QUEER FISH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 333, 21 October 1908, Page 6

QUEER FISH.

SENT TO THE MUSEUM. A very curious fish has been given to the Dominion Museum by Mr. Hector M'Leod, of Miramar, who procured it from some fishermen in that locality. The fishermen had roughly skinned it, and romoved the inside and much of the outer body for bait, so that the remains are somewhat dilapidated, but it is still • possible to study a very remarkable fish, of a kind scarcely ever discovered off these coasts. The specimen is short and stumpy in shape, and tho skin is covered with large ossicles, each of which carries a singlo or double pointed spine. ■ Its length is about 15 inches, and it is laterally compressed, so that it is .only'about 4 inches wide. Tho huge mouth at once attracts attention, occupying a very large part of the body. The edges of the lips are closely set with sharp teeth. The eyes are remarkably small ana indistinct, compared with the large mouth, which measures about four' inches by throe. The most curious feature is an attachment of the size of. a lead pencil, hinged at tho base, and about 2i inchcs high. At the top it lias a ball socket joint, and in tin's aro disposed a cluster of worm-liko tentacles from two to four inches long. These tentacles aro waved in front of tho mouth of tho fish, which lies hidden among rocks or seaweed, and when smaller fish aro attracted by tho worm-liko tentacles they meet with a sudden end. Tho genus is not uncommon in tho warmer seas, and- belongs t-o the group of fishes called pediculati. Ono of tho group was previously discovered in Now Zealand waters, but in that specimen tho month expanded laterally, and not vertically, and thero woro otlior points of difference -from tho latest specimen. Mr. M'Lood's fish is now being oxamined by tho Director of the Museum (Mr. A. Hamilton), who hopes' to bo ablo to preserve enough or it to snow tho extremely curious charactor of this unusual visitor to our shores. A drawing of tho fish is also boing prepared. 1 Another strango fish has boon sent to tho ■Museum from Nelson. This is a remarkably perfect examplo of a yqtmg specimen of on'o of. tho largo ribbon fisli that aro occasionally thrown up on tho New Zealand coasts. Tho specimen is only about 15 inches long, bill, is rcmarkablo for tho extraordinary develop-ment'of-the fins, more especially tho tail I'm. A drawiiig of this fin ia boing rnado, and will soon bo on oxliibition.