The Dillon tribune., 1882-11-25
TIE GREAT suNfIsH.

An unusual number and variety Of trop.
ical fishes and reptiles have visited our
cOas, this e,stA,. In tie turtle family We
have b Il the Z ecn turtle. the she'll turtle,
tie logger. eud, and the huge leather
turtle
o, II. swimming fishes taken by fisher.
men there has been the jew fish. gray
snapper. tarl,on. ch.et." ons (angel 6shj,
and great numbers OF the balloon or porch.
pie fish. real man.eatcrs Ut sharks, and,
the most otld.lo,,king Ut all, the great sun.
FISH Heterogeneous msl".
The color of tire sunfish ia grayish. brown,
d RI er On the hack than on tao sides of the
abdo,nan. The skin IL rough. it being GOV.
er~.. " tn minute patches o. small spines.
One Of tue curious f.:atu en- Of this fish
il .As structure Ut the eye. which in i'm.
bed .e.l in mass Of soft and flexible folds.
viii behind the eye u sac flied with
xelat inoux Hid
When he sunfsh IL alarmed, or is bask.
ing on the 81, face of the water, the eye ia
pressed against the sac, aud the fluid con.
tanned therein is forced into the folds Of
the membrane. which distends them NO az
to nearly conceal the organ Of vision.
The sunfish 10 armed with two powerful
teeth. with which It feeus TN the coarser
seawee.is found growing At the bottom Of
the shallower ocean waters. and also on tho
gulf.weed 0: the Gulf stream. Some years
ago was sent to Greenport, L. l., to bring
on large living specimen Of the sunfish.
This specimen was confined In q pound OF
trap; when not disturbed il swan near the
surface, with it, huge dorsal IN entirely
out Of water. tn favoiits food coniisted
OF tubulariaus, sertularians, and ascidianA
On w.iich constantly fed it.
The suntish often attains . very great
sise. One that was caught in Flo. ida, and
sold to the New York Aquarium, measured
elk feet
According to Yarrsll. the young Of the
sundsh or head.d are furnished with sew
eral duh, peasl.like teeth Of various sizes
situated In the lower jaw, some thin and
fat, presenting IN edge, others behind be.
Ing cylindrical, short, and rather pointed.
from Jenyns that in the adult the la,llella.
ted substance IL undivided.
Various parasitical animals such a Pen.
nslla. &agittss, and 1riatoMA. coccineun., are
found frequently adhering to the body
The head OF the suntish il not distinct
from the trunk. but suggests that the en-.
tire hsh consists OF hea only, thence the
name head fish. The form II the body IL
oblong, subtruncated behind. and com.
pressed. The caudal, anal. and dorsal Tins
are oonfluent The body IL scaleless aud
destitute Of lateral lines.
A fisherman relates that when trolling,
not long since. for blueRsh. he came across
sunfish - large ~ hogshead, which was
asleep on the surface OF he water with
his huge dorsal fin enti, ely out OF the water.
At first he was wei, dubbed with an Oar,
but he didu't seem to mind it much. Then
couple Of bights were made in the sheet
rope, which was pa. SD over his head. hop
ing that his Inns would prevent their slip
ping, but It was no 60. He opeaed his
eyes a. II awakening out Of sound nap,
and went slowly under the winter in YER
tical direction apparently only slightly dis.
turbed. This specimen was estimated to
weigh at least 6OO pounds. and was mu'h
larger than the one exhibited at Fulton
Market Slip.
The flesh Of tho suntish IL white. and A.
well favored - that Of the sturgeon. It's
liver II large and yields considerable oil,
which IL greatly priced by sailors for lis
supposed medicinal qualities.