These names are given to a fish similar to barracouta both of which belong to the snake mackerel family and not to the families suggested by their common names. A true hake, sometimes called whiting or English hake, does occur in New Zealand although it is scarce. Southern kingfish, Jordanidia solandri, is found throughout New Zealand in depths from 30 to approximately 200 fathoms and is more abundant about and south of Cook Strait than elsewhere. It is a silvery fish growing to about 4 ft in length, similar in general appearance to barracouta but stouter and with two lateral lines instead of the one lateral line of barracouta. Kingfish is a name used about South Island coasts; hake is a widely used term about Cook Strait and some part of the North Island.

by John Moreland, B.SC., Zoologist, Dominion Museum, Wellington.