the stoutc."lt shell is crnshecl in a and m~n v of which gr.ow .to quite a Nmside.nJhle SJ?:e ; these belong to oi;afas), moment. Our third specks is the "suubnosed swallowtail" (1'. ·1' L , . · 1,., or. "sea-p"rche'"' '' nv far. the greater number of t l lP f anu v ·ti .·ian'l.fo•"' . · . v. '" " < • and is by all accounts as good a foo weigltt with an 3,v~!rage of dose on 5 lb.;. th.es~ were caught~:. lm~ on ... ot;; bnt. tho voung fish hns iJ, more remarkable they Supply Hll immense <1. lllOUnt OI food for. larger ni::hcs. 'T'hree species, S(!attt:l'('(I nllm«)I 0 '"1 " · · .' • !. ··' "'" '' ' . . t' , b · g creamv with a pink Hush as to ground color with a however, have to he included among our valuable food-fishes; these al'e· <: ol om .101., e1n. • · . . l the '' epaulette.ifish '' ( Glrm<'osoma scapulare), the ''Rand ba."IS'' ( Psamm-0- broad vertic.al scarlet band depend~mt from tl1e m.i.d1He b1~ of the.dorsa perca waigie,-n.si.s), aud the "palmer" (Lates calcarifrw). The first is a fiu. from the apex of this baud ert~nd two siIIlilar but obliquely directed well-known and highly appreciated southern sea fl.sh, frequenting rockJ' lu;ate bands, the one through the eye to the tip of the snout'. t he o~,hm· reefs at moderate depths, growing to a le11gth of two feet and a weight to that o:f the low0.r caudal lobe; these colors bee.ome greatly mtenr;1fied of 6 lb., and is 1mclenfobly one of the most deli::!ious :fi.sbes of oul' seas.'~ 2.fter d~~ath, the ground color changing to a rich <:her~y red, the liar:ds Its range, however, so f.a.r a'!l is at present known is somewhat limited, to imp~~riaJ purple. These markings form n. very fa1r representation · · ., d .. I"'""' hence the designation• • o.i:P. " govermnent '01·e"n1".... being eonftned to the strip of eo;:.1-1t lying between the fropic of Capricorn 0 f (HOU a a '·""' - 17 and the northern waters of ~ew South VfaleN, in which State it goes .applied to it by our northern sportsmen. .The . bands, how~Yve:r, ~re by the name ox "pearl perch," with a bathymetdc r·a.ngl' to about lost comparatively ea.rly in life. Another wEill-ko.oi,n.i sou~hern sea-perch 35 fathoms. The sana bass i<> found along ou r entire coastl.ine from is the "hussar" (L. ama.bi"l!is), a handsome fish, ro.Se-prnk above and north to south; it Hlso is a sea :fish, hut prefers sllv.llow sandy bays silvery below, witii a broad greenish yellow ban<~ a10~1g tb~ mid~le o~ ~~e ~nOUr" w c.Ttt on tbe 16tb and i-nh of July, 1910, when 17G were ta1'P.n off. Wolf Rede (1\2) and on the .Jew Shoal (04) with an a'l'el"3);C weight found occa.;;ionally on the outer banks off -:\for(lton nay and down mto ,,r 2',-!. lb. Nei~' South Wales; it attn.ins a large sb:c, but the young fish is unknown '" 'l'ne name "bnrraroundl," which is ortan i~pplied to tltis ftsb, s1>ems to have been among th~ Queensland >tb•>rii.;lllns a sort of ~cncral te1·10 ompJoye1l to dc$lgnaf.e ,tny large - 1: :\fr. .Sa.vne K<;nt (Oreat Darrier Reef. p. 281) ·~lv\1!'l yet ano~ho~ ait~~~ative name fl'.r eclible ri'l'Cr fish, Huch aa Lbl! i>n lnier, the lung-f\sb, an1l our nob'le f~A:;-.hwater i~ospondyl, ·the mctropoliian dlP.trilit, a~ tollows-" queen-ftsh, • -, but I h ave S<;lc1·ovage~ le-i(:h(trc/ti, to which 111ttei· by common con~ent tbe nil.U\8 ls now restrh:ted. failed w nod anyone who recognized the king snapper by that cognomen. 23 22 Tile Conunercinl Fishes a.nd Fjsherics oi Queensland. Tl!c Comn11 ~ relal l:'i ~h es ap.d l:'ishel'ies of Qucensla.nd. and its life -history wants clearing np. i.s Both in our bays and on the This brings us to the Leiogn-0,thidr:e, a family consisting of. the offshore reefs we find a handsome red .fish with a lilrge oval dark-brown "poiiy-'fish e.s " and the " silvcrbdlies." The f~nncr nre mostly small 10 blotch on each side; this is the "Mose.s Perch " ( L. f"l.M.s6llii) ; it them grow to ei•0tht or ten inches, hut tis th~y are fi "h es, b u t Some Of · · l"bl grows to about 4 lb. and like its congeners is excellent eating. Among . d ti'ck a d rnav be eauuht by the trawl-net m almost mere<1 e ac.ep an ,!Ll ' 11 • e • the oth'e may note the "blue " shoi·t silverbclly" (Xy 11trom.ct abbrevia:him.), the "thrcadfm s1lverhelly and gold £usilfor" (Grot>•io crbelly" ( ~· dat·n.l cy e.n.~ e) , gl'O\~ to chrysoz01ia), the '' pnradisc fish '' ( Pe·ntaprt-s seto.m.. s), etc., all good pau­ a con si.dcrable size and are very delieate eating, \Vhi.le. even our little :fisl1es; but these arH never likely to be articles 0£ general consumption, southern X. ovatmn, the: "si.lverbelly" par excell~nc c, is .a mo~ tasty for, in. my oxperie11cc, your Queen.slander .likel! his :fish-fa.re in bulk. Three inorsel and those who make a banl of them would be Ill-ach-1scd to species, however, doroand a more special inquiry because, with th( ~ advent reject 'them with scorn l.1eca.uBe 0£ their. small 857.e. o.£ trnwling, the markBt is likely to bo well supplied with them at certain Oiw next family, the "Quecn.c;laniOS1tS ), an. excellent t.able .fi'lh; wh1~h grows o.ff tho cmast of ~fiddle Queensland between the Percy Islands and Bowen, to a lcno'f.h of fi fteen inches, and contrasts strongly w1t.h its larger and beyond which the " Endeavour" did not go. Within this are.a the more h~ndsom.c relative the "golden·spott.c.d sweetlips" (S. 2'ir~i1s) , produce o.f two hauls was 367 off. Pine Peak and 305 off Cape Gloucester half a do:r.en of which niake 1111 imposing show when h11:°g up m a in 25 to 36 fathoms. F rom the numbers taken in the latter h::iul, our shop-w1ncJow, but are regarded i:is slrnh indifferent eat.mg hr ~ur most northerly station, it may be surmised that the species is Wl~ll "ichthyoTJhagi" as to be almost \1nsa.leablc; however, ro a11 y and varwd . )}·' tes of "sn·1p.,..,er '' served up at our l'e sta.Ul~ants, nud ta.sty represented to some distance beyond the locality indicated. The third are tl. 1e l i-.. . • • ' . "" · • · , , spceies, a sparid, which we chr istened the "yellowtip " (Dentex spari­ saucc.. been beautifully figureol by Mr. A !la.rt~. McOulloch, us a!Ro hns tbe- size, speeimeiis having been rccordml cf ove.l' JOO lb. weight imd over hui>fiu" •n \'nl. ll of the lo>nklog or the '.' samson l\F.h," remarked that be knew all about Samson-·- " C'.OV~ who killE:d ' Gc1iatb. wltlL the Jawbone or 2::1.n al\lt-t. u •• llla<:h haul was atrictly CQn1\neer·c·11·.tt · "c-TOVJS •t·o r-i length·· · of the!:le fi.sh.Qs pn::;h up our r i vm·s far beyond the i.nO.uence 0£ the tide, in tlrl'e<' fret and H weight of 20 lb. and, because of ~t.s c-gc.eeding e.:>:cellellce . c·a'ul" n"..,11 i·s · .-. of tb\! i•r eatcst. l>rizes to which ;,he srn1ppaer looks pursuit o:f. the schools of :r.1ullet, small ln:Hani, herrin gs, and t.he like. <'\.<.; a " . .. _, . 011 - '"' . .An otl1 ~i· large Rl)cdes, the "northern jc\Yfoih" (S. alb·i<.l in a similar mann1~r . 01/ie1·, hut smaller, hour and a-half's drift off Lady Rlliot Islm1cJ , having an a:vera.ge weight specie ~ o:\C:Ul' in om· eastc1·n .r·iver s, but mueh st.ill remains to bo learnt ol' 4 ::1~ lb. .Au even larger and oqwtl.l.y heauti.ful spc<:.ies (L . ne.b1.ilosus) of their hnhits and economy. Tlrn "little ,it\w:llr:;h" o.f tho riYerf; which is ni:fortunately so sc a.1·cc with us dO\·f.n stiut.h t.hat it does :n o~ n~pe::i. r to flow info Moreton Bay, generally kno1vn ais the "perch," is 1mppo.;;ed have eYP r lrnd a .e:n which I saw Of the "goatfishe.s )' (Jfull-ida-: ), to which tl1e .famous "red mullet" were c.,'1.ught. iit different ti.mes on thu Capo }(oreton gtoundl'I and, as the of the :.\Iccliterranean and Bdtish seas bel ongs/~ about half a dozen fish wa.-; cmit.e u.nknown t.o me, I made in. c.aeh case str enuous efforts _to spooie!'l of cdibk size ar e found in our waters from sou th to 1101·th. obtain by·e:s. changc the example for the Museum, but t-0 the eternal chs­ Among these may lw meutioned the "red goatfish " (Upe1uiichthys grac:(• of nrisba:n ~~ sportsmen, of a sort, I found i11 every inst an ce that 21 1>orosus), whieh is fairly corrnnon in deep water off our south<~rn coast, t l1 e claims of gastronomy far outweighed those of sc!ien ~e. Jn the 41 ha.Ying been taken in a hnu l off Cape :.Horeton in 51 . .fathoms and 13hallower waters 0£ onr hays two other l'!maller spN:ies are fa.n:ly common. 15 off' Double Tsland P oint in ;53. The sontheru " black-spot goat:fi.sh '' These a re the " warrior" ( L. glyphodon) and t.he "la.neer" ( L · nema­ ( Upenew1 signat·us) ah;o 1·angc~s as far north as the latter statiou, \'\'here tacanth-1is). Both these fishes grow to abont si~tm~n .. inches long, 10 wcl'e trawled ; t.hin inche.s and are infi11itely snperior as t ablt~ fishes to the 01·dm.acy breams. with n weight o.f 8 lb., and i.:; a delicious table fo;h. The ".freckled i·l1 Str~ngel \' fnongll not a srng· l e sp<:.e1men· o f . e formC'l'· w' as ta.ken by• the· goat.fish " ( Upe.ne oide.s trayu,la) and the "golden-striped goat:lish" " Endca~onr " during her six weeks ' operations 011 the Quee~ sland (Mul7.oicks aurijla.riwna) oc~e nr. everywhere along onr shores and reach coast. but the latter were moderately p lnnti.ful, the bnl'.!t haul t.otting u p a length o:r. £omtl3en inches, whil.o further. iwrth two hl:l~mti fol sp ecies, at 49. in TI<~rvcy Bay at a depth of 9 fathoms. At least three other large the "bhick-:,:;tripe goat.fish" (VJ>Mtcns barbori·1ms) aud the "bar-tailed (U11enevid13.s vittafo.~). ~mpp1y the phwes of our more southerly goatfish." .,. 'l'h' · 'denL recall• ro mllld tbnt ot thft •J>OJ't.,,11aD. (~-i-0) who, h a.vin~ by S-Ome extra- 15 rnc• . . f th rare nn . on betng plead d l' d th ~ 't lo lrnd The next family with which we have to deal ar e the u emperor · 1 f h e Aontcur :r"l•herrnen's A Hsociatl<>ll, rep te n .. 1 o · t1111qu11 n trophy to m e 1' t1•et.11u o t • . ,, . h 1 knt•w tbls iient1cma11•s name, fur brea.ms" (L ethrinid<.e ). Of two of these the "paradise fish " a.nd the "too good to "at but tbey ro i g~t bave t~e w1ugi1. .1 w1s . . "tho me;,.uest angler on 1 v1ould have much ph>iLSure m plllor;v1ng bloo betore _posterity ~s . ' I bn e ho ot th" by Lak!t Ma cqu11:rte. . 1 " r .. figure ot tJi l• supei·h nab h< ono ot <•ur· i.;reat~st 1les1dcr11t1" Anywa~. . 1> '"A frie11d writu~ took one Hue lu whi; should, I imagine, be neQrly the record weight f.o r a line·(:::t.lli;ht jew. w ill read thi;; and know "11:bat sportsmen and HClODt t~I.>< al1 "· ID n 2 *'rhi a red mullet ( i'tfu.aus 1>arbat1ts l is the fi"h for which, in the luxury-steeJied lntter .,, T h· ·e ch . leued t bi~ fint' ~pecics the ndjutant, bccaui;c tbe only gen.tlcID <>n or tbat. day$ or llie Roxnan .IJ:m]li re, Cabuh>US price>< wer e given; not unco111rnon ly the price <>f tho •n . n • t ·seworthy poi;terlor rank '°'itb whom f W~S COllnt';e, llad a DlO~ priu . · fish was n .'<"leoned :i.l ii..~ w<>ii;ht in elln >r , and on tbe tX"<.:a~lon o! a .~J>£cia l hanquet Jt h relate:..Cf'J>tionaliy large example a 8\lm equivalent to about £250 of our mon.ey. Stt

