BATTLE BETWEEN FISH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20071, 8 October 1928, Page 12

BATTLE BETWEEN FISH.

FIGHT TO THE DEATH. SUNFISH AND SHARK. [rrto.M oi;r own conn espondent.] SUVA. Sept. 27. About a fortnight ago, a fisherman, Mr. A. Smoothey, was fishing in tho vicinity of Sandbank Passage, on the way to Nukulau, when lie saw a mighty battle taking place between a hugo shark and what ho believes to have been a giant sun fish, which, ho declares, must have weighed more than a ton. Mr. Smoothey was by himself at the time, some distance away from the passage, when ho saw the water being violently disturbed. He made for tho spot and found that the water for an area 100 yards square was red with blood while in the centre a battle to the death was going on between a giant thresher shark and a big fish. Occasionally the fish canio above the surface, showing only a portion of its great black back. Its dark, coarse skin appeared to be that oi a sunfish. The shark in its effort to kill its prey rose right out of the water, showing half of its 20 or more feet of length, and then threshed down on the back of tho fish, cutting chunks out of it with his side fm and sending spurts of blood and water high into the air. It was a thrilling sight, and the baltlo mstcd fully a-quarter of an hour. Mr. Smoothey says ho felt inclined fo draw in and capture one of the contestants, but he could not manage a fish of such a size and handle his launch at tho same, time. At last victory went to the shark, and the big fish sank to tho bottom. Tho shark disappeared immediately, presumably going to the bottom to enjoy its well-earned feast. Several such battles inside tho reef .near Suva have been reported recently. At present tho harbour is alive with fish of all sizes.