ODD FISH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19761, 12 April 1926, Page 2

ODD FISH.

A PISCATORIAL RARITY.

NORTHERN FISHERMEN’S

FIND.

BIG ONES THAT GOT AWAY,

(From C ;r Own Corses, ondwt.) AUCKLAND, April 9,

A fish not hitherto discovered in New Zealand waters, nor, so far as can be ascertained, in those of Australia, was drawn out of the Bay of Planty on a hand line this week near White Island, and has been forwarded by Mr J. Williams, of Tauranga, to the Auckland Museum. It is about 4ft 6in long, and has no scales. In their stead the skin is completely covered with derma! tubercles, each terminating in several spines. Its colour is a uniform purplish brown or violet black. The assistant curator of the museum (Mr L. T. Griffin) has identified the newcomer as a fish known in Spanish wateis as escolar, the scientific name of which is Ruvettus pretiosus. It is one of the scrombolis, allied to tunnies and mackerels. Its principal habitats are the Medi terranean and Atlantic Ocean, where it ij generally found at moderate and considerable depths, and it has also been found in the Pacific off the coasts of Japan and Hawaii. In the Mediterranean it was first seen off Sicily, but it is described by piscic authorities as being so rare that it does not appear to have a common name among fishermen around -the C-.-ary Islands. In the Atlantic it is said to be captured with hook and line at 100 fathoms or less, and Its flesh is highly prized. The museum authorities are having a cast of the fasn made for the Exhibition. Reports from Tauranga hold out hope that other specimens of the species can be secured in the v.cinity of White Island by way of an addition to the interesting collection ot new food fishes in the Dominion waters, which Mr Griffin has collected within the last year or two. The fish was ianded after a strenuous quarter-hour fight. It was 54m in length, and bad a girth of 21m. The upper and lower jaws are set closely with small but very sharp teeth, and further in the mouth, just at'the gullet opening, there is a further set of similar teeth. Its entire body is covered with sharp teeth like apines, which curve toward the tail. It has a head similar to that ot a barracouta,. but the body and the tail are like those of the kingfish. The eyes hve a diameter of 2in, and gave a bright phosphorescent effect when the fish was hauled clear of the water. The fishermen state that this new species is a remarkable fighter. It has the strength of a shark, the speed of a kingfish, and the sounding characteristics of the hapuka. When it was brought to the surface it renewed its fight afresh, and owing to its body covering of spines it was a ticklish monster to handle at first. One had no sooner been captured than several more were hooked. One put up a terrific fight, and after running with over 30 fathoms of line, finally broke the gear and escaped. All the others were brought to the surface, but their weight and viciousness proved too much for the ordinary hapuka gear. The largest seen was of an estimated length of Oft.