130 edible fishes. 



97. Mud Fish. 



A most curious fish, allied to the foregoing, is the Mud Fish 

 {Neoolmnvxi apodci)^ the interest attaching to which was first recognised 

 by Sir George Grey, who obtained specimens at Hokitika which were 

 forwarded to Dr. Glinther in 1867, with the following notes, supplied to 

 me by Mr. Schaw, Warden of the district : — 



The fish were firat found 4 feet from the surface in a stiff clay 

 imbedding roots of trees, the locality being 37 feet above the level of 

 the river, and three miles from the sea, and having at one time been the 

 backwater of the river during floods. The township of Kaniei'i is now 

 built upon it, but little more tlian two years since it was a swamp 

 covered with dense forest. The sui-face clay rests on a deep deposit of 

 gravel, which has been pierced in all directions by the goldminei^, so that 

 no surface or river water can collect, and the oi"iginal swamp has 

 disap])eared. Mr. Schaw examined many specimens as they were found, 

 and assures me that they were obtained imbedded in the clay, and that, 

 although when first extracted they moved freely if placed in watex', they 

 soon get sluggisli and die. 



The specimens vary from 3 to 7 inches in length. 



Dr. Giinther regards this fish as " a degraded form of the more highly 

 developed type of Galaxias" but differing among other points in the 

 absence of ventral fins and the rudimentary chai'acter of the eye. 

 By the latter character he states that " Neochanna is distinguished in a 

 remarkable manner from the true Galaxias, which ajipear to inhabit 

 more open and clear waters (those from TeiTa del Fuego are found in 

 'Alpine' lakes), and have the eyes fully developed; while the almost 

 rudimentary eyes of Neochanna indicate clearly that it lives habitually 

 in mud or swampy places. It is not surprising that the specimens 

 obtained were killed by the sudden immersion in clear water ; perhaps 

 they might have survived if the change had been made in a more 

 gradual manner. 



" All Galaxias are extremely fat, so that it is impossible to handle 

 them, even for a very short time, without the fat penetrating through 

 the skin and soiling everything Avhich comes into contact with them. I 

 was much surpi-ised to find this also to be the case in our specimen of 

 Neochanna (which I slioiikl have supposed to have vindergone a pro- 

 tracted trial of fasting), and still more so when the stomach proved to 

 be distended with food wliich appeared to consist of the semi-digested 

 i-emains of the larvoi of a small dipterous insect. 



