46 



11. REVIEW OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN CLUPEID.E 

 (HERRINGS) AND ALLIED FAMILIES OF FISHES. 



Owing to a lack of definite descriptions and figures of South 

 African fishes there has been considerable doubt as to what 

 fish really occur in South African waters. This is well illus- 

 treated in the case of the Herring family, which contains so 

 many fish of economic importance. Thus, in the early records 

 of Van Riebeek, mention is made of Herring. In his Journal, 

 under the date February 24th, 1654, he wrote : — " Caught 

 on board the Calff half a boatful of fine herrings — about 1,000 

 were salted — making the finest pickled herring in. the World. 

 Never caught so many together ; generally only found three 

 •or four in a shoal of harders, which, when salted, were found 

 to be very delicate, and will be a great treat for the officers 

 ■of the return fleet." From time to time since this date dis- 

 coveries of the existence of Herring in South African waters 

 are recorded. Only a few years ago much was made in the 

 local press of the Eastern Province of such a discovery, and 

 liopes entertained of the possible development of a herring 

 industry on lines rivalling that of the North Sea. The " Penny 

 Mail " gave an emphatic assurance that these were " true 

 Herring." Nothing further, however, in the wa^^ of more 

 definite information or practical results followed. 



In the year 1853 a fish called the Shad or Sardyn was 

 described by Pappe as a new species of Clupea, and was given 

 the name Clupea occllata. The description is mainly of the 

 colour of the fish, other characters of specific value unfor- 

 tunately not being mentioned. It is as follows : — " Body 

 compressed, elongated ; head flattened at top ; muzzle 

 obtuse ; upper jaw with a central notch and a little projecting. 

 No teeth in either mandible ; eyes and scales large. One 

 dorsal only, tail deeply forked. Length. 6 to 7 inches. Head 

 and back blue, changeable to green and shaded with purple, 

 yellow and gold. Lower jaw and gill cover silvery, with a 

 reflecting golden lustre ; sides above the lateral line crossed 

 by a sky blue longitudinal stripe. A line of eight to fifteen 

 round, black, eye-light (eyelike ?) spots extends from the edge of 

 the operculum along the whole body. Belly silverv. Iris 

 gilt." 



