NATURE NOTES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21278, 3 September 1932, Page 1 (Supplement)

NATURE NOTES

THE UGLY CATFISH

BY J. DBTTMMOND, F.t,.8., P.Z.B.

The catfish has attracted the attention of a resident of Otahuhu. To settle an argument he has asked for information on the presence of this fish in New Zealand, its habits, and its position in the world of fishes. He states merely that, some years ago, he caught, in a lagoon near the Waikato River, several fishes about a foot long, with hideous large heads and long feelers that protruded from above the mouth. As he surmises, they were catfishes, members of an interesting group, known to ichthyologists by a double-barrelled Greek name that means thread-jaw, and to anglers and fishermen by the popular name suggested by their feelers, or barbels, which distantly resemble a cat's whiskers..

All catfishes are ugly. In most species there is a stout spin© in front of the fin on the back, and another in front of each breast-fin. With jagged or serrated edges, the spine may cause a severe wound to an enemy. The wound may be painful, but Dr. Starr-Jordan, who died a few years ago, but who still ranks as one of the highest authorities on fishes, stated that the pain usually results from the irregular cut and from slime on the spine, not from a specific poison. In other species of catfishes, notably mad-toms, there is a poison gland at the base of the breast spine, which gives a sharp pain like a hornet's sting, and like the sting of a scorpion-fish. There seems to be some doubt as to the particular species introduced into New Zealand it is not a native —and 4 as no specimen is available for examination, it cannot be stated whether catfishes here have these spines or not. Probably they have. Perhaps the point can be settled by people who have caught these fishes in this Dominion. The spines of the catfish are remarkable adaptations. Dr. Starr-Jordan has described each spine fitting into a peculiar joint, and set immovably by a slight downward or forward twist. A turn in the opposite direction releases the joint. Pelicans that swallowed catfishes died from wounds caused by the spines. When catfishes were introduced into the Sacramento River, United States, they caused the death of many Sacramento perch. The perch fed on the younf? catfish, which, erecting their spines, killed the perch by tearing the walls of their stomach.

There are about 1200 species of catfishes. In size; the species range from two. inches to six feet. The American species in New Zealand strikes the happy medium. All species are regarded as food fishes. The'flesh of species that live in the sea is described as tough and flavourless, but the' flesh of river, lake and lagoon species is very delicate. This high reputation, doubtless, led to the introduction of catfishes into New Zealand fifty-five years ago. The only critic of catfishes as food, strangely, is Punch. When the catfish was introduced into the Old Country, Punch stooped to give it a jocular poetical notice: The. catfish is a hideous beast, A bottom-feeder that doth feast TJpon unholy baft. ' . ' He's no addition to our meal; He's rather richer than the eel; And ranker than the skate. Against this -an American writer wrote of the New Zealand. species, or a close ially: "It has no noticeable bones, and is one' of the best pan fishes. It retains its excellence as fresh fish as long as any fish does, and longer than most of them. It is eaten and relished by all classes of people, and they would eat more of it if they could get them*" Another writer also praises the species: " One of the hardiest of fishes, it will care for itself and even thrive in the muddiest of stagnant writers. It will breed readily, and will enclure complacently every hardship of drought, extremes of temperature and lack oi: food. Every trait bespeaks its stagnant and mud-loving nature; dusky in colour, sluggish and blundering, furnished with long, tactile barbels, a shallow, slowly-drained pond, furnished with an occasional deep mudhole, will admirably suit its needs. If the water becomes warm in the summer, it will survive; knowing how to survive is one of its special virtues. If its pond dries, and the whole basin is serried with mud cracks, it will lie dormant for days, even for weeks."

The catfish pioneers in New Zealand were imported into Auckland by Mr. T. Russell; one hundred and forty were placed in St. John's Lake. - For seven years they were lost sight of, but in the eighth year after liberation they were sufficiently plentiful to be distributed to many parts of tho Auckland Province, and to Wellington, Canterbury and the West Coast of the South Island. In 1904 catfishes were reported to be plentiful ■in Lake Mahinapua and in Mahinapua Creek, south of Hokitika, and in 1919 Mr. W. W. Smith reported that they were abundant in ponds near Ashburton. The species in New Zealand belongs to a notable family called the Siluridae. All members of-the family are scaleless. In them all the whiskers are well developed. Most of the fresh-water species and all the marine species belong to this family. Its members, representing some seven hundred species, distributed over many parts of the world, have been held up to scorn as " a bloodthirsty and bullying race of rangers, inhabiting the bottoms of rivers, with always a lance at rest and ready to do battle with their nearest neighbours." Mrs. Prescott, Puketui, Thames, states that the native crow 'was reported in that district about two years ago, and that this rare and handsome species once was plentiful in forests near Neavesville, nine miles south of Thames. She has supplied an additional popular name for the crow, " Blue-gill." This refers to its pretty, bright ultra-marine-blue wattles, which rest like ear-drops on the bluishgrey costume. The South Island crow has orange wattles, each with a blue base. It is rarer than its North Island cousin. It is correct to call these birds crowa, but they are aberrant members of the great crow family, • having affinity with the Australian magpies and bowerbirds. " The Mangonui Hospital is prettily situated on the shore of historic Doubtless Bay," Mr. Allen Bell writes. " The institution being continuously overcrowded, a number of the patients have to be accommodated on the verandah, where their most constant visitors are the pretty mackerel" gulls, which attend in numbers at every meal hour and enter into a noisy competition for scraps of food. A few black-backed gulls also visit (."he institution, but they are more wary and keep at a safe distance. Sometimes, when a larger mo»<el than usual is thrown out, one too big to swallow, a fight takes place. Eventually a mackerel gets away with it, flies down the paddock, and settles, preparatory to enjoying the meal. This is the black-backed gull's chance, and it promptly follows and annexes the food. Other constant meal-tiime visitors are sparrows. They keep a safe distance from the gulls, but get their share by hopping on the verandah, and pickiug up the crumbs between the beds."