EDIBLE FISHES. lOl 



In it the Turbot, Flounder, vSole, Cod, Haddock, and Whiting reach tlie 

 greatest perfection, while the Herrings and the Sahnon among the northern 

 forms, and the Mackerel, Sea Bream, Pilchard, and Red Mullet from 

 the south, combine to confer a well merited fame on the fisheries of the 

 British seas. 



If we now compai-e the assemblage of fishes which we find in tlie 

 New Zealand seas with those in the European region, we find that, 

 on the whole, they represent the characteristic forms of the southern or 

 Lusitanian province, or, in other words, that our New Zealand fishes 

 resemble those which are found on the coast between Madeira and the 

 Bay of Biscay more than those which are caught about the north of 

 Scotland. If we contrast the thii-ty-three sea fishes that are fit to be 

 used as food in New Zealand, we have among the constant residents on 

 all parts of our coast, the Hapuku, Tarakilii, Trevally, Moki, Aua, 

 Bock Cod, Wrasse, and Patiki ; and while the Snapper, Mullet, and 

 Gurnet are only met with in the north, the Trumpeter, Butter Fish, 

 and Red Cod are confined to the south. But with the exception of 

 the Patiki, or Flounder, and the Red Cod, none of these are repre- 

 sentatives of fishes that are common even in the south of Britain, 

 while from the more northern seas similar fishes are altogether 

 absent. 



In addition to those which remain throughout the year a very hu'ge 

 number of the fishes on the New Zealand coast, oAving to its geogi'aphical 

 position, are pelagic in their habits, and roam over a wide range of ocean, 

 visiting our shores only irregularly in pursuit of food. Of the edible 

 fishes of this class, by far the lai-gest number are visitors from warmer 

 latitudes, such as the Frost Fish, Barracoota, Horse Mackerel, King 

 Fish, Dory, Warehoti, Mackerel, and Gar Fish, while only the Ling, 

 Hake, Haddock, and a few other fishes, which are rare, and worthless 

 as food, are among those of more southern types which reach the New 

 Zealand coast in their migrations. 



There is, however, no reason to complain of any want, of useful 

 variety in the New Zealand fishes as compared with Britain, for we find 

 that out of 208 S])ecies of fishes enumerated as occun-ing in the British 

 seas, including many which are extremely rare or only occasional visitore, 

 ordy forty are considei'ed to have a marketable value. In New Zealand, 

 notwithstanding our very imperfect knowledge, esi:)ecially with .regard to 

 the gregarious tribes, which there is reason to believe inhabit shoals at 

 some distance froin land, out of 130 sea fishes, of which thirty are only 