.species-the "admiral" (L. reticulatus) , the "adjutant " 2G ( T:t. lu.erna­ The tarwhinc is not nearly so cornmon as its congener the bream, '. and Kent's "pig-faced bream" (L. '! )-a.re c:o1mnon top tr:ru.~) rostm,tus from which it may easily he distinguished by its rounder ano stce1lel" fron:t the Percy Islands :northward and are eqnally valued fo't' the table head and by tJ1e nu:rnc1:ous narr.ow golden body-ba.nds, which r nn parallel as 1n·c our southern forms. to its dorsal cu rvature. It i.s in fact more of a tropi ~- ·Sarba) , arc eoin.rnon in the 1net1:op0Jitan distriet. Of the me, is Bustard H ead Reef where a sing:lc <~xample WH !'.! seeured. forme~ 1t IS J.rnrdly nccer;sary to st.ate that it is one 0£ the he~t known The "snapper " ( Pagt"US aumtt1,s) is universally acla:i.owledgecl as a~? hi gb~y. valur.d food an~I g~1e fishes of our waters. Though the usual the premier game fish 0£ thr: southen1 division of the State, b,1t I hope to ~¥o~~ht o~ tl~ose taken by hne ii; less than 3 Jb. occasionally giaM,;; of the st:e the day, and that before very long, ·when the tuna and the kingfish ace at.tam ~o double that amount; thPse over"'t'Own mons+cr'" a·a. , f· t' , ~ " · " 1u.e1. rom will dislodge it from this proud position. T he snapp<:r is so well known ·~<~ gcne1.'1u. rnn of their brethren by their more slender build, bnt other- to all who dwell within reach 0£ the sea that it almost seems superfluous 'H:;e the.re 1s uo structul'al charadcr hy wh.icl1 they can be cJiffere.t1tiafod. to enlarge upon its virtues. Large <':.X.amples sometimes attain a weight Thcfi:e foh~::i ar c hut rarely captured on the outside ground, their faYorite of as mueh as 36 lb., bnt these arc ral'c, and the ordinary nrnrket r ate l~an_nts bemg th~ shel~ered bays aud estuaries, with which our coast is does not average more than 5 or fl lb. As food tlto snapper is o.f fair ~o hbunll.v trov1ded; 1ll thes<; it ~ s taken in snch li>l'ge numbers by seine quality, and in the squire st.age, of from 1 to :3 lh., is \'P.l\V pleasant and hook tnat the market p:rice rn rarely prohibitive and, being a well­ e1Jting, though not to be eomparcrcial Fis.bes a1ul ffolieries ol Qne.1:1nslanil. TJ1c Commercial Fislies nud F rsJ1eries of QueensJa.11d. 2!):

a heavy penalty for every snapper in the red bream stage which they flavor peculiarly it.H own. Tlw diamond-fi.Hh swarm8 about ·wharves­ d estroy, y1lt with unparalleled audacity boal~ pass up the rivet· every aud piers, and also quil!kly finds out a. vessel Anchored iI! the Bay. In Sunday afternoon •vith .sco1-es of these undcrsi7..ed fishes hill'.lging· t-0 the tltc latter case, being unsophisticated, they may be caugl1t hy the. J'igging. Since iu the undermanned state of the Fisheries Office it is dozw, hut the pierbcad ones are altogether a different proposition, and impossible to deal effieaciou:.-ily with this evil, I would i; uggest that a it is a. mere waste of time to attempt to capture such wily imps: what. N\l1-pri.se purty in the sh&pe of a police patrol boat be stationed occa­ t.hnv do-n 't kuow ahout a baite1l hook tSll 't wort.h knowing! The second sionally at some suitable point 011 the river, witl1 authority to stop· all an 1i third a.re the "sweep" ( CLril y bo at with black; it is q u.ite possihle that in the near future, when our trawler a grenter distan ce from the base, ii is imp est haul.s macle, all No essay on (~uecns la.nd 1''ishcs would be complete without some the fish canght being delivered on the wlrn.rf' in splendid eondition after sevt~ra.l aJ1d ffrc exeeevimming in m.id­ indeed credit it with indnlging iu flying shot~ which, t.J.J.ey HsHert., are d ischarw~ d ·with rem.a.rlrn.hle precision. water, and ·with. only a few ounces differenee jn weight between t he lo.!'gr.st and the smaller,;t. There i::; 110 reasol). to doubt tJ1nt theso ThH earliest account of this re1nark11bl.e habit, with vd1i:~h I am schooling smi.ppcrs might be caught in immense numbers by mcam1 of conversant, was pubfo1hcd hy Dr. Sc.blosscr in 1764, from observations deeply sunk trammel nets. It is evident, thcrd:orn, that there is still m.ade by Herr Hommc~l, at that time Gover.nor of the Dutch llHlios, on no lilck i::i fish and that. with properly equipped hoafa and up-to-date specimens kept in captivity at Batnviu.. (See Philosophical 'I'ransa:;tions, appliance!:-! there i!:l plenty of money to ho made by :fiHhing in these abridged edition, vol. xii, 1809, pp. lJO & 321.) waters, fo1· there is splendid snapper ground, at the ofl'sho1·c distance :and depth i.udicat.<>d: .all the way from the Byron Bay oft1ng northward The Drummers ( 1\yphosirllar.d. 'l'be Commerdal :Fislles and J'.lshcries oi Qnet-nslnnd. 31 ·--·- -·- --

