STUDY OF BIG FISH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22588, 17 March 1948, Page 6

STUDY OF BIG FISH

MISSION SUCCEEDS

AMERICAN SCIENTISTS

EXHIBITS FOR MUSEUM

CP.A.) WHANGAREI, March 17. The work of the Yale research expedition at Otehei Bay, in the Bay of Islands, has concluded. The next steps will be a close examination of the many specimens obtained by the scientists and the preparation of a museum exhibit at the Yale University's Peabody Museum, New Haven. Connecticut.

In May or June of next year the expedition will probably continue its work on the west coast of South America.

Surveying the expedition’s successes regarding deep sea fishing, the leader, Mr. W. Wendell Anderson, said 55 gamefish had been taken. They included 42 striped marlin, three black marlin, seven mako sharks, one hammerhead and two kingfish. In addition to these fish a 281 b. sunfish was harpooned and taken for museum purposes.

“We saw two broadbills and two thresher sharks which we could not get and we were disappointed because we wanted specimens of them,” Mr. Anderson added. “Everybody with whom we came in contact was most co-operative, not only the staff at the Lodge but all other anglers. They turned over their fish to the expedition for scientific purposes and in that way enabled our scientists to examine more than 150 different specimens.

"Therefore, we really had an opportunity of gathering data, and as lar as taxidermy work was concerned the work was highly successful. The results of scientific research will not be known until microscopic examinations of all the specimens have been carried out at the university.

“The whole thing has been a great success and augurs well for the continuation of the study which we have started. The fishing was really up to expectations, and other members of Ihe expedition who had not fished here before were more than amazed at the number of gamefish caught.”