THE RIBBON FISHES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6134, 22 March 1898, Page 1

THE RIBBON FISHES.

TBt W. B. TEGETSrEIEE.] (ThcJ'ieid.) ■■' •'■■• - ; •■ The ribbon fishes are. amongst the most remarkable of the deep-sea forms ; it was, therefore, with umch^ ' pleasure that I accepted an invitation from Mr Gerrard, of 61, College Place, (Janiden Town; to inspect the most remarkable and perfect specimen that has ever been preserved in this country. The account given to me by Mr E. Gerrard is that this specimen, which is upwards of loft in length, was obtained under the following conditions. It was discovered alive in shallow water near Dunedin, New Zealand, by the fishermen in the employ of Mr Sullivan. Fortunately, these men had too much intelligence to destroy or mutilate it, as is too often the case when a large specimen of any remarkable species occurs, but they informed Mr Sullivan that there was a sea serpent in the shallow water, when he desired thorn to put a net around it to prevent its escape. This was done, and eventually a long board was placed under the fish, which was landed alive. Mr Sullivan, with a remarkable degree of forethought, took advantage of his opportunities and had the fish at once conveyed to his ice house, and subsequently, brought it to England himself, in the refrigerator of the vessel, along with some thousands of rabbits and sheep that were consigned to Messrs Harris and Chart, of Tooley Street, from whom it was immediately purchased by the Hon Walter Rothschild for preservation for his museum at Tring. The length of this fish is 15ft lin, the extreme depth from the back to the underpart is 15in, and the extreme width, only 3inj so that its form distinctly merits the appellation of ribbon 'fish'\vhich -has been applied 1 to it. Each 'ventral fin consists of one ray only, which terminates ma slightly enlarged fleshy lobe. The ray itself is bordered all along with an edging of pink skin about half an inch wide. The front half of the body has numerous tiger-like transverse stripes interspersed with small spots ; the terminal half has larger spots or blotches of a greyish colour. The general ground colour is silvery. The dorsal spines commence at the back of the head, where they are about 2ft long and very flexible; they diminish inlength as they run. down the body. With the true devotion of an inquiring naturalist, Mr Gerrard informs us that some of the flesh was cooked, being fried and served up with e^g sauce, but it was not particularly attractive, and no one cared for it. He describes the eating of it as very like chewing a sponge flax'oured with lobster, and he stated that when skinning the specimen, it had a smell not unlike lobster, and not at all fishy. During the time that the specimen remains at Mr Gerrard's, he is kind enough to say that he will be glad to show it to anyone interested in strange fish. It is, however, at preseut suspended back downwards on fche boards in order to preserve the shape whilst the specimen dries. The ribbon fishes are all true deep-sea fishes. They are found in various parts of the world, but generally either floating dead on the surface or thrown ashore by the waves. Dr Giinther, in writing of the group in his " Study of Fishes," says that when they reach the surface of the water the expansion of the body from the removal of the deep-sea pressure so loosens all the parts of their system that they can only be lifted out of the water with difficulty, and are nearly always broken and lost. The very bones contain but little earthy matter, but are thin and light. From the great length of these fishes, many writers have suggested that they may have been mistaken for sea serpents, as wasj, indeed, the case with the specimen under notice. The young are rarely met: with, as: it is obvious froni- their delicate fins they must be bred and live in depths where the water is absolutely quiet. There are three genera of these fishes— the Trachypterus, of which the deal fish (T. arcticus) of the North Atlantic, specimens of which are occasionally found after the equinoctial gales on the coast of North Britain, is the best known ; the Stylophorus, of which only one specimen in the museum of the College of Surgeons is known; and the Eegalecus. This latter contains the largest species, to which the specimen at present under notice belongs. The English species, E. Banksii, Banks' oar fish or ribbon fish, is sometimes found on the English coasts. By far the best description of it is given in Day's " British Fishes."- He enumerates tho different occurrences. None of the specimens have equalled the length of the example now belonging to the Hon. W. Eothschild, and almost all that have been obtained are more or less mutilated,