as mollusks 1md c rusta ce~ms, which it consumes along with its normal a singl<~ species only, the " moonfish" (D1·e,vane vun<;tata): a nortborn vcgetari an diet; the mo.st fruitful means of captur e is, therefore, the fish which, however, wanders soutlnvard occasionally into our home trammel net, and if that were in more common use here, it would ppo tted h 11t1.erfish" (Scatoplu1g1ts argu.s), a a ha1Jdsom.e fl.sh, easily separable from any of its congeners by tho handsome golden-brown fello·w profoscly spotted with rich chP..\ltnut­ {,'Te/Jt. height of its so.ft dorsal fin; it gr ows to the sam.e size as its browu. and the ''striped butter.fish'' ( 8. rn-1..il/:ifa sciattis) , a silvery ftsh sonthE:rn rep:·<~sentativo , and is as highly pri z<~-d for its gastronomic vcrt ici~Hy barred with . bhwk on the upper part of the body and qualities as the other i.s despised. horizontally band<::d on the lower part. Both grow to a le11gth of about A. elosdy alli.cd family, the "bJackfishes " ( Girellid«.e). , comes next eighteen inches, and are said to be good eating. in seq ucnr.c. 1'wo spcc i<~s, the "blackfish" ( OirnUa triouspidata) and. The uext family wi.th wh i.ch we have to deal contains the ''angel­ the "ludriek" ((J. simpl~:r), 2'; occur 011 1111 parts of. onr southern co~t fishes" and their allies ( Clu.elodontidce). 'l'he8e exquisite creatures, whert~ r:oek>l jut out into the ocean.. 'l'hese fishes a.re herbivorous, but which have been aptly termed the " butterflies o.f the sea," are \vell may be eaught \~ith rod nnd line by baiting with the sumll green rcpr<:sented on our shores by some 35 sp0-cies. Most of these are too <:onfervoid, whi<:h grows abundautly up to high water nmrk on pierhcads small to have auy food-valt1c, but a. few attain a size ·which entitles and similar phwes; taken thus they will prove themselves to he splondid tlicm to inclusion in the edible category. It 8ihould be rernerohercd that g ame fisher;, williug and eagl~r to fight for their liberty to the lmst gasp. these :fi!ihcs if short 11re deep, so that t he mP-re le11gth 0£ a specie..l:lwg macro"lepidotii.s), both of which reach a. length of twelve seen ·w11 s eaptured at Cape ::vroreton and measu:r.ca twenty-eight inches, inehe~ and ii.re good pan-fishes. T wo also of our angd-fishes, the h tlt thi~ i.:,; 11. very unusual size. " six-striped" and the " imperial " (H olacantlms se:r-skiat1is an d H. imptWIJ,t oi-), attain to twenty and .sixteen inches re~pectivdy, are thick We ni.>w com~1 t o thr.ee .small and eloscly related families, which aml ht-iwy, and ar~) reputed to be of cxcdlent flavor. All four ar·r, t aken togetl1er pr.ovide us with several excellent talile fish0-s. T hese are the ' 'batfishe.s ' ' ( Ephippid<.B) , ''moonfis hes'' ( Drepa·nid<8), a.nd '' l>utter.­ £.~hes of the eoar.fish" (Zandislins elcw,tus) ranges far enough OJ•DOrtumL''"' for cb~rv atio n derun.nd t!J.at hi& opluion M treated with the groo.te6i; roor>ect. north to rrn•rit inclusion in ou:r fauna. It grows to at lea.ropr ic•tor what they were. " Oh,'' said ho " those are Englltwith- 1>~nod lug.. Bt.•lug anxious to try what was to me, In a culiuar,- eense, a new fl~h, I nhule my "\Ve havo now come to the end of tho pcreiform porcoids which, oun'alne Jor th.ctr money. unless my pen has beeu of no value, I have shown to be of the highest 32 'i'lie Commercial l:'ishes and Fisheries of Queensland. 'l'lle Co!lunerehll .Fislles 11n1l }'jshel'ies (jf (~u consland. 33 importance to the :fishery 1·esou:rces of the State, and we have u ow to mentioned here; these genera are Pseu<.lol.abr-tM, H6tnigym-n.u.s, Gh eilio, deal with eleven other percoid<-:an gr oups, most of \vhich, ho.:vcv!~r, may and Goris. 'l''l"l'O rHpnisentativ~i..'l 0 £ the :fi rst are found in OUt' so11thern be iguor1d, becauso they contribute Htt l<~ or nothing to the fo0d supplies: waters, one 0£ which, the "crimson-ban ded rainbow-fish" (P. yymno­ of tht1 e:mmnun ity. Of these the cirrhiti.forro percoierved :reputation which when ·adult niay e~isily be recognised by the broad curnso11 band among the food-fisht>s of tho.~ chillier s1-u1s. t'nfortunately for us they which ruris ;s.eross the hinder. haH of t.hc bndy, and whcu youngnr by only touch t.he soutl1er.11 borderland of onr territor.v, where three i>peei(\s, the numerous white spot ~ with which it iis everywhere adorned. Two the " cm rp" 2 ~ (Ohe1:ludacty l·u.~ fusciis), the "zebra-fish " ( 0. ·11 e.~tit11s ), and species of H1Ymigy·mn·11,S, the " b1mded thieklip" (JI. .fascia.tu~ ) and the the "kelp.G.sh" ( Chirone1rn1.s 11uw1rw1·alus) .. are found not unc:oinluonl)7 " black-eyed thicklip" ('fl. nwlaptM·us ), inhabit the madrepore r eefs of wherever weed-eovcred i·ocks fringe our shores. All throe art~ good our northern seas, where they grnw to a large size and are said to be food-&hes, but tlie :G.rst-mcnt.ioncd can be rec01umen dcd a.."! an c.x<:eption­ of cxecllent quality fo:r tl1e table. 'l'he third gcu u.ri;. of U1e eaptutP. of " morwm1g" in Queen"land waters. but the :fi;;b gropers ( ..tichmrncl .us gmil.dli and A. 'badi11s) ; the former att.a.ins a length wroni;tully reCcrred to by that ua.rne is a species or "swootlips" (Pl

"This nawe is most un$ultahle, but Is the rer.ognized ve~n a,cular among anglers , fisb­ smaller; botl1 :frnquent ~oeky gronnd and subsist nrostly on mollusks !<:l.le1ur.tm, and their fratern ity. It bas ot course a.bi

