Southern Roughy, Trachichthys australis

Plate 114. Australian Rough Fish, Trachichthys australis (now known as the Roughy, Trachichthys australis)

The only specimen I have ever seen is that figured, which was presented to the National Museum by Mr. Jenkins, the fishmonger of Swanston Street, who has contributed many rarities to the collection. Described by Shaw from a New South Wales specimen collected by White nearly a century ago, no second specimen has been seen since until the present one and that described by Count Castlenau. Cuvier and Valenciennes, in their great "Histoire Naturelle des Poissons," have had to construct a description from Shaw's figure, no example existing in the Continental museums. The only other species of the genus, the T. elongata (Günth), is easily distinguished by its more elongate slender form, smooth spines, and other characters.

The specimen in our Museum was caught in Hobson's Bay. 23rd May, 1884. Not figured of natural colors before.