CHAPTER III.

SCALY-FINS, RED MULLETS, SEA-BREAMS, SCORPION-FISHES, SLIME-HEADS,

TASSEL-FISH, MEAGRES, AND SWORD-FISHES.

BY W. P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S.

quaintness of shape, combined with beauty of coloration, the family of Scaly-finned

Fishes has no rivals. The name by which they are collectively known refers to the scalyFOR covering which invests the bases of what are called the median fins the fins seated of distinct species have beenalong the middle of the back and abdomen. A large number described, the majority of which occur in tropical seas, and especially in the neighbourhood of coral-reefs; but some frequent the mouths of rivers, which they occasionally ascend for a short distance. All are of relatively small size, of carnivorous habits, and but little used for food. The pattern of coloration commonly takes the form of bands or stripes, those in vfhich is thethis pattern is most marked being known as ZEBRA-FISH. One of the most beautiful

of the World614 The Living Animals

EMPEROR-FISH, which ranges from the east coast of Africa to the Indian and Malayan seas. The ground-colour of the body is deep blue, relieved by some thirty golden-yellow stripes running from the shoulder backwards to the tail. Crossing the head is a crescent-shaped bar of black edged with yellow, whilst a similarly coloured patch runs upward from the pectoral fins to within a short distance of

Photo by W. Samlle-Kcnt, F.Z.S.J [Milford-on-Sta. the top of the back. This THE MISCALLED ARCHER-FISH. species, which attains a length 80 named on account of its supposed habit of shooting water at insects. of 15 inches, is highly esteemed for food in India. The most beautiful of all, perhaps, is the zebra-fish of the Indo-Malayan seas, which has the ground-colour of yellow, striped with vertical bars of blue edged with brown, a yellow tail, and an anal fin barred with narrow blue lines. is a common feature of the fishes of this group, and two Indian A tubed-shaped mouth species in which this character is especially well developed have acquired the habit of shooting therefrom a drop of water at insects resting on overhanging foliage fringing the sea or along the banks of rivers. Having sighted its quarry, it would seem the fish moves upwards to the surface of the water, and with careful aim ejects its liquid bullet with such unerring precision that its prey is invariably knocked down and speedily seized. On this account these fishes are commonly known as ARCHER-FISHES. The archer-fishes are sometimes kept in tubs of water, for the purpose of affording amusement to their captors. Somehow the shooting prowess of these fishes has been accredited to an allied form, shown in the above photograph. The peculiar shape of these fishes is sufficiently indicated by the photograph already mentioned, but a large series would be necessary to show the numerous variations, some of is probably protective, since thewhich are quite remarkable. The brilliancy of the coloration most brightly coloured forms live amongst coral-reefs built by gorgeous polyps, or coral-animals, so that amidst such surroundings the fishes are quite inconspicuous.

The RED MULLETS occur chiefly in tropical seas, but one species inhabits European waters, and occur sparsely around the British Islands. Occasionally, however, these fishes visit the British coasts in vast shoals, more than 5,000 having been taken in a single night in August, 1819, in Weymouth Bay, whilst in May, 1851, 10,000 were taken off Yarmouth in one week. Photo ly W. SaviUe-Kent, F.Z.S.] [Milford-on-Sea..

Although about forty STRIPED RED MULLET.

stripes.species of red mullet are The head is ornamented with brilliant blue and violet

Red Mullets and Sea^breams 615

known, the European species is the most prized as a food-fish. Its fame, indeed, extends backwards to the time of the ancient Komans, who sought far and wide for large specimens, paying ruinous prices for them. "Then, as nowa- " days," writes Dr. Giinther, it was considered essential for the enjoyment of this delicacy that the fish should exhibit the red colour of its integument. The Komans brought it, for that purpose, living into the banqueting-room, and allowed it to die in the hands of the guests, the red colour appearing in all its brilliancy during the death- Photo by W. Saville-Kcnt, F.Z.S.'} [Milford-on-Sea. BEOWN SNAPPER. struggle of the fish. The The snappers are esteemed for the table. fishermen of our times attain the same object by scaling the fish immediately after its capture, thus causing a permanent contraction of the chromatophores containing the red pigment."