sl1ould he a.voided as coarse. The last labroid group with whieh we .(lemoiselles, the rainbows of the reef, by quaint boxfishes and golden need concern our.sdvcs are the "tusk.fishes" (Chmrodon). These arc ;ingels, the butterflies of Keptune.,' and amid all this scene of riotous well reprd>O!lted on our coast, the hcst-kuown species being the '' r.oscate and exuberant life, 1'\ature's moving pictures, a score or more of five­ tuskflsh" ( C. vcnust·us), vulgarly known as the "blue par.rot" and poundel' harlequins, the sunlight fhi.shing back from their shining livery, om~ of the most beautiful fishes of our seas; when first taken from the no two of them exactly alike, as they darted hither and thither in wnter the whole fish glows with an exquisite rosy shec•n profusely insti1wtive dread of the menacing shadow or man, which had so suddenly ornamented with small sky-blue spots, so that it is .f1~Uy wortJ1y of its 11ppe.a1·ed to m;i.r the peaceful geene. But "cookie" had to be served specific name; the colors, howflver, are evanescent, quickly disappearing a.nd without a moment's hesitation four of us plunged in medias balneas 1J!ter death. 'l'his .species g1·ow~ to a weight cf 16 lb. and over, and a1·rncd with whatever weapon of desti.•uction lay nearest to hand; thcm i.s Nlrn!non 011 the olrshorH reefs and rocky shores from the northern begirn a spfrited chase in which th<~ ingenuity of the man was matehed distrfots o±' I\ew Sonth "'Wales :i.t lea::lt a.s far ai:; ).!or-vVc.st Islet, beyond· agaimit the eunning of the fish, and T am fain to confess that on the wl1ic-h h was not found by the ".Endeavour"; its range is~ therefore, whole the latter won, for when the tide rose so high :1.s to compel us eotermincus with that of the "c~paulette-flsh." Bverywhere it is to 1h~ist after a couple of hom·s' strenuous exertion, we had only <:onsidcre<1 to he a. most desirable tahfo fish, and rm.my Brisbane gonrrncts hag::;ed :four; but all things have their compeusations, aud p€rhaps greatly pn:for t.1.e fic,vor of a hhrn parrot to that of a snapper or. cod. the Yery difficulties whic:h we expei·ienccd in capturing thti qnartette Several oti1er large tuskflshes, all of g1·eat economfo importance, are n:wc.le us appreciate them more when we met them again that nig·ht found in our rwrtheru waters, among which may b<: mentio11ed the at dinner. "yellow-finned tusk.fish" ( C. loyed numbers might be for the fi.-;}\es of this family, has bee11 devised to call atte:ation to an taken at that season. In onr northern wnters a iwcond species of true extraordinary divergence from the normal type of the pcrcoidean ventral mackerel (S. ? kamaf]urta) occurs, but neither it nor onr southern fin, whieh is £o1•med of a spinous followed by five soft rays, whereas species ar.e over likely to be of more than local value. in these fishes it consists of three soft rays prc::eded :ind succeeded hy a .strona: spine, while furthermore the three anal 8pines, which are It is, therefore, wit.h pleasure that we leave the!le "small fry" normally present, arc: increased to seven. 'l''hc most common species and pass on to the discussion of those two magnificent food and game iu :;\foreton Bay is the "i-;pcekled spinefoot." (Siganus conBolwinus), fishes, the "great st.riped tuna" (Bcomberomorus corrnnersoni) and the which attains a length of about ten inches and is an exct~cdingly well­ "great spotted tuna" (S. gnttatus). Whether fresh or smoked these fiavored little :fish. Another spec:ies found all along our coast, and mackerels take a £oremo8t place among our ndibh: fhihes and, in fact, straggling southward into )kw South WRles waters, is th1i "variegated arc in the writer's estimation ineomparahJy the most delicious of all spinefoot" (H. javw1), a larger and i-;tonter fish than the preceding, the fishes which swim our seas. They vjsit our offshore waters during while several others swarm in our northern seas, hut while these fishes the winte:r months in schools of imnwnse magnitude, and 11.r(: <~aught are everywhere eaten and so command a ready sale at a price, they arc in large numbers by line from moving boats. 'l'hese · a.r~~ sent to the Brisbane market, but are all shipped south, so tlmt we, in whose waters nowhere included among the ehoice varieties. they are captured, have but rarely an opportuuity of pureha8ing a The next family to whieh I have to call atkntion is the .Acanthuridre pound or two of this splendid food.fish, and then only at a.n exorbitant or "surgeon-fishes." Like the preced.ing the members of this group 30 pdce. The striped tuna grows to a length of five 01· six feel with a are mostly herbivorous and hail principally from intcrtropical seas, but

••The \niter Jms seen hundred" of. these fi~hes, each or rrom three to ttve feel i '' l<>ngth they am readily distinguishable from the spinefeet by the armature and rrom 5 to 30 lb. in wo;ght, beap()d at one time o<\ tl.te lloor of the eolt.il shops ot of the tail, which in one form or another is present in· a.11 the species, Br!abane, In no ~ingle in•t;int~e 1litl he see one <''r>os~d for ;;-.o.le. lo the intcrc.~ts or the :and is S.ys or war and drought, at least a portion or thi:1- ma.gnificent bt,r\tagc of wholesome i1.nf onoceros), food may be col!scr1·~<1 for ou1· own use. and retailed at such a llriee that it will ))e wilhin grow to a large size, but they arc not sought after as food, and so lhe read\ of the humblest home. H It be 1>l'•.cl.ieal>le rnii:ht I 8Uggest that, until rnore permanent mea-.ures <:an be t11,ken, tht' Oovernment -.Jwuld hil'e a fle"t ot sea-going u:otor need not greatly concern us here. One large species, however, the boats tor next winter's fishery for, like Lile •motile.- mackcrols or tbe homel•.nd, these nshes a.-e t>Lken hy tl'o!Hng from a moving IH>:t.t., though lloating trawmel 11et8 (such as ar·e usecI weird-looking "unicorn-:fish" (A. unicornis), o<~casionally finds its way 1·011nd the Tlritish coasts for the C:t.J.>ture ot fi-.hcs or slinlla1· habits-macker~I,, herrings, southward to Moreton Bay; this species is provi(,fod with a long bony pllchal'dH, etc.), of suitable mesh, might be worth a trial. Tbe$e l)o:.1t~ should be di.;trll>uted at ~uitable phtC8>$ c::onvcniont to a railway along ou1· coastline from tile Tweed Ikads to protuberance extending forward from the forehead above the snout, Noosa; placed in the cba.rge of reliable men Liley 8hould be able to supply the Sli<.te fisf\­ $}toJ);; wiU1 thousands of pounda' weight of valuabl~ and delicious rool1cs and Fislrel'fcs of Qut1c11slltnd. 39

.Among the gobioid fishes, most 0£ which are small marine species, Closely allied to the scorpion"fishes are the "gurnards" ('i.'r·igiid,(e), we have a freshwater form, the ''great northern gudgeon'' ( Etwtr·i.s which come next in zoologi«al sequence. 'l'hesc iishcs are wl'Il repre­ crcscMt:s), which grows to a length of sixb~en fochcs and a weight of sented on the Queensland coast, but our spec:ie!-1 mostly hdong to the between 2 and 3 lb. and ill l'wid to be excellent eating. genera .Tiepidotrigln awl Farutrigla, the '' butterfly-gurrnmls,'' the We have now to enter into the discussion of the im:por.tant sub. members of which are usually of small size. However 1.hey a.tone £or order Scorpmnoidea, which eontains such diverse forms as tho "coral their ([cficiency in bulk by their superabundance in individuals, fo1· they cods," "for.tescu<:s," "firefishes," etc. (Sco~·pamiclm), the "gnrrrnrds" simply swal'm on the l':ea-bot.tom at a moderate depth cve:rywhere along (Ti·igl~drt!), the "st~~o-fi.shes" (Synanceiidm), the "Jlatheads" (Platy­ our. southern aud middh~ seahN1rd, a.s f;1,r as the '' ~nde:wour 's'' ?ephalidce), and the: flyrng gurnarc1s" ((kph ala<:a·nthidm), a.ll of which tr;1wling operations were carried ori. For i.nstancc one spf:del';, the m a greater or less degree add their quota to our food. supplv. Our beautiful "red-spot buttetfiy-gurnard" (£. argu;;), wa.8 taken at no coastal w'.1ters. ~re rie:h in representatives of this- group, a~ with hearty goodwill. of negligible value

nnd pebbles, where it seoops out for it.. eli a cosy 1wst, in which it li~s 11JJntaiophthal-m11s ); thi'l ha.nsisome species, easily recognhm.ble from its t>erd11, it':I bocly agreeing so well wit..h its 01n•ronndings that, nnless allies by the long fringed filament above each eye, delights in haunting it were to move, which whc11 danger· threate1is it takes very good c11r e the sandy margins of a weed-cffrerf!d rocky shore or patches of sand not to do. no human eye could ilcteet its presence. Tn the scaond p lace it implanted amid similar surroundings; lilce the prec~ling it grows to a is an u11consrio11ably lazy beast, only leaving jts lair when stern necessity length of eighteen inches and is fln excellent food-fish. Several other demands. 'J'hirdly, mid here the cunning which has p rovided it with spe<.'.ic.s are fou11d in decpe1· m1ter outside, n.rnong wl1ir.h lll(JY be mentjoned the loose bagginess of its fins eonie.s into evicie11ce, on each 0£ its sharp the blue-spotted flathead (1'. bassensis) and a lal'ge rufous species which but sle11de1· do1·sal spin f's, about midway between the hase and upex, J have not a.s yt~t had irn opportunity of ex)nnining, this being another of tl.1e e: ul'iou!'I iuquil.'er will fo1d a small eire:ulin sac, which is fi ll ed with those fishes which appeals too strongly lo the stonuwh of its captor to a vir·uknt poi11on. Thn.s fully f)qnippcd the stonnfish Hes quietly with, give science 11 chance, and which may provisionally he called the '' reef ·we m11y stippose, a demoniac grin 011 its faec, waiting for the unwary flatheacl" because so far I have o.Jlly known it to be taken on the snapper and nftked .foot o.f t!w fislwrman or bather. When this is sAen df:scending grounds off .Ho1·eton Bay ; it is an uncommon form with ns, and pos!'libly the flsh erects its rn (mark tho ntuubc!r) C'uvenomed spint>s which, ~ay he one of the southern f.1at.head~ with which T am umwc111ainted. piercing t.hc sole of the foot, discharge by pressure the~ diiiitilled poison }11 urther north qnite a number of di:ffer.e:nt species arc found. flt variou!'l into the ,·vo unds, causing cxcrneia.ting agony; nor is this the full c.l'.tfmt .tst these of the clamagr: done, for the slender tips of the spines invari.ii.bly breflk fiahes may be~ relied npon to suppl~- 11. fair p roportion o.f our edible off. and r·em11.in imbeddecl in the wound, whernw they have to bn removed traw I-fish cs. by the !;llrgeon 's knifo. When J'O(~ky ground is not a.v;i.ila.ble the fish The last .sderoparian family is the " ilyi.lig gurnard:s" ( qephala.oa11.­ rnHk~'S shift with weed;;, among wliich it lies comfortably blw, and beautifully figured t:10 less th e preceding species. Our third form is tho " roek flathead" { tluln six, the r~!!lt.-; being published In " Binlogtcal lW.Sult.~ ot the F.udf.avour E.'

