Hi guys,
Below snippets of an email I received from Geremy Cliff (of Sharksboard fame), with attached picture. Please read from the bottom up.
I see this as a challenge - come on KZN jiggers, lets find one!
Nico
[line]
From: Ross
Subject: Please identify this fish.
Yes, the fish were both similar size +- 40cm and +-4kg.
The first at 100m and the second at 230m depth.
Brad caught a third fish on the deep mark, same size and weight.
[align=left]From: Phil Heemstra
Subject: RE: Please identify this fish.
Hey Bruce,
This is very interesting. It looks like the hapuku, Polyprion oxygeneios. This would be the first authentic record of this species for southern Africa. It is similar to the Wreckfish . Polyprion americanus, which has a deeper body and more uniform coloration. P. oxygeneios is widely distributed in the Southern Hemisphere and is common at Tristan da Cunha (Andrew et al. 1995) and I suspected it would turn up in South African waters.
Does the fisherman still have the specimen? It would be good to deposit the specimen in our fish collection as a voucher. We need a tissue sample if the fish is still frozen. Does the fisherman have a weight and length for this fish?
Best regards, --Phil
From: Bruce Mann
Subject: FW: Please identify this fish.
Hi Phil,
Please can you confirm identification of the fish in the attached picture as Polyprion americanus, both Sean and I think it is.
Cheers
Bruce
[/align]
[align=left]From: geremy cliff
Sent: 26 November 2009 09:27 AM
Subject: FW: Please identify this fish.
Hi Sean and Bruce
Please help. First impressions here were of a freshwater bass.
It looks like the fin count is DX1,11+, A3,9. Both angler and Kevin Cox suggested wreckfish. I presume they mean Polyprion americanus, which, according to Heemstra and Heemstra does occur in KZN. The fin counts do match.
Thanks
Geremy
From: Ross
Subject: Please identify this fish.
Hi Jeremy, please identify this fish. It was caught deep off Durban in late October I caught two of them, on two diferent reefs. By the feel of the sinkers it was extremely cold below.
Many thanks
Ross
[/align]
Below snippets of an email I received from Geremy Cliff (of Sharksboard fame), with attached picture. Please read from the bottom up.
I see this as a challenge - come on KZN jiggers, lets find one!
Nico
[line]
From: Ross
Subject: Please identify this fish.
Yes, the fish were both similar size +- 40cm and +-4kg.
The first at 100m and the second at 230m depth.
Brad caught a third fish on the deep mark, same size and weight.
[align=left]From: Phil Heemstra
Subject: RE: Please identify this fish.
Hey Bruce,
This is very interesting. It looks like the hapuku, Polyprion oxygeneios. This would be the first authentic record of this species for southern Africa. It is similar to the Wreckfish . Polyprion americanus, which has a deeper body and more uniform coloration. P. oxygeneios is widely distributed in the Southern Hemisphere and is common at Tristan da Cunha (Andrew et al. 1995) and I suspected it would turn up in South African waters.
Does the fisherman still have the specimen? It would be good to deposit the specimen in our fish collection as a voucher. We need a tissue sample if the fish is still frozen. Does the fisherman have a weight and length for this fish?
Best regards, --Phil
From: Bruce Mann
Subject: FW: Please identify this fish.
Hi Phil,
Please can you confirm identification of the fish in the attached picture as Polyprion americanus, both Sean and I think it is.
Cheers
Bruce
[/align]
[align=left]From: geremy cliff
Sent: 26 November 2009 09:27 AM
Subject: FW: Please identify this fish.
Hi Sean and Bruce
Please help. First impressions here were of a freshwater bass.
It looks like the fin count is DX1,11+, A3,9. Both angler and Kevin Cox suggested wreckfish. I presume they mean Polyprion americanus, which, according to Heemstra and Heemstra does occur in KZN. The fin counts do match.
Thanks
Geremy
From: Ross
Subject: Please identify this fish.
Hi Jeremy, please identify this fish. It was caught deep off Durban in late October I caught two of them, on two diferent reefs. By the feel of the sinkers it was extremely cold below.
Many thanks
Ross
[/align]