The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-11-21
OYSTERS AND STAR FISH.
How Oysters nre Destroyed..-A Fish thai
Turns Itself Inside Out TO Feed.

As the oyster culture is so important
a business here, says the New Haven
Journal, few words about the oysters
most dreaded and deadly foe, the star
fish," will be appropriate, and we
have gathered from authentic sources
the following tolerably reliable in
formation on the subject. The star fish
destroys and devours the oyster eagerly.
The star fish is well armed, having FIVE
of those useful members, and to make
matters worse for the oyster, has an eye
on the end of eech arm. It is also fur
nished with hundreds of small legs and
feet. Its mouth is in the center of the
body, and it moves slowly but very sure,
when after prey. It can prope1 itself
over rough surfaces and into all hooks
and crevices, and is found generally near
rocks, upon which they fastep. If one
of its arms becomes broken in any way,
as by getting entangled in crevice of a
rock or having it bitten off by vora-
cious fish, determined on making havoc
of this particular star, the deficiency is
soon remedied, as another arm grows,
which replaces the missing member.
Some species of the star fish possess the
power Of demoralizing or breaking itself
in pieces, and thus multiplying it's kind
as each piece retains its vitality, and
grows into perfect specimen Of the
tribe again. The stav fish is sociable
animal It generally travels in schools,
or mass meetings, when, doubtless,
schemes for raids on the unsuspecting
oyster are devised, and nefarious infor-
nation and ideas interchanged. When
he is hungry he gets outside of his din
ner by, as it were, turning himself inside
out, novel process, not to be recon-
mended totthe genus homo as means
of appeasing appetite. he turns his
stomach out of his mouth and envelopes
the morsel to be engulfed. The starfsh
are set down by scientific men as mere
walking stomach, being such tre-!
mendous gormandizer Of sea food. They
are particularly fond of oysters, and
when the presence of q fine bivalve is
discovered, nottingham exceed it in lively
appreciation of the morsel, not even an
American at clam bake. In our harbor
and Immediately adjacent waters our
oyster culturalists are not troubled with
the star fish seriously as yet, but in Nor
walk and vicinity it is said that they have
become such pest as to awaken no little
concern and apprehension, and our oyster
culturists watch with dread their appear
ance in plentiful numbers in our waters.
Though travelling in schools, single ones
are often found, apparently meditative
and morose, and bent on forming new
administration of affairs. It is said that
a number of them often roll together and
float with the tide, and when in this con-
dition are often " half seas over" A
school of star fish. viii settle down on
an oyster bed, and then settle right
down to business. They will completely
destroy the bed in q short time. Each
star fish will close upon its particular
oyster, clasp it in its numerous arms, and
wait for it to open it's mouth "a solemn
warning to be close-mouthed), when the
star fish turns his stomach inside out
over the oyster, and sucks out the entire
living substance. In this way they will
destroy acres Of oysters in a very little
while, spectacle which the cu1turist
beholds with anything but cheerful
emotions. Owing to their rsvenous ma
ture, they are truly the bsne Of the oyster
culturist. The star fish will cling to q
rock 30 tenaciously as to lose his small
legs, or feet, rather than loosen his hold,
wherein he resembles some of the human |
species devoted to q particular idea.
They also eat fish when they can get |
them, and do not refuse other animal
matter, but their destructiveness prin-
cipally centers upon the helpless and
toothsome oysters. It will be seen that
oyster culture is attended, like all other
business, with hopes. and dilappoint-
nents, and is not business that sine
,urist would devotedly covet. !