Symbol of the River
The Murray Cod is not just the river's biggest fish, but a symbol of the Murray itself. The settler community soon learnt the fish's value, and a lucrative industry was rapidly established.
This great Cod-Perch is well known under the popular name of "Murray Cod" from its great abundance in the Murray River, and some fancied resemblance to a Cod, to which it has no affinity and little likeness. It is by far the largest of all our fresh-water fish, and is in request for the table all the year round. It sometimes reaches 100lbs. in weight, and examples of 40lbs. are common. It feeds voraciously on fish and crustacea; twenty full-grown specimens of the small Murray Crayfish (Astacopsis bicarinatus) were taken from the stomach of the specimen figured in our Plate 85, which measured three feet four and a half inches in length.
It is not clear if Frederick McCoy ever travelled to the Murray River, however his artists were directed to illustrate species from the area. Ludwig Becker, Frederick Schoenfeld and Arthur Bartholomew each depicted the Murray Cod, with the various styles of their drawings revealing much about their personalities.
Becker's lively hand and inquisitive mind resulted in an iconic image, almost a caricature of the voracious feeder described by McCoy. Schoenfeld's light outline almost dissolves into a cryptic pattern of mottled greens and greys - a melancholic portrayal conveying a precarious state of mind. In contrast, Bartholomew's cool and careful observation of a small specimen gave away nothing; as always he was dedicated to the creation of a useful image.
