Flying Fish For Tea?

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 201, 26 August 1939, Page 16 (Supplement)

Flying Fish For Tea?

Have You Ever Tried

r*S nothing unusual to have fish for tea, but when it's flying fish—that's something to talk about. Many people do not realise that flying fish are edible. They're not only edible, they're delicious in taste somewhat like snapper. 1 know—l' ve tried ' em! What's thatT Why, if flying fish are edible have you never seen them in fisn shops T Because, I should imagine, they are not regularly caught by fishermen. Only occasionally do they fly on to ships •t sea and are caught before they escape bsck into the ocean.

ByPhilip Matthews

The so-called wings of the flying fish are really large extended pectoral fins. The Hah leap from the water and soar through the air sometimes for several hundred feet, the fins spreading as a parachute to sustain the body. The fins are rainbow-hued when the fish has just been caught, and if pinned out will dry te took like small fans. In time, howMW, tlwy win leee their colours, and the thin webbing ef the fins will break at the slightest touch.

The common flying fish and the greater flying fish are abundant in the Mediterranean, and both have straggled to British seas. Some of the flying fish in New Zealand waters are native to the Dominion, but others have a wider distribution, one found off the coast being one of tne largest in the world, growing to 14in or 15in, as compared with the Gin or Bin specimens living further out to sea. Most of the 40 species are edible. The value of the flying fish in the days of sailing vessels can easily be imagined. With trips of many weeks from one port to another, sailors had to depend mainly on salt meat, which became not only monotonous but unhealthy. Consequently any flying fish which were foolish enough to eome aboard were soon in the cooking pot. So if you ever hear anyone boast that they had flying fish for tea, don't conclude that it's just another fish story! If he happens to come from Australia and you wish to spin him one—that is, if you're still sceptical about the flying fish —ask him if he liked 'emperor fish." He'll probably want to execute some kind of summary justice upon your person. You see, a -couple of New Zealanders up Coff's Harbour way once landed a number of splendid lcingfish, which have no market value at all. So they dubbed them "emperor fish," and sold them top ruling prices .to the best fish shops in town! And the citizenry came back in droves 'for more—until the hastily departing New Zealanders left belated word of their little joke.