120 American Fisheries Society 



1,500 or 1,600 persons are engaged directly in fishing 

 or handling fish, about 1,000 of these being actual fisher- 

 men, while the annual value of fish caught probably does 

 not exceed $500,000, including about $200,000 worth 

 exported, mainly to Australia. 



It is remarkable that New Zealand imports, annually, 

 fish to the value of $540,000, mainly from the British 

 Isles, notwithstanding that her own waters are so pro- 

 ductive, and many species of excellent fish are abundant. 



NUMBER OF SPECIES OF FISH. 



Over three hundred species of teleostean fishes have 

 been described in New Zealand, but of these not more 

 than thirty-five are regarded as food fishes, and even 

 some of these are not in public favor, although in many 

 cases exceedingly good table-fish. 



BLUE COD OF IMPORTANCE ECONOMICALLY. 



They belong very largely to the rough scaled spiny- 

 finned kinds of which the red snapper and groper are 

 types. Amongst the more important species must be 

 counted the blue cod, Parapercis colias, Forster, which 

 is in great favor, and though not a large species, is 

 regarded perhaps as the best of the food fishes in 

 New Zealand seas. There is a large domestic demand 

 for it and cured and smoked it is exported in consider- 

 able quantities to Australia. Captain Cook called it the 

 "coal" fish, and remarked on its abundance, and it is 

 still very plentiful, and of widespread occurrence all 

 along the coast, especially on precipitous rocky shores. 

 They are caught in from 10 to 15 fathoms depth, and 

 range from one up to five pounds, reaching ten pounds 

 weight off D'Urville Island, Cook Straits, where the 

 water is deep. Not at all resembling cod, and not belong- 

 ing to the cod family, it is curious how it has acquired 

 the name, especially as its colors are very brilliant ; often 

 a dark green along the sides marbled with brown and a 

 patch of green over each eye, while the under side is 



