Poisonous Fish of the Pacific Islands

Poisonous Fish of the Pacific Islands

Poisonous Fish of the Pacific Islands is a work by Louis Becke, a renowned Australian author and adventurer. The book is a comprehensive guide to the various species of poisonous fish found in the Pacific Islands. It covers the physical characteristics, habitats, and behavior of the various species, as well as the dangers they pose to humans. It also includes information on how to identify and avoid these dangerous creatures. The book is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the marine life of the Pacific Islands.

By Louis Becke · First published 1901 · Genre: Nature Writing, Non-Fiction, Travel Writing · 2,407 words

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Many years ago I was sent with a wrecking party of native seamen to take possession of a Swedish barque which had gone ashore on the reef of one of the Marshall Islands, in the North Pacific. My employers, who had bought the vessel for £100, were in hopes that she might possibly be floated, patched up, and brought to Sydney. However, on arriving at the island I found that she was hopelessly bilged, so we at once set to work to strip her of everything of value, especially her copper, which was new. It was during these operations that I made acquaintance with both poisonous and stinging fish. There were not more than sixty or seventy natives living on the island, and some of these, as soon as we anchored in the lagoon, asked me to caution my own natives--who came from various other Pacific islands--not to eat any fish they might catch in the lagoon until each one had been examined by a local man. I followed their injunction, and for two or three weeks all went well; then came trouble.

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Poisonous Fish of the Pacific Islands is listed on Textopian as an article by Louis Becke, dated 1901 CE.

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poisonous fish · Pacific Islands · marine biology · aquatic life · toxic species · fishing · oceanography · environment · biodiversity · ecology · marine conservation · species identification

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