BIG GAME FISH

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 129, 4 June 1927, Page 11

BIG GAME FISH

TWO KINDS OF MARLIN

SCIENTIFIC IDENTIFICATION

Although much has been written about big-game ■ fishing •in New Zealand, few peopla Lave troubled to seek information regarding swordfish except from the sporting point of view. This gave some extra interest to a short address given by Air. L. T. Griffin, of the Auckland Museum, at a meeting of the Auckland Institute on Tuesday (states the "Now Zealand Herald"). Mr. Griffin visited the .Bay of Islands in February to study marine life and particularly to examine swordfish identity. The literature on the subject of swordlish and spearfish was very meagre and widely scattered, said Mr. Griflin As a matter of fact, the most comprehensive w.ork on the subject was a monograph published m California only last year. One reason why the information was scanty was that the fish were altogether too large for preservation in spirit. The only exhibits to be found in most museums were skins, indifferently mounted, photographs ot mutilated specimens, and examples of swords.

Only one species of the broadbill swordnsh, Xyphias Gladius, was known, but the spearfish comprised three Genera and a number of species. Only one genus, Makaira, was represented in New Zealand waters. The other two were distinguished by the great length and height of the dorsal hn, and were popularly known as sailfish. After examining specimens, he had no hesitation in identifying the black marlin with Makaira Mazara, a species found as far north as Hawaii, but not in Cahfornian waters or anywhere off the coast of North America.

He was of opinion that the black niarliu had been taken in Australia, but that it had been wrongly identified with a fish of the genus Tetraphurus. The so-called giant black rnarlin, found off Santa Catalina, California, was not the same as the New Zealand fish. The former had no traces whatever of stripe markings, whereas they were evident in the latter. The New Zealand striped marlin, a smaller fish of lighter colour and more elegant shape, he identified with. Makaira Mitsukurii, so named after a Japanese scientist. This speces was found from Japan to Hawaii, and also in California waters, off Santp. Barbara. It had not been reported from Australia, but probably it existed there.

Both species, said Mr. Griffin, were summer visitors to New Zealand. His observations showed that they fed upon kahawai, young dogfish, and trevalli, whereas the broadbill's food was principally squid. Fish taken from marlins had often been speared, showing that after being impaled they had been thrown off the spear and swallowed. The dogfish had not been treated in' this way, having apparently been caught on the sea bottom. Many conjectures had been made regarding the reason why fewer big game fish were about during last season, and it had been suggested that the food supply was low. Actually the food supply had been quite as good as usual. The only explanation seemed to be that fewer fish had come to New Zealand last summer.

Incidentally, Mr. Griffin urged that more systematic, work should be done in searching for new varieties of fish around the New Zealand coast, especially that of the Auckland province, which was very rich in marine life. He showed pictures of several new species discovered by himeslf and others.