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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 318, 26 October 1865, Page 3

A Strange Fish. —The West Coast Times states that a very strange fish indeed was found on the Kanieri terrace the other day, by some diggers who were working about the roots of a large tree, amongst which it was discovered alive and frisky. The men took it to Mr Spurling, of the Otago store, who provided a herring-tin half full of water for its reception, in which it was placed, and where it conducted itse’.f in a manner peculior to fishes. It is destitute of fins, but has a very wide tail, and a finny membrane extends from the tip some distance towards the head, both on the back and belly, it is about five inches in length, and from our inspection it should imagine it to belong to the blaekfisb species; but its most striking peculiarity is its amphibiousness, for several times the tin has been capsized, and fishy, some time after, found lying on the ground quite uninjured, only waiting to be replaced in the element most congenial to to it. On one occasion the box was upset daring the evening, and no notice taken of it, and in the morning the fish was found in the dog’s kennel quite comfortable amongst the straw, and on being placed once more in water swam about with undiruinished vigor. We certainly never saw one of the kind before.