The Osceola times., 1884-05-10
MILES UNDER Tue SEA.

ne tina Garry Lanterns and Light up
tho Ocean Depths.
New York Sun.
Many curious forms of fishes nave re-
Gently been found in the deep sea One
fish, dredged from depth of nearly
three miles from the surface, shows a
complete modification of structure At
this distance from the surface the press
ure can heardly be realized. II is esti-
mated that this fish has to contend
against pressure equal TO q tons to
every square inch Of surface. A sealed
glass tube, inciosed in perforated cop
per covering, has at two miles been re.
duced to fine powder, while the metal
was twisted out of shape Yet. the fishes
are so constructed that they Withstand
the pressure. Their bony and muscular
systems are not fully developed; the
ooues are permeated with pores and fis-
sures. The callareous matter is at rim
imum, and the bones of the vertebrae
are joined together SO loosely that in
lifting the larger fishes out of the water
they often fall apart. The muscles are
all thin, and the connective tissue seems
almost wanting. Yet, these fishes are
able to dart around and capture prey.
Sunlight penetrates about 1 200 feet
below the surface of the sea. At 5000
feet the temperature lowers to 40 deg.
Fahr., and from about mile from the
surface to the bottom, four or five miles,
the temperature is about the same the
world over-just above freezing. How
do the fishes and other forms here see2
Their eyes are modified as well as
their other parts. The fishes that live
FIVE hundred feet from the surface have
larger eyes than those in the zone above
them, so that they can absorb the faint
rays that reach them. In a zone below
this many forms with snail eyes begin
to have curious tentacles, feelers, or or
gans of touch.
Many of these deep sea fishes have
special organs upon their sides and heads
that are known to pessess a luminous
quality. Other organs are considered
accessory eyes, so that the fishes have
rows of eyes upon their vental surfaces
looking downward, while near are lu-
minoua spots that provide them with
light.
One of the largest of these deep sea
torch bearers is fish six feet loug, with
a tall dorsal fin extending nearly the en-
tire length of the body. The tips of this
I'm are luminous, aud also broad patch
on ITS head. Along the sides of the body
are double row OF luminous spots.
One os the most ferocious of these
deep sea forms is the chanlodus. Its
mouth is fairly overfiowing with teeth
that protrude in most forbidden man
oer. The fins are all tipped with fam
ing spots, while along the dorsal surface
extends row ofspots that appear like
so many windows in the fish. through
which light il shining.
The little fishes called BOMBAY ducks
arelluminous over their entire surface,
and when numbers are collected togeth-
er they present an astonishing spectacle.
One ol the most interesting of these
light givers Is The chiasmodus, a fish
that a'tains length Of only thirteen
inches. The top of its head Is the prin-
cipal ligbt-giving organ, and its fins
CLEAN with phosphorescent light. II is
not alone remarkable as light-giver
II has jaw so arranged that it can
/ seize fish twice its size and easily swal-
low them. Its stomach has the elastic
quality of India rubber. 1t stretches to
enormous proportions, and appears like
great transparent balloon hanging un-
der the fish and containing its prey.
The last expedition sent ont by France
brought to light some remarkable forms.
The di edge of Morocco brought up from
a depth of over one and half miles a
fish that appeared to be all head and
mouth. II was Of small size, and the
length of the mouth was about four-ffths
of the entire body; so that if the body
had been severed behind the head, it
and two or three like it could have been
slowed away in the capacious pouch. 1t
probably moves very slowly, scooping
mud and ooze into its mouth, sitting out
tho apip, a M rtS aud raia, t;p,, tho raot