Beneath the chin of the red mullets will be noticed two long finger-like processes; these can be thrust forward and moved about, or laid back in a groove between the sides of the lower jaw, and are used to rake about in the sand and gravel at the bottom of the sea to discover burrowing shrimps or worms. Even dead food they are said to feel with these barbels, as they are called, before biting. The red colour has been observed in the Marine Aquarium at Plymouth to become darker when the fish rise from the ground, and to pale away when they descend. Two forms of red mullet occur in European waters, but it is not yet finally settled whether they represent distinct species. The one is the plain Photo by W. Saville-Kent, F.Z.S.} [Milford-on-Sea. RED MULLET, of a rich carmine- RED SEA-BREAM. red above and silvery white Some species of sea-bream occasionally enter fresh-water. below; the other the STRIPED MULLET, or SUR-MULLET, which has a beautiful red colour on the back and sides, and from three to five bright yellow bands passing from head to tail. Till recently the striped form was regarded as the female of the plain red mullet, but many authorities incline to the view that the two are distinct species.

The SEA-BREAMS are fishes of the tropical and temperate regions, represented by a considerable number of species. Only one is at all abundant on the British coasts, and this

of the World6i6 The Living Animals

occurs especially on the south and south-west coasts of

is England and Ireland. It of an orange-scarlet colour above, and somewhat silvery on the sides, with a large black spot on the shoulder. Several species of sea-bream occur in Australia, where they are known as SNAPPERS. One of the largest of these, which attains a length of more than 3 feet and a weight of over 40 Ibs., is not only considered

Photo by W. Saville-Kent, F.Z.S.] [Milford-on-Sea. excellent eating, but is also SNAPPER. the most popular sport- An Australian species of Sea-bream. yielding fish of that colony. The ancient Eomans kept a species of sea-bream, the GILT-HEAD, in their vivariums, where it grew extremely fat. This species is said to stir up the sand with its tail, to discover buried shell-fish. It is its jaws isparticularly fond of mussels, and the noise it makes in crunching them between loud enough to be heard by the fishermen.

Nearly allied to the Sea-breams are a group known, for want of a better name, as the THICK-BAYED FISHES, some of which rank as of prime importance among the food-fishes of the British Colonies. A general idea of the shape of the members of this family may be gathered from the photograph of an Australian G-ROPER. The name of LONG-FIN, given to one species, is bestowed on account of the fact that one or more of the rays of the breast-fin on each side is drawn out into a filament, often of very considerable length, which is used as an organ of touch. In other species, where the elongation is less, and more rays have undergone modification, an auxiliary organ of locomotion is the result. At the Cape of Good Hope species of long-fin are very abundant, and preserved in large quantities for export.

Other members of this family lack the elongated fin-rays altogether. The fishes known are consideredas the TUMPETERS of New Zealand and Tasmania belong to this section. They by the colonists the best flavoured of any native fishes, and are eaten smoked as well as fresh. But two species are known, one ranging from 30 to 60 Ibs. in weight, and the other, a much smaller form, scarcely attaining a weight of 20 Ibs.; the latter is the more abundant of the two, though confined to the coast of New Zealand. In the SCORPION-FISHES we have a small group including several forms remarkable for their ugliness, having added to an uncouth shape Photo by W. Saville-Kent, F.Z.S.] [Milford-on-Sea. skinny appendages, which, KING-SNAPPEE. projecting from the body, A member of the group of Slime-heads. resemble rather leaves of

Scorpioivfishes and Slime^heads 617

seaweed than parts of the fish. These appendages, by their waving motion, serve either to attract other fishes or to afford concealment by their resemblance to the surrounding weeds. The ground-dwelling forms have some of the rays of the breast-fin modified into fingerlike processes, like those of the Gurnards, by which they both crawl and feel. Some members of the family bear a rather close resemblance to the Sea-perches. In addition to their ugliness, some have become especially offensive by the transformation of certain of the fin-spines into poison-organs. is the STONE-FISH One of the ugliest, and at the same time most dreaded, of the family is grooved. At the lower end of these figured on page 619. Each spine of the back fin grooves lies a pear-shaped bag containing a milky poison, which is conveyed to the point of the spine by ducts lying in the grooves. The native fishermen carefully avoid handling these fish; but persons walking with bare feet in the sea step upon the spines, and, receiving the poison into the wound, are killed.

All the scorpion-fish are carnivorous, and differ from the majority of fishes in that

Photo by W Saville-Kent, F.Z.S.] [Milford-on-Sea.

AUSTRALIAN GROPER.

Highly esteemed as a food-fish.

they produce their young alive. The smallest of the Spiny-finned fishes are members of this group, some scarcely exceeding 1 inch in length. They are common amid the coral-reefs of the Pacific.

Passing over some comparatively unimportant members of this family, we come to a small group of vegetable-feeders from the Indo-Pacific, of which the TEUTHIS is one of the for the fact that the abdominalbest known representatives. They are chiefly remarkable cavity is surrounded by a complete ring of bones, and that the air-bladder is forked at both ends. Some are rather brilliantly coloured.

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