THE EXHIBITION AQUARIUM.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 261, 8 November 1906, Page 3

THE EXHIBITION AQUARIUM.

FISH AND FISH PRODUCTS. iFrom Oar Owta Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. The aquarium, one of the finest sideshows at the Exhibition, is quite free ' Ito the public who have thronged its 1 shady shelter in hundreds every day. IMr Ay son, chief inspector of fisheries, : j has arranged the building so as to show j I glass-fronted tanks along three sides. ] i The tanks are lighted from outside, and I slope at the back so as to give as large an area of light surface as possij ble at the top. Pretty rocky back- j grounds and weed clusters give the fish . some shelter, and greatly improve the general effect. Sixteen wall tanks and a large centre fioor-pool are used in which to show a choice variety ot fresh-water fish. Only one tank contains indigenous fish, the eel. but a sup- ' ply of grayling, another real New Zealand fish, is to be brought shortly from the West Coast. Silver and golden carp, quinnat salmon. Atlantic salmon, and \ery beautiful specimens known as the Zebra Hybrid, are among the exples shown. .Mr Ayson ha.-, selected very suitable displays with the result I that the aquarium is one of the | crowded side-shows in the Exhibition. jlt is interesting to note that, the LJuinj nat salmon have been acclimatised in I New Zealand. Systematic efforts in I this direction have ben made by the Govj eminent since 1000, and a tangible reI suit was shown last April and May. when a number of matured salmon re--1 teurned from the sea to the Waitaki | river. The aquarium walls are covered with mounted specimens or" fish, angling photographs, and drawing- of various kinds of the denizens of the deep. Lobsters, white fish, and shads have been mounted and sent by the Na- j tional History Museum, New lork, and there are some excellent mounted specimens of English cod. herring, and lobster. Three magnificent salmon loaned by the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society, face the entrance, where there is a row of interesting bottles containing fish, eggs, and young fish in various stages of development. Several hatching boxea axe at work in the aquarium. j To demonstrate how the colony's fisheries are being turned to account industrially, Mr Ayson has collected specimens of shark oil and shark fertiliser from an Auckland firm. The fertiliser has been analysed by the Depart- ' ment of Agriculture and" found to be stronger than ordinary fertiliser. Mr Ayson hopes the industry- will grow bs- { cause it will have a most important ef- | feet upon marketable fish. "At pres- , ent we are waging war against the cdi- ' j ble fish.'' he said, '"and leaving their j most voracious enemy in absolute seI curity." The whales caught north of ' j Auckland make good fertiliser after the i oil has been extracted from the blubber. I and the bones are converted into an ex- ' cedent bonedust for farm use. One I whale provides fully five tons of fertiI liser aud about two tons of bonedust. ' I Penguin oil for lubricating anil harness | purposes, comes from the Macquarie Is- ' j lands, and canned fish from North i Auckland, a sufficient variety of fishing products being shown to demonstrate ! immense possibilities of proper exploiI tation of our fisheries.