In England the name is applied toany fish of the family Belonidae. The name wasoriginally used for the common European Belone vulgaris.In Melbourne the Garfish is a true one, Belone ferox,Gunth., called in Sydney «Long Tom.» In Sydney, Tasmania, andNew Zealand it is Hemirhamphus intermedius, Cantor.; andin New South Wales, generally, it is the river-fish H. regularis, Gunth., family Sombresocidae. Somesay that the name was originally «Guard-fish,» and it is stillsometimes so spelt. But the word is derived from x Gar,in Anglo-Saxon, which meant spear, dart, javelin, and theallusion is to the long spear-like projection of the fish'sjaws. Called by the Sydney fishermen Ballahoo, and inAuckland the Piper (q.v.).
1847. L. Leichhardt, `Overland Expedition,' p. 288:
«Charley brought me . . . the head bones of a largeguard-fish.»
1849. Anon., `New South Wales: its Past, Present, and FutureCondition,' p. 99:
«The best kinds of fish are guard, mullet, and schnapper.»
1850. Clutterbuck, `Port Phillip,' c. iii. p. 44:
«In the bay are large quantities of guard-fish.»
1875. `Spectator' (Melbourne), June I9, p. 81, col.1:
«Common fish, such as trout, ruffies, mullet, garfish.»
1882. Rev. J. E. Tenison-Woods, `Fish of New South Wales,'p. 83:
«Of the garfishes we have four species known to be found on ourcoasts. One, Hemirhamphus regularis, is the favouritebreakfast fish of the citizens of Sydney. H. melanochir,or `river garfish,' is a still better fish, but has become veryscarce. H. argentcus, the common Brisbane species. . . and H. commersoni.»