Fish Caught in North

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 154, 2 July 1938, Page 7

Fish Caught in North

THE FIRST CORAL VARIETY Two different species of fish, found in North Auckland waters and forwarded to the Auckland War Memorial Museum, have been identified as new, states the New Zealand Herald. One of these is a decorative species of coral fish about 7in. long and Sin. across. Of rectangular shape, it has several wide cross stripes, black in colour against a yellow to orange background. It is not only a new species, but it appears to be the first instance of a coral fish being found in New Zealand waters. It was caught off the Poor Knight 3 Islands, about 16 miles off shore, and was forwarded to the museum by Mr W. M. Fraser, of the Whangarei Harbour Board. Tho other new species is a large type of leather jacket caught by Mr T. Vella in 35 fathoms in Great Exhibition Bay, Parengarenga, and presented by him. It io 184in. in length and is closely allied to a species common in New South Wales waters. It is stated by Mr A. W. B. Powell, assistant director of the museum, that tho northern waters have not been exploited to a great extent from the aspect of the types of fish prevalent there. The reason that knowledge is so limited is that the broken nature of tho sea bottom introduces unsuitable conditions for regular and systematic trawling.