BIG FLYING-FISH.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 16, 29 October 1932, Page 3

BIG FLYING-FISH.

WING SPAN OF 24 INCHES. TANKER’S VISITORS. An outsize in flying-fish was one which flew oil hoard the big Norwegian motor tanker O. A. Kmulsen when she was clearing the tropics on her mu down from San Pedro to Wellington. The fish, which came on board shortly before daybreak one morning, measured just over 19 inches in length, and its wings had a spread of ful y 2-Jin. While this is by no means a record for size the fish was an unusually large one. Its wings were preserved by the chief officer, the Jish itself being cooked and eaten at breakfas m the officers’ mess. Flying fish are, of, course, very plentiful in the tropics, where they are seen in “flight” in large numbers. These are, however, of no great size, and their “flight” is swift and short. It is said that the larger fish are more often seen on the. “edge” of the tropics —in fact, one. master says that tne further from the tropics the larger are the flying-fisli. Ho says the has seen large flying fish in the approaches to the Hauraki Gulf. , The officers of the 0. A. Kmulsen state that flying-fish avoid their ship in davlight, but. at night they apparently Ay towards the ship’s lights, occasionally landing on the decks. Lie chief steward mentioned that one evening two flying-fish struck the wall or the midship deckhouse close to * lighted porthole with such force as to kill both of them, one having its head completely smashed.