OCR Text |
Show 1887.] NEW AUSTRALIAN MUGILD^.. 615 anterior rays of second dorsal equal to the first spine. Anal commences considerably in advance of the second dorsal, and its rays are somewhat longer than those of that fin. Ventral fin about three fourths of the length of the head ; pectoral rather more. Caudal forked, its lobes much longer than the head ; the least depth of the free portion of the tail is half the length of the head. Scales 29 or 30 between the snout and the origin of the spinous dorsal; 6 to 8 in the interspace between the two dorsals. No pointed axillary scale. The pectoral fin reaches to the 13th or 14th scale of the lateral line. The first dorsal commences above the 19th scale of the lateral line, the second above the 32nd to 34th scale. Anterior rays of the soft dorsal and anal covered with small scales for fully half their height. A n angular scale at the bases of the soft dorsal and ventral. Colours : silvery, the back greenish; cheeks tinged with gold ; fins grey; irides yellow. In the preparation of the above description I have examined three specimens of this fish picked out from a number of other Mullets exposed for sale in the Sydney fish-market; all three came from Port Stephens, where they were taken in the brackish water at the mouth of the Keruah River, and are said to be distinguished from the two common Grey Mullets (Mugil dobula and M. peronii) under the name of" River Mullet." These examples were obtained during the month of February, but though I have carefully overlooked all the consignments which have been sent to the market from that neighbourhood since, I have failed to meet with this species again: one of these, a female, had the roe almost ready for extrusion ; in the two others, both males, the milt was about half developed ; it is evident therefore that the autumn spawning takes place about the month of March with the main body of fish, and as all our other Mullets spawn twice in the year, it is probable that this species also has a spring spawning-season. The specimens examined measured respectively 14, 15|, and 16f inches. I may here mention that after an exhaustive examination of numerous examples of the two reputed species, Mugil dobula, Giinth., and M. grandis, Casteln., I can find no differences sufficient to justify their separation. Castlenau's fish is the adult, which comes in from the open sea twice in the year, in spring and autumn, for the purpose of depositing its spawn about the mouths of our creeks and rivers, and is known to fishermen by the name of " Sea-Mullet." O n their arrival from the sea they are in fine condition and very fat; and being very plentiful and of excellent flavour they command a ready sale in the market, and are eagerly sought for by the professional fishermen, to w h o m the mullet harvest here is analogous to the herring harvest in Scotland, or the pilchard harvest to a Cornish man. The shoals of mullets are usually followed by several large Sharks, among which Carcharodon rondeletii1 and Galeocerdo 1 The Carcharias leucas of Bennett (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1859, p. 223), doubtfully given by Dr. Gunther as a synonym of his C. brachyurus, is Carcharodon rondeletii ; the specimen is still preserved in the collection of the Australian Museum, and has been verified by the m a n who caught it. |