American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-05-29
Queer Fishes.

ONE of the most interesting inmates OF
| the aquarium is the stickleback, little
| fish that ilhabits both fresh and salt
waters. 1t is diminutive creature, sell
| dom or never exceeding two and one-hall
| or three inches in length, but 1t makes up
in beauty and vivacity what it lacks in
| dimensions. Its pretty colors are re-
| ening as the fish plays in and out among
| the depths and shadows, or shifting
| through all the varying shades of hue as
| its pulses throb with excitement when
engaged in sport or in combat. 1t is an
exceedingly :esty and choleric little fell
low, and is perpetually in fight with
| one of its species. The larger individ-
uals feed upon the smaller ones and
make terrible havoc of the young fry,
hence there is endless ferment in their
communities, with incessant ravage, dew
astation and death. In all this cornmo-
ton, involving the action of the most
desperate passions, the little stickle-
backs display their f1eetness, grace and
mobile coloring to the best advantage.
But their most curious maneuvering is
exhibited at the breeding season, when
the funny little finnies actually take to
nest-building. Then are they animated
with fine ardor in collecting bits of
straw or stick with which to lay the
the stems and branches of water-plants.
The light building materials accumulated
are cemented together by viscous
emulation from their own bodies, which,
spun out in the form of a thread, is
woven in and around the straws and
sticks in every conceivable direction.
The thread is light in hue and fine and
silky in quality. After the bottom of the
nest is we'll laid the sides are built about
it, and when all is done it is no bigger
than small hazelnut. Yet this pigmy
dwelling is cOmmodious enough to hold
multitude of eggs not larger than poppy
seeds.
The male stickleback is a model has
band; and not only builds the cradle for
his offspring entirely unaided, but, after
his spouse has deposited her eggs in 1t,
he watches over the whole with the ut
most solicitude. And it is necessary for
him to stand on guard without lntermls-
sion, for no morsel in all the world of
waters is quite SO tempting to sickle
back as the ova that some other stickle-
back is vigilanI1y guarding.
The three-spined sickle back (Gaster0s-
teur dculertuS) Is very plentiful in the
rivers, ponds and brackish waters of
Europe. 1t is SO abundant in some parts
of England as to be used for manure.
Although good eating the fish is not
made any great account OF as TODD, but
its oil is sometimes expressed for COM
mercial purposes.
When Prof. Agassiz was on his last ex-
petition to South America he discovered
in the southern seas species of fish be-
longing to the family Antennartus, that
had the odd habit of nest-building. Its
style of architecture was very quaint,
consisting simply of spheres about the
size of a cocoanut, and made up of small
branches and leaves of seaweed, bound
together by mucous cords, resembling
cotton threads. Within and upon this
ball were thousands upon thousands of
eggs, like mustard-seeds. Prof. Agassiz
removed some of the eggs from the nest,
placing them in fresh sea-water. The
following morning dozen or more of lit
tie fishes were swimming around in the
bowl in the full tide of life. A colored
drawing was mate of them, but the
younglings unfortunately persisted be-
fore the professor could determine the
species with certainty.-Chtcdg01 Tribune