Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-11-03
OYSTERS AND STAR FISH.

OAcA 0sso AND y - AhS 4 Anhue
How Oysters nre Destroyed...A Fish tn
Turns itself Inside Out 10 Feed.
As the oyster culture is 80 importa
q business here, says the New Hav,
Journal, a few words about the oyster
most dreaded and deadly foe, I" the ST
fish," will be appropriate, and v
have gathered from authentic sourc'
the following tolerably reliable il
formation on the subject. The star fis
destroys and devours the oyster eagerl,
The star Ash is we'll armed, having fl,
of those useful members, and to max
matters worse for the oyster. has an ey
on the end Of each arm. 1t is also ful
nished with hundreds Of small legs an
feet It's mouth is in the center of til
body, and it moves slowly but verysurt
when after prey. 1t can propel itsel
over rough surfaces and into all nook
and crevices, and is found generally nea
rocks, upon which they fasten. If on
Of its arms becomes broken in any way
as by getting entangled in crevice of
rock or having il bitten off by vora
cious fish, determined on making havo
OF this particular star, the deficiency il
soon remedied, as another arm grows
which replaces the missing member
Some species of the star fish possess tn.
power of demoralizing or breaking itsel
in pieces, and thus multiplying its 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, o novel process, not to be recon.
mended to the genus homo as means
of appeasing appetite. He turns his
stomach out of his mouth and envelops
the morsel to be engulfed. The star fish
are set down by scientific men as q mere
walking stomach" being such tire.
mendous gormandizer Of sea food. They
are particularly fond of oysters, and
when the presence of fine bivalve is
discovered, nothing can exceed it in lively
of the morseI, 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
,ulturists watch with dread their appear
lnce in plentiful numbers in our waters.
Though travelling in schools, single ones
re often found, apparently meditative
md morose, and bent on forming new
of affairs. 1t is said that
Js,sr%hAr ofJboro, af4o,. wall 4..~4l,~- n...a
lition are often half seas over"
chool of star fish will settle down on
N oyster bed, and then settle right
lown to business. They will completely |
lestroy the bed in a short time. Each |
tar fish will close upon its particula,
'yster, clasp it in its numerous arms, and
vait for it to open its mouth "a solemn
warming to be close-mouthed), when the
tar fish turns his stomach inside out
ver the oyster, and sucks out the entire
living substance. In this way they will
lestroy acres of oysters in very little
While, spectacle which the culturist |
'eholds with anything but cheerful |
Owing to their ravenous ma
ure, they are truly the bane of the oyster |
The star fish will cling to
ock 80 tenaciously as to lose his small
egs, or feet, rather than loosen his hold,
wherein he resembles some of the human
pecies devoted to particular idea.
hey also eat fish when they can get |
hem, and do not refuse other animal
natter, but their destructiveness prin-
ipally centers upon the helpless and
oothsome oysters. 1t will be seen that
yster culture is attended, like all other
BUSINESS, with hopes and disappoint-
nents, and is not business that sine
urist would devotedly covet.