The.'>e fishes are unique in having the first, or spi.uons, dorsal fin modified The last onfor wiLh which we have to deal is the PlectognathiJ which to form a lamellated sucking disk sitlrnted on the nppel' snrfaec of thu contains among others the edible "file:f.\shes" (Balistcs) and " leather­ head, eaeh lamella being formed of a single spine split lengthwise and jackets" (iftlonaca-nth-iis, etc.), the poisonous "toad.fishes" (Tetraodon, bent laterally to r ight and left. By means o.f this disk th('Y are able t.:> etc.) .. the mail-clad " ho.:d:ishes" (Ost-racion), and the spiny" poreupinc­ attaeh themselves to any fo reign object, such as the bottom of a ship, fis he~" ( Diodon) . While the last three may be omitted from our a whale, shark, or turtle, and thus, ·without exertion on their pilrt, be consideration, the two first demand a little space at their disposal. or fran.sporteit ~r '' ( ('. ayrr.mdi) 1 thHir sucker they fasten a light b nt strong c.ora round tl1e skndcrer-t which rcspeetivdy grow to a length of sixteeu and t wl:nty indrns. To pm·t of its Lail. When going out tlll'tlc-fishing they fh·st attn.ch their p1·epar.e these for tbe table: they should li.rst be skinned, an. f:a.sy snckcl' to 1he bottom o.f the canoe, wl1ere it remains <1uie-Rcent un~il operation, for if you take a p;iir 0£ sharp-pointod sc.i ~"'ors and ~li t the required. 'l'he hunters, having located a flon.tiug turtle, approach ns slrin from belly to back immediately hchind tJ1~ pectoral flns, you will 1war as is possible 'v1thout distt1rbing their quar l.'y; then, detaching the find that. it will c,~me off in one piece likf~ u tis.<>ne-paper glove, 11ext !:;fLCk('!' from the canoe, they fting it in the direction of tli.e tur tle, to cut off tlrn head and Dus, clean, and plw1ge into boiling ~rater for two which more congenial host it immediately 11.ttac:lws itself. It is then or tln•ec-not more-minutes, according to si.7.e, arnl :finally fry in n me«e matter of cautious handling, for I am c1·ept the baekbone, it is all other fish of their (:lass, and as their abundance an d the facility with meat. 'l'hfl hookbit.er js a11 ineorrigible nuisance on t.he sn!.lpper gT011nas, which they can be captured is unquestionable, they might be made some for his. dental pincer s can cut through the strongest hook wilh e.ase; nse of. YVh.en anchored off Kor-Weat J.slet one Sunday mol'"uing I threw nevertheless let it be renu~m bered to his credit t.li a.t he i,.:; hetter meat out a light line on the chance of capturing some curio, and wa.~ mightily than the snapper. astonished to seo, before U1e bn.it touched the water, a score of big two­ I have left my remarks on two fishes tu the foot !'!UCkfffS r ush from under tlw vessel, wl1ere they had been resting, and 11otHhJe Q11 eerniland a bsolutely jostle one another in mid-ah' in their effort to gd at tbc bHit .: last, hermuse,. though the groups to which they belong are widely I eaught about a score in this way without 11.pprHc!iuhly diminishing their .separated system11.tically, the sjmilarity of their geographi(;al distri­ u umhnr.s, and then gave it np in disgust ; it was too dead emiy. T wo bntion is so extraordinary that it is eonvenient, :for.· the purpose of iiit.eresting things I noted about this sehcol, firstly, the contempt in ;vl1ich comparison, to associate them in a single parngr11 ph. 'l'hcse groups they held a big twelve-foot shark whieh was cmi.sing about the are-the isospondylom; · "barramurnlis" (Osfooglossoide a) and the ve&'!el on the lookout for g ~11 h , an d, secondly, that some 0£ them were " lungfishes" (J)ipn6u.sli) . 'l'o the former belong four genera, Jurvi.ng dry-nursing-if you (:an us0 1.he term :for a marine auimal-one or mo1•e the following disb·ibution, namely, (l ) Sclero1>0yesJ with t.wo ~'Pecj e~, youugsters. Wl1ile it is difficult to dislodge a sucker from its hold by a S. leicka-rdti from ·1111 the rive1•s of Ea.stern Queensland north of the dfrect p111J, it is quite n. simple matter jf you go about it rightly; grasp Fitzroy, crossing over the Di,,i ding Range of the York Peninsula into the fish firmly just behind the head and puBh it gently forwards; this its westward-flowing streams, thence through the rivers of Carpm1taria depresses tbe lamellre and so destroy!'! the vacuum, by means o.f'. which it and Darwinia to finally reappear in those of \\'estern Pa1l1rn., and adher'(:s. S. fm·mosits from the fresh waters of Borneo, Banca, and Sumatra ; The Commer cjal l' i!il1-0s antl ~'isl1P.riei; of Queeusland. 44 The Comm('re.ial Pistes and Yis l! e 1 ·!~s of Queensland.

rivers northwards from their natnral heme, such as the Daw!'Kln and (2) ~ma (3) O steogloH.~1.1;m and Lfrapaima, from the rivers of the Guianas Pit:aoy, where the conditfons of lif() wodcl be more near)~· identical, .irncl Bra7.il, with on.pondeuts thii.t the gigantic "wels" (Silurus glanis) of the Danube a:nd other assuring me that itH !Jesh i:; most palatable, othCl'S bHing equnll~- positive Contral Eurnpean rivers wbich, tis Yaerell tii.ught rno in the days of that it is coarse and tastele::;s; possibly the 1;c;:1~on may accorn1t for thiir my youth, has been knowu to bolt entire a fully dressed m11.rket ·woman, wide divergimcc of opinion. Om· lungfish diffe1'!':! from its ~'1.frican nud basket and alli irrni;t rm1 it very close; aJld {4) H etcroiis, with also a .Am<:ric;m n;pre~cn tativr in that the modified air-1'1.«dder is single llD(T single spe1~.ies, II. m?.oticus, from the Nile Basi11 a11d the rivers of median, for.ming hnt one "lung," while in them it i.c; double and lateral, Middle West Africa. 'l'o the latt.er gronp bclorig three gf:nera- (1) simnlating two lungs. 1feoce;·atod·us, ·with a sil1gle species, N. forste1'£, fro:m the 1'.Iar·y and Burnett Hive.rs, South Queensland; (2 ) Lep·idosiren, also with a single APPENDIX A .. species, i. }J(~ra doxn. from tho 1\ rnazou watershed, a haunter of the A Revised List or the more common E1ible Fishes o.f the mighty swamps o:f that inhospitable region; and (3) ·with .Protopt(]rus, Metropolitan District ol Queensland. three speci~~s, l'. 1i,n·ne·cfo11s, 1'. dolloi, and P. wtMopious from the Upper Nile and other rivers o.L Jliddle Africa from west to e(Jst. In the former Thil'l list is drawn np fron1 the latest avai lable data and ;wnccls all prev)ous lists. The area, India, South A.fri0a, and Color;1do. '!'hough, a!': stated above, tlw natmal home of our lungfish is confined to the l\fa1·y and Burnett Class A-SELACHII. Sharks and Rays. Rived, it lws, thTough the instrumentality 0£ my old fr.iend, l\::Ir. Subordor a-PLEUROTREMATA. Sharks. D. 0 'Connor, been introduced into several mm·e southern waterways, such as the P.irn~, Brisbane, Albert, fJogau, and Coomera Rivers, the Family I-OREC'l'OLOBHH1;. CARPF.T SHARKS. Rnoggera Rescrvoi1·, and the Condarnine, etc., from all of which we -occasionally hea1' of specimens being killed, ac:ts of wanton destruction Genus 1-0REOTOLOBUS Ronaparte 1834. for which ther e is no palliation, and which merit condign punishment. *L maculatus Bonua.t. Ocellated Wobbegong. Litorid. All those so obtained a:ro. howeveT, adults and belong without doubt t.o the batch originall.y liberated by Mr-. 0 'Co1mor. some 2-0 years ago. *2. devisi Ogilby. Randed Wobbe,gong. Lito1a.l; t>.stuarine. Up to the present date wo have no proof whatever that thHy have bred in any of these waters. As it would certainly be wisn to widen the Genus 2-BRACHJELURUS Ogilby 1906. arr.a of distribution of this unique fish I wou]d like to suggHst that 3. modestus Gi.inth. Blind Shark. Litoral ; 0;1t11arino. experimentl'I in this direetion be ma.de by int1·odueiug them into certain 46 'l'he Coinmcrcial Fishes and Fisheries of Qnccm1luntl. Tlie Cnrnmereial 1''ishes and f'.ishcrics of Queen!'land. 47

.Family lI---GALJ:UDil·:. Bu:-F: SR~RRS. Family VIIJ.--CLUPEIDiE. H:rrn:H.1:-.as . Genus 3-MUSTELUS Linuk 1790. Genus 12---S'fOLEPHORUS LacC.pcde 1803. 4. antarcticus Giinth. Gunw1;y. Lit0ml. 15. robustus Ogilby. Blue Sprat. PeJa.gic.

