WAYS OF THE WILD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 239, 8 October 1932, Page 1 (Supplement)

WAYS OF THE WILD.

AUSTRALIAN PLANT IN N.Z.

THE PILOT FISH.

(By A. T. PYCROFT.)

A correspondent sends flowers of a plant ■which is plentiful at Manurewa. My correspondent was told that the plant goes by the name of Australian heather, but does not recognise it as a member of tile heath family, and ask 3 for information regarding it. The plant is a native of Australia and is a member of the order Epacrideae, allied to the heath family Ericaceae. There are three species of Australian Epacris naturalised in New Zealand, all confined to open manuka country in several localities near the Manukau Harbour, in the vicinity of Manurewa, Papakura and Drury. The specimen sent for identification is Epacris purpurascens. It was originally discovered by the late Dr. Sinclair and General Bolton nearly SO years ago, and was included by Sir J. D. Hooker in both the flora Novae Zealandiae and the handbook, although he expressed the opinion that it was probably introduced. Displacement of Species in N.Z. The late Mr. T.,Kirk refers to Epacris purpurascens in a paper contributed to the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute in 1895. Kirk refers to it as one of the most interesting instances of replacement then in progress on the Karaka flats between Papatoetoe and Drury that had been observed up to that time. These flats were then for many miles clothed with a dense, but not always luxuriant, growth of manuka, manuka raunui and mingi mingi, the manuka being the prevailing plant. Fifteen years after the discovery of Epacris purpurascens, a native of New South Wales, it was found in several places on the flats at Karaka, presenting the aspect of a truly indigenous plant, and attaining tlxe height of from 2ft to 6ft or more. Two other species of -Epacris, also natives of Australia, have become plentifully naturalised in or near the same localities. These three species were extending their area mainly in the directions of the prevailing winds, and would, Kirk was convinced, be able practically .to replace the indigenous vegetation over the entire area if not interfered with by man. this instance of replacement is interesting, states Kirk, as it is almost the only case in which there is clear evidence of the seeds of phanerogamic plants having been carried by aerial currents over a distance of from. 1200 to 1400 miles and becoming established in a new country. Epacris is a genus comprising 25 species, all of -which ,are confined to Australia and Tasmania, except the two found in New Zealand and which .are confined to this country. : Epacris pauciflora is found in both islands, although only reported from Collingwood and Westport, in the South Island. The flowers are small and white and plentifully produced towards the tips of the branches. This shrub iis tp ibe • seen on the cliff face at Orakei. facing the waterfront road. Epacris alpina is to be found in the interior of the North Island and at Nelson, Westland and the Southern Alps. i Sucker and Pilot Fish. Mr. Bert Deeming, writing to me from Opua, states that when at his father's f place, Tapu Point, opposite Opua, on September 14, he saw a shark in shallow water, and he and his brother tried to harpoon it, and at last succeeded in' driving the harpoon home into its head. The fish headed for the shore, and stranded itself in a narrow place in the rocks. Mr. Deeming jumped ashore, and, seizing it by the tail, hauled it ashore. It measured Bft 6in. A sucker fish 9in long was attached to its gills. A number of barnacles were attached to the' sucker fish's tail. Mr. Deeming saw a fish about 14in long accompanying the shark, and as it was almost aground it was also secured and later put into spirits. Mr Deeming describes this fish as very beautiful with silvery stripes across the back, and royal blue between. The shark was cut open, and contained between 40 and 50 young about loin long. The beautiful fish described by Mr. Deeming is a, pilot fish. It is a pelogic fish, that is, a fish which lives at the surface of the ocean away from the coast. The shark was a species not usually seen in the harbour. The pilot fish derives its name from a supposed habit of guiding and protecting the sharks and ships, which it accompanies. Ranging over all temperate and tropical seas, pilot fish were regarded as sacred by the ancients, by whom they were known as Pompili, the common belief being that when the ship neared the land the fish suddenly disappeared, and thus gave warning to the sailors of impending danger. Many legends have grown in later times as to how pilot fish will prevent sharks from taking a bait by swimming round them and enticing them away, but all these are pure fictions. Instead of the pilot fish taking care of the shark, it would rather seem to frequent the company of the latter for the sake of the fragments of food and other substances to be found in its neighbourhood, and it is doubtless for the same reason that these fish follow ships.

The Sucker Fish. The sucker fish belong to a singular group known as the Discocephali, from two Greek words, disc and had. The Discocephali comprise the single family of shark suckers, or Remoras. All the species of this group are fish that usually live at the surface of-the ocean away from the coast, and are widely dispersed in the warm seas. In this group the first dorsal fin is transformed into a peculiar L.minated sucking disc, which covers the whole top of the head and nape. All fish of this group cling by their cephalie discs to many freeswimming fish, and'are carried about the seas by them. They are carnivorous fishes, feeding on sardines, young herring and other similar small fish. Ihe sucker fish is capable of much speed in swimming on its own account. r ley are sometimes hooked when swimming detached, but cannot be landed if they come in contact with the vessel s hull, to which they affix themselves. There are several species of sucker fish, varyin" from 6in to 3ft. The sucker are all dusky in colour the belly as , dark as the back, so as to form little J contrast to the colour of the shark. M These strange creatnree can slip at will JM over the whole of the shark's body. m A