The Queer and Rare Fishes of New Zealand (1st ed) by Arthur W. Parrott

1960.

Hardcover with colour dust jacket, 210mm x 145mm. 192 pages. Black and white photographs or line art illustrations for 67 fish species.

Minor imperfections on the dust jacket, otherwise excellent condition.

Although written 57 years ago, The Queer and Rare Fishes of New Zealand is still an interesting read.

Parrott lists and describes 67 fishes that he considers to be among the more unusual. They are unusual in the sense that they are not your typical fish shape. Just some of the fishes covered in the book include hagfish, lamprey, ghost shark, elephantfish, flying fish, sunfish, moonfish and clingfish, along with several species of flounder.

From the dust jacket:

“The purpose of this book, as of the author’s two previous books on New ­Zealand fishes, is to serve as a popular introduction and guide to the manifold varieties of our marine fishes, whose curious body shapes impress the casual observer, and deeply interest a more serious naturalist.

"Everyone is familiar with what may be called the most fish-like fishes – those that conform to a more or less orthodox body form. There are, however, numerous ” modifications of the body that are so odd and fantastic that it is difficult for the average person to conceive that such forms are really fishes, related to the more common and normal types that he sees in the fish market."