Rare Fish Of The Pacific

Letter to the Editor IN February PIM, page 73, you illustrate a strange fish caught at Vila, New Hebrides, and you invite contributions from readers who have met with the same fish in other parts of the Pacific.

The fish is the OBLONG SUN FISH (Ranzania laevis ), according to A. W. B. Powell (Handbook of Zoology, published by the Auck land Museum). In 1953 a speci men was caught in Suva Harbour; and, being previously unknown to local fishermen, it was (and still is) preserved at the Agricultural De partment’s offices in Suva.

In August, 1953, another was caught in Suva Harbour, opposite the gaol, and was brought to the Museum, where measured draw ings and photographs of the fish were made. Its length was 21 inches, width at the broadest part 101 inches, tail 1J inches wide, width at the broadest part 101 inches, tail 1J inches wide, vertical fins 7 inches long. A vertical section

through the body suggests that of an aeroplane wing, 4 inches across at a point 1J in. from the fish’s oacK;, and narrowing to a thin ridge of bone at the bottom.

A week later a third specimen was caught, at the same place, similar in size and markings to that recorded at the Museum.

Powell (op. cit.) states that this fish is nowhere common in the Pacific; on the rare occasions when it is taken at Honolulu the natives regard it as the fish-god ancestor of the mackerels and bonitos, and on no account will they molest it.

It has been seen in New Zealand waters on two occasions; one was washed up at Wainanae, in 1941,

another was caught at the Bay of Islands in 1936. This fish is be lieved to be a deep-sea species, hav ing a body specially adapted for deep vertical diving.

I am, etc.,

R. A. Derrick,

Curator, Fiji Museum.

After a comparatively dry spell in W. Samoa during the greater part of the “rainy season,’’ ex ceptionally heavy rains set in in the middle of March, and continued for several days. It was hoped this would not affect the ripening (and very valuable) cocoa crop, due for picking in April.