SWORDFISH SPECIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19798, 19 November 1927, Page 14

SWORDFISH SPECIES.

MR. L. T. GRIFFIN'S -STUDIES.

The classification of the swordfish, which received attention in the extract from Mr. T. E. Donne's "Rod Fishing in New Zealand Waters," quoted in yesterday's llebald, has also been studied by New Zealand scientists. As the result of his studies at Russell last year, Mr. L. T. Griffin, assistant-curator at the Auckland Museum, was able to draw up a definite classification of the various species. Mr. J. R. Norman, of the natural history section of the British Museum, who supplied Mr. Donne with his facts, spoke in ignorance of Mr Griffiin's ■ researches, as 'the volume of the institute's transactions in which they were published had not then reached him. Mr. Griffin classifies the fish under two main headings, swordfish and spearfish. The broadbill, with its broad, flattened is the true swordfish, or Xiphias gladius. The spearfish are represented by the black marlin, Makaira mazara, and the striped marlin, Makaira nitsukurii. Both species of marlin ,were identified in Japan in 1901 by Jordan and Snyder, two American scientists. The New Zealand scientist also established the fact that the striped marlin is not a species peculiar to New Zealand. The misleading name of Makaira Zealandica was given to it by an overseas investigator, whoso only evidence' was a photograph of the specimen in the Auckland Museum., The presence "of sailfish in New Zealand waters has not been confirmed by Mr. Griffin.