Genns 4--:RHIZOPRION OgiJby 1915. Ce.nus rn--IlYPERLO:PHU'S Ogilby 1892. a .. ci·enidens Klunz. Little Bliie ;;]hark. Lito1:r~t; trawlm:. rn. sprattellides Ogilby. Bilvr-,1· Sprat. .P~)lagic. S11borde.: f:l-HYPOTRE}L\.TA. Rays. Genus 14-AlVIBLYGASTER Blc0kc1· 18'.t9. Fmnily III-RJIDWHATID1E. GUITAR J3'1SH1')S. Ii. neopilchardus Stciml. Pilcltar{l. Pelagic. Gcnu;: ii ---RRHiCBA'l"!JS Sulmeider 1801. Ge11ns 16-SARDINELLA Va.!cnciennes 1847. (i. ar:matus Gray. Rv·ugli Sleovelnofle. Litoral. 18. castelnaui Ogilby. Estuary llen·ing. Litoral ; estuarine . . . ba1~ksil :.VI. & IT. Smooth Shovelnose. Trawler.

Fa.rnily IY--DASY:{AT1D/:K STI~G RAYS. Family IX-DOHOSOMATIDLE. Gw.:t,ARU SIIADS

Genus 6---UROLOPHUS Miillcr & I-Ionle 1837. Genus 16---DOROSOMA Rnfine~que 1820. 8. testaceus iVI. & H. Stingaree.. Trn.wler. .19. com~ Rich. Bony JJrearn. Fluvhtile. Genus 7-DASY.BATUS Walhaum 17!)2. l''o,mily X-E~GKAULTDID}E. AscHOVl.ES. 9. kuhlii :VL & H. .Rlw:--spotted Ray. Litoral ; estuarine. Gr.nm> 17-ENGRAUUS Cuvier 1817. IO. fluviorum Ogilby. Est·uary Ray. Litoral; ostuarine. 20. antipodum Giinth. Southern Anchovy. Pelagic. Family V-MYLIOBATlD.l:E. EAGJ,Jt RAYS. Cenus 18-ANCHOVIA Jordtin & Evennann l8H8. Gerrns 8-A.etobatus Hlainville 1816. 21. restuaria Ogilby. Snub-nose.cl Anchovy. Estm;..r:ine . ~11 . narina.ri Euphr. Jumping Rartj. Litoral.

Class B-PISCES. Fishes. oi.·der. II-OSTARIOi>llYSI. Suborder SILUl:WTDHA. CATFISHES. Order 1-lSOSPOKDYLI. Family XJ-i>J,OTOSIDLE. K~:r.. C.vrVISHES. Suborder CLUPEOIDF.A. H.errings, &c. Genus l!).-TANDANUS Mitchell 18:38. Family VI-ELOPIDA!;. TARPONS. 22. tandanus Mitch. J.,ong-fi.11;ned Dewfish. Fluviatilc. Gunus 9-MEGALOPS (Commcrvon) La.cepede 1803. .23. hyrtlii Steind. Slwrt-finned Dewfisli. }'luvialJll). 12. cyprinoides Brouss. OJ;eye Herring. Estuarine ; fluviatilc.

Genus 10-ELOPS Linmew; 1'761). Family XII-SILeRIDJR. Blue Catfishes. 13. hawaiensis Regan. Banana Fish. Litoral; pelagiu. Genus 20-·METUMA Bleeker 1858. Family VII-CHAKEID1E. :VI11.wnsHES. .24. thalassina Riipp. Rl'a Oatfish. Litora.l.

Genus 11-CHANOS Lacepede 1803.

Family X T.H-AKG'L"ILLTT>iK .EEr:.s. Order VI- PERCESOCJ!;S.

Genus 22-ANGUILLA Shaw 1804. Suborder it-MCGILOIDEA.

26. reinhardtii Stoind. Long-finn.,p.d Eel. F!uviatil.e. Fiunily XIX-.. MGGILlD)K ::0.1"CTLLETS.

Genus 23-LEPTOCEPHALUS Seopoli .1777. Genus 31--MUG.IL (Ar.1.edi) Linn~ns l758. 27. labiatus Ca.st. Conger. J,itoral ; estual'ine. 36. cephalus, Sea NuUet. IJitoral ; estuarine; ftuviatile. 37. Ogi.lby. Farniiy Xl V-::\ICJL£N:ESOCID1K Pnni ~J ELS. georgii F'lat-tait 11-Iulle,t. Estua rinc. 38. argenteus Oiinth . Fan-ta,.~l .Mullet. K'lt uarine. Genus 24--.MURlENESOX McClella.ntl 1843. 28. clnereus Forsk. Pike EeJ,. Litoral; csf,ua.rino. Genur. 32.. -IJZA. ,Jordu.n & Swi~in 1884. 39. peronii Cnv. & Val. Tige;1· 1lfollet. Litornl; estuarine. Snhorder ,8-MUR fF.KOIDEA. C'..enus 33-MYXUS Giinthcr 1861. Family X.V-J\:fUR./K~HD A~. J\:foRAYS. 4:0. 3longatus Giinth.. Wide Bay .111ullet. Litoral; estuarine.

Genus 25-LYCODONTiS McC1ellancl l 844. Gcnu.c:i 34-TRACHYSTOMA Ogilhy 1887 . 41. petardi Ca.st. Ft·e.shwater llfull et. ]!'In viatil e. 2~). favagineus Sohn. Tess~llated Eel. Reefor.. 30. pictus Ahl. Bar-cheelced Eel. .Reefer. Family XlX-SPHYR.lENIDIE. Soa.-fikcs. Genus 3:)-SPHYRlENA (Artcdi) Schneider 1801. Order IV-lNICHfT. 42. obtusata Cuv. & Va.I. J)ingo Fit:Jk. Litora.L Fa.rnily XVl-SYNODONTlDiE. Lizmu-Fuurns. Suborder {3- POLYNE :MOlDEA. Gcn11s 26-TRACHINOCEPHALUS Gill 1851. 31. limbatus Eyd. & Soul. Painted Gr-inner. Lit-0ml ; trawfor. Family XX-POLYNEMID!li.:. T ASSltL FrSlllil8. Genus 27--SAURIDA Va.lencie.nnes 1849. Genus 3f>--POLYDACTYLUS .Laccpecle 1803. ~ 2. undosquamis Hieb. Yell1Y1.V -baruled Grinner. 1i:awlee; litoral. 43. specularis tle Vill. Le,.sser Tassel }j'ish. Estuu.rino.

Orcler VII- BERYCOl\110.RPH I. Orrlor V~SYNENTOGNATHI. )family XXl-BERYCID .1~1'. Family XVII-.BELONID.. £. NFlllDLE 1'1sRES. Genus 37-TRAC:tt!CHTHODES Gilchrist 1903. Genns 28-TYLOBURUS Cocco 182!:!. 44. affinis Giinth. .Nannygai. Trawler.. 33. impotens Ogilby. Long Torn. Lit.om.I. Order VIII- HETEROSOMATA.

Family XVIII--EXOCCETID!E. FLv.T.Na FrsHES, &o. Ftunily X:XT~·-GY~OGLOSSIDlE. '.l'OKOU'E SOLES. Genus 29-HEMIRHAMPHUS Cuvier 1817. GCm1s 38-SYMP.HURUS R.afinesque 181.0. 34. quoyi Cuv. & Val. ShoJ't-beaked. Garfish. Litoral ; estuari.De. 45. guttatus l\facl. Dotted 'l'ongue Sole. Lit~nt!. D se Tke Commercial l'i1Jl1es and. 1''isheries of Queensland. The CommenJal Fishes and J:'isherie11 of Queenr;Jand. - ----···------·------51

Family XXIIl -SOLEIDA:. Sor,Es. Genus 47-THERAPON Cit vier 1817. Genus 39-BRACHIRUS Swainson 1839. 59. servus Bloch. Or~cent Penh. Litoral. 4.6. niger )focleu.y. Bl(J,(,k Sok. Litora.l ; est.ua.rine. 60. quadrilineatus Bloch. 'l'rutnpekt· Perch. Llt-0ra.l. 61. unioolor Giinth. Spangled Penh. Fluvfa.tile. Goous 40-ASERAGGODES Kaup 1858. 62. bidyana Jfitch. 1838. Sifoer l'erch. Fluvfatile. 47. macleayanus R.'l.mflay. Narrow-bandd Sole. Litoml ; ~tua.dna; fiuviatile. Fa.mily XXYT-PRIAOAN'J.'HIDM. l!'amily XXl V-BO'II-IID.-E. Flounder.;;. Genus 48·-PRIACANTHUS Cuvier 1817. Genna 41- PSEUDORHOMBUS Bleeker 1862. ()3. macracanthus Cuv. & Val. Bullseye. Litoral. 48. arsius :B11ch. Large-toothed .Flounder. Litoral ; estu!irine. 4g, ruu!timaculatus Giinth. Srnatl-toothe,d Jllownder. Lit.oral ; 1'\~mily XXVII~1LLAGINIDf.E . WHr~as. e~t11ari110. Genuo 49-SILLAGO Cuvier 1817. 64:. ciliata Cuv. & Val. Rand Whiting. Litoral. Ord0r IX-PEROOMORPIII. 65. maculata Q. & G. 'J'rump

Genus 43- PLECTROPLITES Gill 1863. Family XXIX-RACHYC~NTRCD.tE. SE&GEA~T-FIBHF..s. 51. ambiguus Rich. Golden P erch. 1!'luvia.tile. Genus Gl-RACHYCENTRON Ka.up 1826. 68. pondicerianum Ci1v. & Va.I. Orab-eaJ(;,r. Litoral. Genns 44-0L!GORUS Gunther. 1869.

