Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-29
MadeA Meal
.0fARareFreak
OF The Sea

- HE PRIZE fish story of the Florida West Coast IN
years that has just given Guide Jim
j Kelley Petersburg permanently red face. All
the guide boat boys Municipal Pier making sug-
gestions about how he should handle unusual situations
the future.
But Mr. Kelley doesn't to appreciate them.
Kelley. recent fishing trip out into the Gulf of
Mexico a large fish swimming the surface. He
couldn't identify it, and its behavior different from
that of other large fish in those waters AS stayed
the surface Kelley shot it with % rifle and dragged
II aboard Back in St Petersburg the Municipal Pier
scales showed the fish weighed 1872 pounds but of
the curious waterfront old-tmers able it,
The Kelley catch between tuna and
a dolphin the later's 'highbrow' forehead
thick torpedo shaped body and eyes described by The
aity peculiar It's scales small with roughed
up look and whtsh It's striking characteristic
a svery color all over nged with pink and topped off
with brilliant red fins.
Still puzzled by his catch Kelley consulted a St
Petersburg wholesale house which has handled every
kind of finny specimen that be turned into food.
experts agreed they had anything just
like it. but they also certain that fish.
They made Kelley offer of it, which he
cepted The rest he cooked Hastily for himself the pier
and his other waterfront pals And it smack
ing good
Next in the odd sequence was the appearance Of
tasty special the bill of fare of st Petersburg
taHfeHt red fla la+e-44e
were little puzzled by the label but they went for the
delcacy in a big way In time at all, Keleys catch
had disappeared except for the peculiar eyes which
had been taken by Emmett Knox who makes a speciality
curing tarpons eyes sale souvenirs These he
has moun% for Otto Simpson the chef who has the dis
tinction of having cooked the red fin tuna"
mated three-score of anglers and tourists when word
that identical with lad washed
ashore at Fort Myers farther down the And this
fish, packed IN dry ice and rushed TO the American
Museum of Natural History New York had been
identified imperalis the reported
in American waters Of about three dozen ever
identified anywhere. Also, complete the dizzy toll
scientific tragedy the St Petersburg uvarus not
only the second reported taken American waters but
probably the only taken alive
The refrigerated specimen sent up from Fort Myers
has created so much interest in the Department Of
technology at the that the of time
an exact reproduction made from casts and measure
ments at the of much time and money. likely TO
go public display. Large fish Of this type
planned be stuffed mounted The expense Of
preparing luvarus for exhibition may high
$1,000 which is quite TO the cost
Of preparing him for dinner at as cents plate.
With two Of this exceedingly species turning up
the Florida West Coast Or John r Nichols of the
is making special study of all available data
regarding both the preserved and the devoured
He very little is known about the fish which If it
has any home grounds science doesn't know where they
The Mediterranean and the west coast Of Europe have
been suspected but the other hand vars has shown
up occasionally in the Pacific away Australia
Nobody in the scientific world however had expected
show up Atlantic Gulf waters But a ayman.
Capt b. A. Lowe of Clearwater. Florida is certain he
two of the fish the Bahamas where the
natives called them silver
The reactions of the unsuspecting eourmets who
dined uvarus St Petersburg many and varied
Some alert 10 the scientific angles felt they had been
accessories TO a major crime The unfee.ng laughed
heartily and stroled away the docks Captain
Kelley Others felt decidedly squcamsh but the
luvarus steaks had long been downed with guso
and digesed with danger signals whatever they
cluded little late 20 up their Indeed
they felt that they really had a contribution 10
for until the famous Accent special was
put the nobody knew whether luvarus edible
Now the world knows II
OF Captain Kelleys strange catch nothing remains
but the preserved eye, phco-~0NN Accord
ing DR. Nichols the fish is Of the few
II has never been given popular Peters
burg ever alert to further its place In the sun now
insists that be known under the name that Sunshine
City fish dealer gave pink There even
rumors that Pink pin Tuna club has formed II
is very exclusive Only those who have eaten uyarus