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, THE FORTESCUE FISH OF SYDNEY
HARBOUR. ?
AN EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY.
1
[By James S. Bray in Sydney
Telegraph.]
It is not generally known that we have
in the waters of our Sydney
harbour a very venomous fish commonly
called the " Fortescue."
This fish belongs to the Scorpaenidac,
and is scientifically named at Peutaroge
marmorata. It is a terrible and much
to-bedreudcd reptile ' fish. The
fortescue is well-known to all fishermen,
but especially to net fishermen, who
are ever on the alert so as to avoid
contact with it. Even in daylight it is
not readily seen by the novice, and at
night time the expert fishermen have
difficulty in finding it, so like in colour
is the fish to the net, and the debris
that may happen to be brought on
shore when making a haul.
i My object in writing the present
article is for a double purpose : first,
I to warn those foolish people who love.
to go about barefoot on to and around
a fisherman's net when in the act of
being; landed on the beach, and, second,
that I have succeeded in making a discovery
that this insignificant and tiny
fish has a regular row of venom points,
each and every one outrivalling the fang
of a venomous reptile !
The whole dorsal fin barbs or spines
are almost exact imitations of the fang
of a venomous reptile, only that instead
of one conducting channel for the
venom, as is the case with the reptile,
these terrible fishes have two in each
spine.
In addition to these fearful weapons
of defence and offence, innumerable
spines are to be found on all parts of
the body, that at the least touch pierce
the skin, and with almost electrical
quickness send through its victims
body the most horrible and agonising
pains it is possible to imagine. ,
in my time I have seen strong men
groaning and almost shrieking in the
terrible agony experienced from the
mere touch from a specimen of this fish,
small that it could have been with
ease put into a cigarette, case. The
only relief in most of the cases coming
under my notice was in plunging, the
affected part into almost boiling' water
The pain brought about by the bite
of a venomous reptile, the stings of the
scorpion, bees, wasps, hornets, the black,
red, and hopped ants, etc., are mere
child's play, compared to the agony
inflicted by these fearfully venemous
fishes.
The fortescue in its. normal state
would appear to be a harmless fish, but
on being interfered with the spines on
the body and those of the dorsal fins
are erected and stand out rigid, very
much in the same manner, under like
conditions, as that of the quills of our
Echidna, commonly known as the
hedgehog or porcupine,
I had almost given up hope in trying
to find out how it was that this fish
possessed such an extraordinary and
terrible power until about three months
ago'
A very large-sized specimen came into
my possession, and I amused myself one
Sunday afternoon dissecting it. Quite
by chu nee I happened, through the
sun's slanting rays, to notice a double
groove leading on towards the point of
one of the dorsal fin spines, an item in
the past quite looked over in my
study of the fish! I took home the
whole fish, and after carefully cleaning
and dissecting each dorsal spine, found
that every one was a hollow tube, or
rather a spine having near its base
a hollow that as it made its
way towards the point merged
half-way into two channels, the i
two channels being formed by a
tiny line coming right direct from the
point. The openings of such channel
are about half an inch from the point,
the under portions of each channel
losing their upper surface about half
an inch from the point, and the under
grooves or channel then passing right
away to the point each side of the hue
coming direct from the point towards
the base.
To all appearance these spines are
formed almost in a similar way as that
of the fang of a venomous snake, but are
more exquisitely made for the fearful
work designed to them in the domain
of nature.
Taking one of the terrible weapons,
and placing it in the machine I invented
some years ago, by which I can
use the venom fang of any reptile just
in the same way as the reptiles use
their fangs when giving forth Venom,
I tried to force through the spine some
water, and found that the liquid did
not come through it in a stream, but
came through each opening, and
formed on to the point in the form of a
tiny globule, very similar to the drop
of acid sent down to the point of the
sting of our red joe ants when in the
act of stinging.
My future research will be given to
try and find out if the fortescue has a
poison gland or a series of glands.
which it feeds these double channelled
spines, and if it be so (unless nature
made these extraordinary and marvellously
proportioned barbs for no
such purpose), then we have in this
fish an instance of a tiny creature possessing
in itself to an unparalleled
degree an array of formidable weapons
fearful to contemplate, and should
make everyone for ever be on the alert
against this denizen of our harbour.
The fish is occasionally caught with
the line, but more frequently brought
ashore in the net. I believe there are
one or more authenticated cases of
death from the venom of the fortescue.
I send the Daily Telegraph one of
these curious spines, inserted in the
double grooves of which I have passed
two extra-fine silver wires which can
separately be pulled backwards and
forwards. As a contrast, I also send,
with a fine wire also passed through it,
the fangs of our death-adder. The
two objects placed side by side are
both small " atoms," but fearful weapons
when waged in warfare by the owners
when alive, and, by comparison, the
miniature venom fangs alongside of the
fortescue's spine gives to one the
appearance of the task of a boat lying
alongside that of an elephant.
IV. A. McGuire, a well-known citizen of
McKay, Ohio, is of the opinion that there is
nothing as good for children troubled with
colds or croup as Chamberlain's Cough
Remedy. He has used it in his family for
several years with the best results and
always keeps, a bottle of it in the house.
After having la grippe he was himself
troubled with a severe- cough. He used
other remedies without benefit and then
, concluded to try the children's medicine, and
to his delight it soon effected a permanent
'cure. For sale by all dealers ; Hatton and
Laws,, Launceston, General Agony : A. P.
Miller, Local! Agent.
. From the Hon. K. Buiidbtt-Stcth,
O.M.G., M.L.C, of Sydney :
? " Some three, years ago the Hon. B. H. D,
I vVbite recommended, your Hair Restorer to
me, and I have used it constantly alone than
with most beneficial results.'
" I concur in what Mr. White states as to
its ejjkwiyt
"(Signed) R. Buhoett-Smith;
" Tasmanian Club,
" Macquarie-street Hobart,
." December, 1891.
" To Messrs. Hinsby At Cixwbu,
Chemists,
i "83, Elizabeth-street."
SPECIAL CAUTION. - None Genuine without
the names, " Hinsby J Clewer,"
printed in red letters across all labels.
BltllsnWABB, BRUSHWARE- - Totals AND
Rushton best to indicate that they have purchased
the collection of hair brushes every
country exhibited by Messrs. Hinds & Co.,
London. These brushes have received special
first award and gold medal at Um Tasmanian
International Exhibition, and we are now prepared
to dispose of them at the lowest possible
rates. Torus UuêiiTiiN, Pharmaceutical
Chemist,-, Liverpool and KlUnuuili streets
Hobart
$