52. macquatiensis Cnv. & Va.l. Murray Ood. Flu.via.tile. Family XXX-CARANGIDAJ;. TnEVALLrns. Genus 45- EPINEPHELUS Bloch 1793. Genus 52-SERIOLA Cuvier 1829. 53. di:imelii Giintb. Sarldlet.ail Cod. Litoral ; rcofer. 69. grandis Cast. Kingfi,.sh. Pelagic ; litoral. 54. undulatostriatus Peters. Narrow-banded God. Litoral; reefer. 70. hippos Giinth. Samson,-fi.sh. L:itora.l ; reefer. 55. fasciatus l!~orsk. Blackl;ip Ood. Reefer. Genus 53-TRAC:HURUS Rafine.sque 1810. l'ifi. meITa Bloch. Painted Cod. Reefer. 71. declivis Jenyos. Yell.owtail. Litoral. 57. tauvina lfo1~sk. E.~tuary Cod. Litoral; estuarine; Hu via.tile ; lacufltt'ioe. Genu;; 54-CARANX La.ocpede 1802. Genus 46--PROMICROPS Gill 1868. 72. forsteri Cuv. & Va.I. Great '1.'revaJ,ly. Pelagic. 68. lanceolatus Forsk. S.mootk-sooleil Groper. Estuarine ; lit.oral ; 73. georgia.nus Cuv. & Val. Wl,ite TrlWally. Pelagic; litora.l. roofer. 74. speciosus Forsk. King ~l'revaU!J. Pelagic; lit.oral. 62 Tl1e Corumercia.1 l<'isllfls and Fh;heries of Queenislan

C"tQnus 55-ALECTIS Rafinesquc 1815. :fi'amily XXXVl-SCiiE~ID./E. JEW.FJ:SHES. 75. ciliaris Bloch. Pl!!nnant Fish, Litora.J.. Genus 65---SCI.lENA Linmens 1758.

Genus 56-TRACHINOTUS Lacepedo 1802. 88. antarctica Cast. .Jew{t-sh. Estuarine ; litoral. 76. botla Shaw. Swallowtail. LitoraL 89. canina de Vis. LiUk Jew-Perc.h. Estm~rine ; litoral.

Fa.mily XXXI-GEl\'rROPOlVlIDiE. Family XXXVII-MULLIDiE. GOATFISRl!lS. Genus 57-GLAUCOSOlVIA Schlegel 1843. Genus 66-UPENEOIDES Bleeker 1850. 77. scapulare Ramsay. Epaufotte Fi8h. Heofor. 90. tragula Rich. Speckled Goatfish. J,itora.l ; trawler.

Family XXXII-LUTfANID!E. Sl!lA PERCH.©S. Genus fi7-UPENEIOHTHYS Bleeker 1850. 91. porosus Cuv. & Val. Red b.yoatfish. Trawler. Genus 58-LUTIANUS Bloch J792. 78. i·ussellii. 1~foses Perch. J,itoral ; reefer. Genus 68-'UPENEUS Cuvier 1829. 92. signatus Giinth. Bl(1JCk-spot Goatfiflh. Litoral ; reefer. Genus 5H-GENYOROGE Cantor 18:30. 79. sebre Cuv. & Val. King Sna,pper. R~der. 80. amabilis de Vis. Tlus.sar. Litoral ; reefer. Family XXXVIIl--LETHRINIDJE. E)-IPERORS, &o. Genus 69·-PENTAPUS Cuvier & Valencienues 1830. Ge.nus 60-ClESIO Cuvier 1817. 93. setosus Cuv. & Val. Whiptail. Litoral. 81. c~rulaureus L'.tccp. Fusilier. Reefer. Genus 70-·LETHRINUS Cuvier 1829.

Family XXXIII-NEl\:Ill>TERlD!E. 94. chrysostomus Rich. Emperor. Reefer. 95. nebulosu.s lforsk. Duke. R-0efor. Genus 61-MEMIPTERUS Swainson 1839. 96. glyphodon Gtinth. Warrior Litoral. 82. trenioptsrus Ouv. & Val. Yetlow-bar.ded Bream. Trawler. 97. nematacanthus Bleek. Lance?'. Litoral. 83. anrifilum Ogilby. YeUowlip. T.rawler.

Family XXXIV-LEIOG~ATHIDiK PON\" FISHES, &c. Family XXXIX-SPARIDM. SE.A BREA:\1S. Genus 71-SPARUS (Arted.i) Linnreus 1758. Genus 62-XYSTlEMA Jordan & Evermann 1895. 98. australis Giinth. Bream. Litoral ; estuarine. 84. ovatu1n Gi.i.nth. SilverbeUy. Litoral. ·99. sarba Forsk. Tarwhine. J,itoral. Family XXXV-POMADASIDiE. Gmus 72-PAGRUS ()ivier l8li 100. Forst. Snappet. Litoral ; reefer. Genus 63---SPILOTIOHTH.YS Fowler 1904. auratus 85. pictus Thuub. Golden-spotted Sweetlips. · Reefer. Genus 73...,---DENTEX Cuvier. 86. labioaus l\fac1. JJlack-spotl.(,d Sweetlips. Hoefer. 101. spa:riiormis Ogilb:y. Yellowtip. Trawler.

Genus 64-POlVLADASIS Lacep~de 1803. Genus 74-GYMNOCRANIUS Klunzinger 1870. 87. hasta Bloch. J aveJ.in Fish. R.eefer. 102. audleyi Ogilby. Collared Bream. Reefer. The Commerefal Fh1he!! and l!'ishcries of Q11eensland. 54 ------··--- The Com1nereial J.~it;J1 cs and Fisheries of Queenslaml. 55 Family XL-.l\IONODACTYLID1E. Division 3-POMACENTRIFORl\-lES,

Genus 75-MONODACTYLUS La.cepedo 1802. Family XLVIII- P0:\1ACENTRIDiE. DRMOCSELLES. 103. argenteus Linn. Dianwnd Fish. Litor-dl. Genus 84-HYPSYPOPS Gill 1861. · Family XLI-SCORPIDIDLE. 115. polylepis Giinth. Sailor. Litoml. Genus 76-ClESIOSOMA Ka.up 1864. Divisie;n 4- LA.l:HU..l:'OR:Nms, 104. requipinnis Rich. Sweep. Reefer; trawler. Family XLIX-LABRIDtE. WRASSES. Genus 77- ATYPICHTHYS Giinthcr 1862. Germs 85- PSEUDOLABRUS Blookm: l86l. 105. strigattis Giinth. JJ!ado. Reefer. 116. gymnogenis Giinth. Rainbow Fish. Reefer. Ft1.mily XLII- KYPHOSIDi:E. Genus 86--CHEILIO (Co.onner1;on) Lacepede 1803. Genus 78-KYPHOSUS J.. acepede 1802. 117. illermis Jforsk. Quaker. Literal. 106. sydneyanus Giintb. Drummer. Litor.a.J. Genus 87- ACHCERODUS Gill 1863. Family XLIII-GIRELLID~~ . Biackfishes. 118. gouldil Rich . Bliw Pigfi,sh. Litoml. GenuF; 79-GIRELLA Gray 1830. lH.I. badius Ogilby. Brown Pigfi..,h. Litonl.l. 107. simplex Rioh. Ludridc. LitoraL Genus 88--VERREO Jordan & Snyder 1902. 108. tricuspidata. Q. & G. Black·fish. Litoral. 120. unimaculatus Giintb. Blo.ck-s'[JOt 'Pigfi.8h. Roofer. Family XLlV-SCATOPHi\.GID.tE. 121. bellis R. & 0. BandJ!.d Pigfi..~h. Reefer. Genus 80--SOATOPHAGUS Cuvier & Valenciennes 1831. Genll.8 89-LEPIDAPLOIS Gill 1862. 109. argus Linn. Spotted Butterfish. Litoml. 122. perditio Q.. & G. ReR.jer. llO. multifasciatus Rich. · Striped Butte:rfish. Litora.l; estuarine. Genus 90-CHCERODON Bleeker 1847. Fa.:mily XLV-EPHIPPIDAl:. BA'l'E'.CSH ES. 123. venustus de Vis. Roseate Tuslcfish. :Reefer. Genus 81- PLATAX Ouviex 1817. 124. cephalotes Cast. Purple Tuskflsh. Litoml. Ill. teira Forsk. Smalt-scaled Batfi

Family J:.-SCARID}E. PARROT-FISHES . lh1.m.ily XLVI- ENOPJ,OSID}E. Genus 91--0ALLYODON Gronow 1764. Genus 82-ENOPLOSUS Lacepede 1802. 12~. pyrrhostethus. F lamebreast. J,,itol:al. 112. armatus Sha.w·. Old Wife. Trawler. Division 2-ClRRHl'frn'ORMES. Division 5- TR.ACHINlFORMES.

