Náttúrufræðingurinn - 1950, Blaðsíða 32

94
NÁTT Ú RU FRÆÐINCURINN
nytjafiskum, friðland þeirra dregst saman. Er þá síður að furða, þótt
einn og einn sjaldgæfur fiskur fáist tíðar en fyrr, meðan minna var
sótt.
Reykjavík, 10. apr. 1950.
SUMMARY
When B. Sæmundsson published his first survey on the fishes of Iceland in 19091 2 3 4
he was able to record 106 species. Since then several new species have been added.
Thus in 1926 we knew of 130 species,2 and towards the end of last year the Icelandic
fish-fauna comprised 145 species.3 Finally we have now got two additional species, as
is described in tliis paper, hoth belonging to the family Berycidae which has not for-
merly heeu represented in Icelandic waters.
1. About Nov. 15th last year a German trawler cought 5 specimens belonging to the
genus Hoplostethus on the southern edge of the Öræfagrunn, on 185 fathoms depth,
about 37 n. m. from the coast. The fishes were brought to Cuxhafen, Germany, where
they were exantined by dr. A. Kotthaus who was not able to identify them as belonging
to any of the known species. One specimen was handed over to British Museum for
further examination, and also here it was considered as a representant for a new
species. The scientific name becatne: Hoplostethus islandicus (Kottliaus).-1 The speci-
ntens ranged in lengtli from 54—68 cms.
1) B. Sæmundsson: Oversigt over Islands Fiske etc., Copenhagen 1909.
2) — íslensk dýr I. Fiskarnir, Rvk. 1926.
3) — Marine Pisces., The Zool. of Iceland. Vol. IV, Part 72, Copenh.
1949.
4) A. Kotthaus in: Cuxhafener Zeitung" Dec. 6th 1949 and „Die Fischereiwelt"
January 1950.
2. A specimen of Bcryx decadactylus Cttvier et Valenciennes was caught on an Ice-
landic trawler on March I5th 1950, at 180 fathoms depth off the SW-corner of Iceland
(03°50’ N. lat. — 24°25’ W. long.). The fish, which after examination was presented to
the Museum of Natural History (Náttúrugripasafnið) Reykjavík, proved to be an
immature (II (VIII?)), male of 62 cms. length. The localities, where the above named
fishes were cattght, are shown in fig. 2.
3. It was reported by German fishermen, who recently visited an Icelandic port,
tbat a fish, they did not know, had been caught on their trawler in March this year.
The fish was landed in Germany but further information is not as yet available.
4. As scarse or new species of fishes from the Atlantic seem to appear more frequently
itt trawler catches now than has been the case previously, it is a question what bé the
reason. One or more of three possibilities are suggested: Unusually strong inflow of
Atlantic water, deeper going fishing crafts, increased fishing intensity.