News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-12-18
A SUBMARINE HOTEL.
A Seaside Boarder Who Lives on Sen.
Cucumbers.

Several years ago in walking along the
half submerged fringing reef of the
Tortugas group of islands, my attention
was attracted by numbers of great.
black, worm-like creatures that were
strewn over the bottom just within the
breakers, where the water was smooth.
They were Holothurians, or sea-cucum-
bers. Wishing to secure large speci-
men, hauled my boat over among them,
and soon had one more than foot in
length in the glass jar, or portable
aquarium, carried for that purpose.
Another was lifted from its sandy bed
for examination, and a curious creature
it was. 1t seemed like great, grotesque
caterpillar, made out of leather and
stuffed with water, as the handling of it
caused it to eject two streams of water
with considerable force. After placing
it upon the seat OF the boat, we found
that the creature had elected all its
interior organs thrown them
off. This would have been a grievous
calamity to almost any animal except
the sea-c cucumber; but curiously enough,
they have the faculty of producing lost
parts to a wonderful degree, and if placed
back in the water would soon provide
themselves with an entirely new set.
If we should follow up our investiga-
tions of the anatomy of the sea-cucum-
Der we should find that it breathes by
what is called water. vascular system.
In the star-fish hard red spot is seen
upon the upper surface, punctured with
minute holes. Through this water is
strained and taken in, passing out into
the arms and filling the sac-like feet. In
the sea-cucumber there is similar ar
rangement, only the madreporic plate,
as the pink sieve is called, is on the
inside.
Though certainly not gourmands,
starvation affects them in a remarkable
way. Thus, if kept long time without
food, q ring will be formed about the
tail that grows deeper and deeper, until
finally the piece drops off. In short
time another ring appears and another
piece is sacrifced-a most remarkable
operation you would say, but quite
ingenious when we understand it.
The animal is merely retrenching, and
as the food supply becomes smaller and
smaller, portions of the body are thrown
off, so that there will not be so much to
feed, until at last the sea-cucumber will
sacrifice its entire booy to save the
mouth or head, aud finally thus dies,
certainly after heroic struggle.
But, while we have been looking at
other sea-cucumbers, what has happened
to the one we placed in the glass jar
Being large animal, it soon exhausted
the air in the water and is now endeavor-
ing to get out, twisting its body deliber-
ately about to show its discomfort, for
you must remember that the sea-cacum-
Der and all other water animals require
air just as much as ourselves.
For few moments the sea-cucumber
writhed about in its lazy fashion, when,
all at once, out of one end saw peeping
a curious, delicate head.
A moment later it was still further
out-a transparent, shining fish, and
soon, with convulsive wiggle, it freed
itself from its strange prison and swan
about moment; then it settled to the
bottom.
It's body was so delicate and trans
parent that print could almost be read
through it, and specimen that L have
before me now, though shrunk and
hardened in alcohol for several years, is
still almost like glass.
How did the fish get into the sea-cu-
cumber? you will ask. This was, at
first, a puzzle, and to ascertain whether
it was accidental or not, we collected
large number of the cucumbers, and in
nearly every case, as soon as the animal
had exhausted the air in our aquarium,
the silvery, eel-ike F5eraSfer-for this
feh, would
Cling out, swim about moment, as if
dazed and bewildered, and then sink to
the bottom and die.
It was evident that the fish was not
eaten by the Holothurian, and equally
plain that the fish was not adapted for
the outside world. Hence, we assumed
that the Fierasfer was boarder in the
cucumber, and such is really the case.
But, though l made many expert
ments, the fish coald never be induced
to return to its home, though freshly
erated water was constantly supplied.
The explanation that seemed the most
tenable was, that the fish never left the
Holothurian; but this was highly i'm
probable, and so the puzzle remained
until it was solved by the curator of the
great aquarium at Naples, Italy.
He found that his sea-cucumbers were
also inhabited by Fierasfer, and by
watching them, he saw the
fishes come out and return.
In the large tank the fishes ventured
out, SWAMI around, probably fed, and
finally returned; and here is the most re-
thing aboutit. Instead of re-
turning head first, as you would natural
ly expect, the Fierasfer slipped, not its
head, but the tip of its tail into the ori- |
fee.
In moment, the sea-cucumber re
Taxed, to draw in water, and the cum
ming fish slipped in an inch, then rested;
another relaxation by the cucumber,
and another inch gained, and so on I'M
til, to the amazement of the italian nat
uralist, the Fierasfer disappeared. tail |
first, within the very accommodating |
animal.
The Fierasfer, then, is boarder in |
the sea-cucumber; a tenant that not only |
lives upon its host without pay, but does |
not hesitate to attack it when hungry. |
This has been proven by Professor Sem
per, who found pieces of the water-lung |
Of the living hotel in the stomach of the |
boarder: but, as we have seen, the |
former has the power of reproducing
lost parts, and probably does not suffer. |
The boarder undoubtedly feeds upon
the feed taken by its host.