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Art. XLII.—Additions to the List of New Zealand Fishes.
[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 10th January, 1880.]
In October last I received notice that a Turtle had been found at Island Bay, near Wellington, but, on reaching the spot, was greatly disappointed to find that the person who discovered it had not been sufficiently careful to secure his prize, which had consequently been washed away by the next tide; however, I was recompensed by finding specimens of three fish, mentioned below, none of which had previously been obtained on the New Zealand coast, though they are all found in Australia.
Atypus strigatus, Günth.
Günth. II., p. 64.
The genus Atypus was created by Dr. Günther specially for the reception of this beautiful little fish, which he mentions very minutely. The following is his description:—
B. 7. D. 11/15−16. L. lat. 70–75; L. trans. 11/26.
“The general form of the body is that of a species of Therapon; it is compressed, oblong, its greatest height below the fifth dorsal spine being one-third of the total length. The upper profile descends obliquely downwards to the end of the snout, in a very slightly curved line. The length of the head is four-and-a-half in the total length; the extent of the snout is less than the diameter of the eye, or the space between the orbits, which is slightly convex. The cleft of the mouth is small, the upper maxillary reaching to the anterior margin of the orbit. The præoperculum is nearly as wide as high, with the lower margin rounded and very slightly serrated. No pores are visible at or between the pieces of the mandibulæ. The eye is of moderate size. The præoperculum is rather deeply serrated round its margins, the denticulations being longest at the angle, which is a right one. The operculum is not armed. All the head is covered with very small scales. The dorsal fin begins in a vertical drawn from between the bases of the pectoral and ventral fins, and terminates at a distance from the caudal which equals that between the eye and the posterior margin of the operculum. The upper margin of the fin has no notch between the two portions, and its profile descends gradually from the fifth spine to the termination of the fin. The spines are of moderate strength, broader on one
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side; the first is the shortest, about half the diameter of the eye; the following increase in length to the fifth, which is tallest, one-half the length of the head; the last is rather longer than one-half the fifth. The anterior rays do not exceed in length the last spine, the whole soft portion is covered with minute scales. The caudal is scaly at the base only, forked, each lobe being 4 1/2 inches in the total length. The anal fin begins in a vertical from the last dorsal spine, and terminates a little behind the dorsal; the three spines are as long as the dorsal ones, * * * The pectorals are scaly at the base, pointed, one-sixth of the total length, and do not reach to the vertical from the vent. The ventrals are inserted behind the pectorals, and reach to the vent; their spine is not quite one-half the length of the head. The teeth of the jaws form a villiform band, with an outer series of stronger ones, which are very slightly flattened. There is a small patch of teeth on the head of the vomer.”
Dr. Günther speaking of the specimens in the British Museum, says:—“The ground-colour is now greyish-yellow, and appears to have been red in life. The back and sides are banded with brown.”
When fresh, the ground-colour of the New Zealand specimen was bright silver, the bands black—not brown, as stated by Dr. Günther; these colours have, however, become much lighter since the fish was placed in spirits.
Another and larger specimen, obtained at Port Jackson, Australia, is in the Colonial Museum; its colours are the same as those of the New Zealand specimen, but not quite so bright, probably from its having been longer preserved.
The food of this species appears to be composed almost entirely of Diatoms.
Atherina pinguis, Lacep.
Lacep. V., p. 372, pl. 11, fig. 1; Günth. III., p. 399.
D. 5–6|1/10. A. 1/14–15.
“The origin of the spinous dorsal fin is at some distance behind the vertical from the vent, consequently the dorsal is much nearer to the anal than to the root of the ventral. * * * The height of the body is contained five times and two-thirds in the total length, the length of the head four times and two-thirds. The diameter of the eye is equal to the width of the inter-orbital space. Snout obtuse, short, with the cleft of the mouth oblique,
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and the upper jaw overlapping the lower. Teeth distinct in the jaws on the vomer and the palatine bones. A silvery streak occupies the third series of scales and the adjoining quarter of the fourth.” (Günth.)
Colour: above dark brown, the extremity of each scale lined with black; under parts and sides below the silver line light brown; fins yellow, tinged with black.
Dr. Günther does not mention the presence of a large triangular scale covering the base of the ventrals.
Sphyræna obtusata.
Sphyræna obtusata, Cuv. and Val. VI., p. 350; Günth. II., p. 339.
“The height of the body is contained seven or eight times in the total length, the length of the head three and a third times; the diameter of the eye is more than one fifth of the length of the head. The first dorsal and the ventral fins commence in the vertical from the extremity of the pectorals. Præoperculum not rounded, with the angle slightly produced.” (Günth.)
Colour: above dark brown; sides and under parts silvery; fins yellow.
Odax vittatus, Sol.
The colours of a specimen lately obtained in Wellington Harbour differ considerably from those of the specimen described by Professor Hutton.*
Upper surface dark brown, almost black, marbled with lighter. Lateral streak bright silver, interrupted in places by blotches of salmon colour. Dorsal fin red, with several irregular patches of dark green. Remaining fins green with red rays.
[Footnote] * Trans. N.Z. Inst., VIII., p. 215.