john dory

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris

or John Dorey


n.

a fish. Thisname is applied in New South Wales and Tasmania to Cyttus(Zeus) australis, Richards., family Cyttidae, whichis nearly the same as Zeus faber, the «John Dory» ofEurope. Others call C. australis the BastardDorey (q.v.), and it is also called the Boar-fish (q.v.) and Dollar-fish (q.v.).

1880. Guenther, `Study of Fishes,' p. 451:

«`John Dorys' are found in the Mediterranean, on the easterntemperate shores of the Atlantic, on the coasts of Japan andAustralia. Six species are known, all of which are highlyesteemed for the table. The English name given to one of theEuropean species ( Zeus Faber) seems to be partly acorruption of the Gascon `Jau,' which signifies cock, `Dory'being derived from the French Doree, so that the entirename means Gilt-cock. Indeed, in some other localities ofsouthern Europe it bears the name of Gallo. The samespecies occurs also on the coasts of South Australia and NewZealand.»

See bastard dory

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