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Story: Oceanic fish

Flying fish

Image
Flying fish

This ink sketch is by John Waring Saxton, who came out to New Zealand aboard the Clifford in 1842. He kept a diary, fragments of which survive and are held at the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington. He noted that flying fish generally rise from the water in small groups, fly in the same direction for several metres, then return to the water.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: MS-Papers-0107-1-03

by John Waring Saxton

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, Oceanic fish – Moonfish, flying fish, sunfish and mid-water species, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/8766/flying-fish (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 2 March 2009.