hand-fish

Dictionary of Australasian Words Phrases and Usages by Edward E. Morris

n.


a Tasmanian fish, Brachionichthys hirsutus, Lacep., family Pediculati. The name is used in the northern hemispherefor a different fish, which is also called there the Frog-fish and Toad-fish. The name arises from afancied resemblance of the profile of the fish to a human hand.It is also called Frog-fish and Tortoise-shellfish. Mrs. Meredith calls it Tortoise-shell Fishfrom its colour, when figuring it in `Tasmanian Friends andFoes' under its former scientific name of CheironectesPolitus. The surface of its skin is hirsute with minutespines, and the lobe at the end of the detached filament of thedorsal fin – – called the fintacle – – hangs loose. The scientificnames of the genus are derived from Grk. brachiown,«the arm,» and cheir, «the hand.» The armlikepectoral fins are used for holding on to stones or seaweed.

1850. `Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of VanDiemen's Land,' Jan. 9, vol. i. p. 268:

«A little spotted fish belonging to the genus Chironectes. . . Mr. Champ writes thus respecting the frog fish: – – `It was found in the sea at Port Arthur by a personwho was with me, and when caught had all the appearance ofhaving four legs, from the position and shape of the fins; thetwo longest of which, from the sort of elbow in them, and thedivision into (rays) what resemble fingers, seem to form aconnecting link between fins and legs or arms.'»

1880. Mrs.'Meredith, `Tasmanian Friends and Foes,' p. 249:

«It has fins like feet; one small pair where pectoral finsusually are, and a larger pair, with absolute elbows to them,and apparently shoulder-blades too, only those do not belong tothe fore pair of feet! A very antipodean arrangement truly!The markings on the body and on the delicate pellucid finsare like tortoise-shell.»

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