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REV. J. E. TENISON-WOODS, F.L.S., F.G.S., &C., &C., Vice-President of tue Linnean Society, New South Wales. AuTUOR OF "A History of the Discovery and Exploration of Australia," "Geological Observations in South Australia," "North Australia," " Natural History of New South Wales," SYDNEY : THOMAS RICHARDS, GOVERNMENT PRINTER. 2a 56-82 1882. .»^ ttiication. TO FREDERICK M'COY, F.R.S., F.G.S., MURCIIISOXIAX AND CLAP.KEAX MEDALLIST, Professor of Natural Hlstory at the Melbourne Uxiversitv, &c., &c., THIS WORK IS INSCRIBED AS AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF HIS EARLY LABOURS ON BEHALF OF PAL.EONTOLOGICAL SCIENCE IN EUROPE, AND HIS GREAT SERVICES TO AUSTRALIAN NATURAL SCIENCE DURING THE LAST EIGHTEEN YEARS, BY HIS OBLIGED FRIEND THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. This work has been undertaken with a twofold object. The first is to give a popular account of our useful Fishes to the colonists, together with all that relates to pisciculture and acclimatization, with a view to promote a development of our fish resources. To make it more useful in its educational character, a simple explanation of the science of the subject is prefixed. The second object is to give an account of our Fish and Fisheries, such as will be required for the great Fish Exhibition of 1883. With this view, all that relates to our laws, markets, and our fisheries generally is given. Finally, the work is meant to be simple and practical, so that not a word in it may be above the comprehension of those not specially trained to scientific phraseology. Though in places necessarily a little technical, it is hoped that on the whole it will be found readable, and sufficient to give to inquirers all the knowledge they require about the Fisheries of New South Wales. I take this opportunity of thanking the Hon. W. IMacleay, F.L.S., and Alex. Oliver, Esq., for valuable assistance in revising these pages, and also Prof. IM'Coy, F.R.S., for permission to use some of the plates of his work on the Zoology of Victoria. CONTENTS. Dedication ; Preface .. List OF Plates ... Glossary 1 Chapter I. Introduction < II. The Pish Fauna of New South Wales 10 III. Our Marine Food Fishes 30 IV. Sharks 92 V, Rays 99 VI. Our Fresh-water Food Fishes 102 VII, Oyster Fisheries 110 VIII. Other Mollusca ... 122 IX. Crustacea ... 125 X. Fishing-grounds of New South Wales 12S XL The Fish Market 139 XII. The Development of our Fisheries 143 XIII. Acclimatization and Pisciculture ... 150 XIV. Fishery Laws and Regulations IGO XV, Index OF Local Names 182 XVI, Works relating to Fish and Fisheries 194 Index 205 . LIST OF PLATES. PLATE. Frontisijiece. " Old Man" Schnapper. I. The Perch. Lates colonorum described at II. The Old Wife. Enoplosus armatus ... III. Longfin. Anthias long'mianus IV. Wirrah. PlectroiJoma ocellafum V. Australian Salmon. Arrlpis salar YI. Sweep. Scorpis cequipeniiis ... VII. Black-fish. Girella tricuspidata VIII. Schnapper. Pagrus unlcolor... IX. Tarwhine. Chrijsophrys austraUs ... X. Morwong. Cldlodactylus macroptei-us XI. Red Morwong. Chilodachjlus fuscus XII. Ked Rock Cod. Scorpcena cardinalis XIII. Banded Morwong. Chilodactylus vittatus XIV. Gurnard Perch. Sehastes pcrcoides . XV. Nannygai. Eeryx affinis XVI. Jew-fish. Scicena antardica ... XVII. Teraglin. Ottlithus otdodus ... XVIII. Yellow-tail. Trachuriis declivis XIX. King-fish. Seriola lalandii ... XX. Tailor. Temnodon saltator XXI. John Dory. Zeus australis ... XXII. Horse Mackerel. Traclmrus tracTiurus XXIII. AYhiting and Beardie. Slllago maculata and Lotella margin ata XXIV. Northern Whiting. Slllago ciliata XXV. Flathead. Platycephalus fuscus XXYI. Gurnard and Sergeant Baker, Trigla hurtui and Ardopus imriniri^satus XXVII. Flying Gurnet. Trigla pohjommata.. XXVIII. Pike. Sphyritna ohtusata XXIX. Sea Pike. Lanioperca mordax XXX. Sea Mullet. Mugil grandis XXXI. Blue Groper. Cossyphus gouldii XXXII. Pig-fish. Cossyphus unimaculatus XXXIII. Flounder. Pseudorhombus russelUi .. XXXIV. Sole. Synaptura nigra... Vlll LIST OF PLATES. PLATE. - PAGE. XXXV. Sergeant Baker. Aulopus purpurlssatus ... described at 82 XXXVL Long Tom. Belone ferox „ S3 XXXVII. Garfish and River Garfish. Hcmlrharnphus iiiter- inedliis and ff. regidaris ... ... ... „ 84 XXXVIII. River Garfish. Hemlrhamjjhus regtilarls ... „ 84 XXXIX. The Eel. Anguilla australis ,, 88 XL. Leather-jacket. Monacanthus ayraudl ... ,, 89 XLI. Murray Cod. OUgorus macquariensis . ... ,, 102 XLII. Sea Crab. Nephimis pelagkus ,, 125 XLIII. Cray-fish. Palmurus hugelii ... ... ... ,, 125 XLIV. Freshwater Ci'ay-fish. Astacopsis serratus ... ,, 126 XLV. Bat-fish. Psettus argentens ,, 61 A -wood engraving of lieads of Salmo, with operculum and teeth 9 GLOSSARY. Acuminate.