Fa.mily XLVfI- CHEILODACTYLID}E. M o RWONGS. Family U -OPISTOGN'.ATHIDlE. J AW.FISHES.

Genus 83-CHEILODACTYLUS Lacepede 1803. GenUl3 92-MEROGYMNUS Ogilby 1908. 113. fuscus Ca.st. Oarp. Reefer. 126. jacksoniensis ~fa.cl. Boutliern Smit.er. Reeler. ll4. vestitus Ca.at. Zebra Fish. Lit.oral. 127. eximius Ogilby. Harkquin Smiler. Reefer. 56 Tile Conimercinl J!'ishes and 1''isberies oi Queensland. 1'he ComD1 ercial I<'b hes and l!'M1cries of Queensland. 57

Fo.mily J,U- PINGUU)EDIDM. Gemis 101-PTEROIB Cu vier 1817. 137. volitans Linn. Firefish. Litoral. Genus 93-PARAPERCIS Blocker 1872. 128. nebulosa Q. & G. R e1,i Weever. Litora.l. Genus 102-NOTESTHES Ogilby 1903. 138. robustus Gu.nth. Bullmut. Estua.rino; fluviatile. Genu!!I 94-CHILIAS Ogilby 1910. 129. stricticeps de Vis . B arred W eever. Litoral. Genus 103-NEOSEBASTES Guichenot 18G8. 139. incisipinnis Ogilby . Trawler. Family LIII- l::RAXOSCOPJD.tE. SrARGAZERS. Family J,VIlI- TR TGLTD.i.K CmtNARDS. Genus 95- ICHTHYSCOPUS Swainson 1839. Genus 104--CHELIDONICHTHYS K aup 1873. 130. lebeck Bloch. Fringed Smrgazer. Litoral. 140. kumu. J,. & G . . J.lforble.d Gun iard. Trawler. Suborder ,B-SCOMBROIDI~A. Family Lv!X- SYNANCEIID1E. ]'iunily UV- SCOMBRW)K 1\1ACK:FJRELS. ~nus 105- SYNANCEIA Bloch. Genus 90-SCOMBER (Art.edi) Un.nreus 1758. 141. horrida. Rtonefi.sh. Litoral. 131. japonicus R out"t . Mackerel. R.eefe:r. Division 2- PLATYOEPHALIFORMES. Genus f1 7- SCOMBEROMORUS Lacepede 1802. 132. commersonii L1toep. Banded Tuna. Pelagic. lf

133. gu~tas Sohn. Spotted 'l'.una. l)efa.gic. Geom; 106-PLATYCEPRALUS Schueider 1801. 142. arenarius R. & 0 . Sand Flathead. Litoral. Suborder 1-SlGA ~OIDEA. 1 4.~. fusct'..s Cuv. & Val. .Mu4 Flathead. Estuarine ; litoml Family LV-SIGANID1E. S PINEFEET. Genus 107- INSIDIATOR J ordan & Snyder 1900. Genus 98- SIGANUS Foi;skal 1775. 144. nematophthalmus Gii.nth. R.ock. Flathead. J.itoral. 134. consobrinus Ogilby. S peckled Spine/out. Litoral. Su bol'der ,B- DAOTYLOPTEROIDEA. Order X-:OISCOC:f.WHALI. Family LXI-·CE.PHAJ,ACANTH.IDJE. FLYC\G GURN.ARDS F amily LVl-ECHEK~~lDID}E. SucmNG FISH ES. Genus 108---EBIBINUS J ordan & Richardson 1908. Q{inus 99- ECHENEIS Linnreua 1758. 145. procne Ogilby. Pu17Jle Gurnard. Litoral. 135. naucrates Linn. Great,er Ruckin{J Fish. Litoral. ('~nu8 109-DACTYLOPTENA J ord.a1i & Richardson 1908. papilio Og:ilby. Ru/O'US Trnwler. Ordor X l-SCLEROl!AREII. 146. aurnai·d.

Suborder a-SCORPlENOIDEA. Or.dor XII- PLEOTOGNAT HI. Division 1- SCORP1EN IFOR .VlliS. Suborder BA UST OIDEI .

Family LVII-SCORP_,-E~TDA1;. Sconpro::-; l!1suES F amily LXII- :BALTSTID.lE. FILllTISHES.

Cenuis 100-SCORPlENA (Artedi) Llnn~us 1758. Genus 110-BAL!STES (Art-0di) J,innreus l758. 136. cardinalis Rioh. O(Jyal Ood. Reefer. 147. capjsti-atus Shaw. B ridled Fil,efish. Reefer. 58 The Commerclal ~'lsh es and Fisheries of Queensland. TJ10 Commercial }'ishes and Fhherief! of Quee• sla.nd. -----··- - - -·- ·-- · ----- Genus 111--MONACANTHUS Oken 1817. the rich banquet so lavishly Rpread before them. It is deplorable that. no such institution has as yet been founded on the long and varied 148. chinensis Bloch. Dev;'lap F'isli. Li toral. coastline of the State or, better still for the north a.t least, on one 01· f';tenus 112-CANTHERINES Swainson 1839. other of tJw thousand islets wMch dot our coral seas. Ont of the numerous site1» available for this purpose it is almost invidious to 149. trachylepis Gunth. Rough-scaled Leather-jacket. Litoral. suggc~t that one i.u particular is the most suitable but, taking into 150. ·granulatus Shaw. l'B iu prodig&l profusion their nutoltl stores of wealth. to yield 23, J9J5, and as it deals w'i.th a variety of subjects connected with unstinti.ugly into our ke(iping the secrets of their inexhaustible possi­ our f:isher.ics and kind1•ed indnstrie.s, it has been thought advisable to bilities. Each island, no matter how small, may in itself be ma.de a reproduce it here, where its field of usefuJncsll will be wider and 'more potential factor in our onward march, for cve.ry coral islet, eve1'y tiny general. a.toll, now o.. mere l'iot o.f nnaurpa.ssable bea.nty, should, if dealt with The Scientific Development of our Fisheriei. intelligently, yie.ld ii generous profit to well-directed enterprise, and Srn,-Ji'ir.mly as I believe in individual enterprise, I am of opinion that without detr acting h1 th.e slightest fr.om it.H lllltnr.al beauty and that, in the matter of onr fisheries, it is the duty of the Go~er.nment scientliic inter.est. Th1:1se iRlands are well situated for the prosc.c·uti ~n to lead the \Vay in tlw sc.ientilie opening of: this most important and of various indmitl'ics, whfoh might be "ivorked con<'m1-r<~ntly with mueh much-nnglected industry, leaving, if needs be, to othel.·s the task of lrenefit to the State, if the Government .should $!Ce their way to farm developing and perfecting the structure which it hiis founded. Much out to carefully selected, intelligent, and prog1:essive tenants Sfteh of of our future prosperity may depend upon this industry which, above them as are not requ~rcd for· defence or recreation. purposes, or many ytiars ago Olll' b<'..autifnl "1rntmeg pigeon" ( Myristi.cit: ~ra Nature. The first step u1 practical achievement would be the l'rovision spilorrhoa) was in imminent danger of extinetion at the hands of of a suitabln vessel, equipped with all modem appliances, and of. snflleicnt mobs of spm·ious sport,•mien, who made a practice of visiting the ·offshore size to explore with safety our coa.stal waters from the Tweed Heads breeding haunts of the F>pecics and shooting dowu tlw rn~st.ing birds, round to Western Carpentaria, and down at the least to the hundred­ thus leaving the helpless young to perish miserably of hunger and fathom line. The scientific and commoreial results of such an or.ganizcd exposure. No words can ndequately exprlion olh.er in dustries, 'vhich .:form an important auxilinry to that of its cou1.-1in the "green turtle" could be worked al'-! ~1.djunct s to the fi shc~ 1: ies in th0sc in..:omparable ( Ohelon.ia ja.ponica), from the flesh 0£ which 11ot only could canw~d mea.ts and soups be rnanufac:tul'cd but, through the medium of lar ge islands, .Em ch for instance as p oultry ft'n·mi11g, bnt this letter has "'\oiva.x-ia, which could easily be exc;watod in shcl t 1~1·cd spots on the coral already run to so inordinate 1l length, that I must close with ap ologie..'I reefs, the finest individuals captured might be lrnpt nnd fed, until the for taking up so much of your space. -0pp ort.11nit~, offel'ed for sending tlrnm alive or :frozen, as <~x pcrionce d frect.<;, to t.he r ion