John Dory

Various, often doubtful explanations are given of the origin of the name. It may be an arbitrary or jocular variation of dory (from French dorée, gilded), or an allusion to John Dory, the hero of an old ballad. Others suggest that "John" derives from the French jaune, yellow. The novel An Antarctic Mystery by Jules Verne gives another account, which has some popularity but is probably fanciful: "The legendary etymology of this piscatorial designation is Janitore, the 'door-keeper,' in allusion to St. Peter, who brought a fish said to be of that species, to Jesus at his command." Other known names for the John Dory are the "St. Pierre", or "Peter's Fish", perhaps explaining why dories were often referred to as "Peter Boats", Saint Peter being the patron saint of fishermen.[5] A related legend says that the dark spot on the fish's flank is St. Peter's thumbprint.[6] In the north coast of Spain, it is known commonly as San Martiño. The Māori language name for the fish, kuparu, appears to be unique to New Zealand, as there are no cognates found in other Polynesian languages.[7]

John Dory, by William MacGillivray, c. 1840

The John Dory grows to a maximum size of 65 cm (2 ft) and 5 kg (12 lb) in weight. It has 10 long spines on its dorsal fin and 4 spines on its anal fin. It has microscopic, sharp scales that run around the body. The fish is an olive green color with a silver white belly and has a dark spot on its side. Its eyes are near the top of its head. It has a flat, round body shape and is a poor swimmer.

The John Dory catches prey by stalking it, then extending its jaw forward in a tube-like structure to suck the fish in with some water. The water then flows out through the gills; the pre-maxillary bone, the only tooth-bearing bone in this fish, is used to grind the food.

The John Dory has a high laterally compressed body – its body is so thin it can hardly be seen from the front. The large eyes at the front of the head provide it with the binocular vision and depth perception it needs to catch prey. This eye spot also confuses prey, which can then be sucked into its mouth.[8]

It primarily eats smaller fish, especially schooling fish such as sardines. Occasionally it eats squid and cuttlefish.

Its main predators are sharks such as the dusky shark, and large bony fish.

John Dory are benthopelagic coastal fish, found on the coasts of Africa, South East Asia, New Zealand, Australia, the coasts of Japan, and on the coasts of Europe. They live near the seabed, living in depths from 5 to 360 metres (16 to 1,200 ft). They are normally solitary. John Dory are more commonly found in the waters of the North Island of New Zealand, than the colder waters surrounding the South Island.[7]

When John Dories are 3 or 4 years of age, they are ready to reproduce. This happens around the end of winter. They are substrate scatterers, which means that they release sperm and eggs into the water to fertilize. Typical lifespan is about 12 years in the wild.

The cookery writer Eliza Acton observes in her 1845 book, Modern Cookery for Private Families, that John Dory "though of uninviting appearance, is considered by some person(s) as the most delicious fish that appears at [the] table". She recommends simply baking it "very gently", avoiding drying it out in the oven.[9]

John Dory is a popular choice among professional chefs for seafood due to the versatility of the fish, however, access to home cooks is limited as it is not typically sold at supermarkets due to its status as bycatch.[10]

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Wood, James, ed. (1907). "Dory, John". The Nuttall Encyclopædia. London and New York: Frederick Warne.

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Dory".

• Media related to Zeus faber at Wikimedia Commons
• Article on the British Sea Fishing forum: http://britishseafishing.co.uk/john-dory/
• Photos of John Dory on Sealife Collection