—Tapering to a point. Adipose.—Fatty matter throughout the tissue. Armature.—A prickle or bony point. Axil.—Literally the armpit ; the inner angle at the base of a fiu or spine. Basibranchials. —Small bones uniting the branchial arches below. Branchial.—Relating to the gill. BrancMsB.— Gills. Branchial arches.—Plates which bear the gills. In the Perch they are five, fouf bearing gills ; the fifth dwarfed, and bearing teeth called lower pharyngeal bone. The arches are divided into movable portions dilated and confluent above, beset with fine teeth, and called tlie upper pharyngeal bones. Branchiostegals.—The mai-gin of the gill-cover has a skinny fringe to close it more effectually ; this fringe is supported by one or many bony rays called branchiostegals. Bifurcated.—Forked. Bumbora.—A sunken rock or roef covered at low-water. Canines.—Larger projecting teeth like dog teeth. Ceratobranchials.—The middle segments of the branchial arches. Ccecal. —Blind, or closed sac, not perforate. Confluent,^When separate parts become united so as to lose their distinctness they are said to be confluent. Cran.—A barrel of herrings. Deciduous.—Easily falling away. Denticulate.—Finely toothed. Dun.—Broken dried cod-fish. Emarginate.—Notched or cut out at the edge. Epibranchials.—The upper segment of the branchial arch. Ethmoid.—A cartilage, thickest above the vomer, which extends as a narrow stripe along the bony partition between the eyes. The nerves of smell (olfactory) run along and through the Ethmoid. Falcate.—Crescent-shaped or bent like a reaping-hook. Filament.—A thread-like membrane. Finlets.— Small fins, such as those along the tail of the mackerel. FollicleS.^—Small leaf-like bags or cavities. Gibbous.— Swollen or humped at some part of the surface. Grilse.—Young salmon that have never spawned. Hill or To Hill.—Sand-heaps formed by Salmon for the ova. Hence the expres- sion " to hill," for spawning time. The sand-heap is also called a ridd. Humeral.—Belonging to the shoulder. Hyaline —An extremely clear, transparent membrane. Hyoid.—The arch which encloses the branchial apparatus, Hypobranchial.—The lowest segment of the branchial arch absent from the fourth arch. Imbricate,—Laid over each other like tiles. Incisors.—Front cutting-teeth in fishes. Kelt.—Salmon exhausted, and often covered with parasites after spawniug-time. c X GLOSSARY. Klipfish.—Dried cod. Lamellae.—Thin plates. Laminate.—Divided into thin plates. Lateral.—Pertaining to the side ; refers especially to the line along the sides of some fishes called the lateral line. Littoral.—Belonging to the shore. Maise or Maese.—A measure of 500 herrings. Maxillary-—The front margin of the upper jaw formed by the intermaxillary or premaxillary bone which in most fishes bears teeth. It is spread into a flat, triangular projection, on which leans the second bone of the upper jaw—the maxillary. Mesially.—Mesial ; a supposed divisional, perpendicular, longitudinal line, dividing the fish into two halves. MuciferOUS.—Mucous system, having special reference to tlie lateral line, the scales of which are perforated and exude an oily lubricating fluid. Nancy.—A trade term for 40 lobsters. Occiput.—The hinder part of the head or skull. OflEal.—Trade term for Haddock, Plaice, and Whiting. Olfactory. —Relating to the organs of smell. Operculum.—Gill-cover. socket. Orbit.—The eye , Osseous.—Bony tissue. Ossicles.—Small bones. Palatine.—Relating to the palate bones. The palate properly consists of three bones— 1. The Enteropterygoid, an oblong thin bone attached to the inner border of the palatine and pterygoid, and increasing the surface of the bony roof of the mouth. 2.