2S6 FISHES 



Seven hundred young turbot, varying from one to a little over 

 two inches in length, were caught in the surf at Whitsand Bay, some 

 20 miles from Plymouth, in September, October and November, 

 1912. Of these, 400 died while being retained for shipment in the 

 tanks at the Plymouth Marine Biological Station. The remainder, 

 298 in number, were placed in a tank on board the 'Waimana' on 

 i2th January, 1913, and Otago Harbour was reached in March. 



The survivors, 195, were placed at once in the tanks of the 

 Portobello Marine Hatchery, and by scrupulous attention to cleanli- 

 ness and feeding, their growth and healthy condition have been 

 phenomenal. On 19th May, 1916, more than three years later, the 

 fish numbered 182, only five having died and eight having been 

 liberated in the harbour. Before leaving Plymouth, Dr Allen strongly 

 recommended that at least 75 per cent, of the fish should be 

 liberated immediately on arrival in New Zealand. However, local 

 knowledge of the ground-feeding habits of so many of our indigenous 

 fishes, and of the possibility of the majority if not all, of these small 

 fishes being devoured by such species as the red cod, ling and groper, 

 led to the decision to retain the whole lot, if possible, in the tanks 

 until they had attained to such a size as to guard them against much 

 risk of capture. Owing to the low temperature sometimes experienced 

 in the winter months, care was taken to slightly heat all the water 

 passing through the tanks, and it was accordingly not allowed to fall 

 below 42° F. 



As the fish had increased so much in size — many of them measuring 

 as much as eighteen inches in length — and were crowded in the tanks, 

 and on account of the time, labour and expense in feeding them, it 

 was resolved to liberate a large proportion of them. 



Accordingly on 19th May, 128 fish were placed on board the 

 S.S. ' Invercargill ' by Mr Anderton, and were liberated during the 

 night in a previously selected bay (Tautuku Bay), where it was con- 

 sidered they would be safe from trawlers, and from most of their 

 natural enemies. The fish were liberated as rapidly as possible at one 

 spot, in about ten fathoms of water on a clean sandy bottom, and from 

 their schooling instinct — ^which was very marked during their con- 

 finement — ^it was anticipated that they would tend to keep together. 



The remaining fish still showed no signs of spawning, and as 

 some of them were 22 inches long, another large batch was turned 

 out in the same locality as the previous lot on ist September, 1917. 

 The temperature of the water at the time of capture of the young 

 fish in the English Chaimel averaged 56° F., and this was the tem- 

 perature of the water in Tautuku Bay at the time of liberation of 

 the fish in May, 1916. 



