The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-01-31
Tie Sword Fish-An Ocean Puzzle.

In the mysteries of nature the ses
has conspicuous share, and the study
of ocean life isfull of fascination, full OF
curious discoveries and not hacking il
facts which are entirely outside the range
of explanation. This. perhaps, is to b,
expected, considering that the ocean Ii
the exact reverse of the land. On lane
nearly all of life is upon the surface
readily visible and always open te
study. On the contrary, nearly all O
ocean life is low and out of sight, anC
even those who spend their lives upor
its storm-swept surface can have but {
guess work knowledge of what is go
ing on beneath them.
But all the study of sea ways is mo-
mere speculation or useless gathering
of scattered facts. 1t comes to some
thing. In the study of the ways of fish
and the art of breeding FISH from the
spawn, science has furnished a practical
aid to mankind which is only beginning
now to be appreciated. We are learn.
ing to repair damages of even the mosi
wasteful and ignorant destructiveness
which would otherwise soon deprive us
of some of our most desired foods.
The first aim of the student is, OF
course, to learn the habits of any par.
ticular fish, and some of these are very
peculiar. For example take the sword
fish. 1t has lately been made the sub
ject of very careful study and a gooC
deal of positive fact has been Learned
about it. As to its origin. the only
really young swordfish ever seen are
found in the Mediterranean. The only
large swordfish ever found spawning, OF
containing eggs are found in the Me
diteranean. There is evidently theiI
home and nursery. But every year.
about the lst of July, the swordfish ap
pears on the American coast, being frs
seen about twenty-five miles south O.
MOntauk point. He makes his way il
shore and stays along the coast unit
fall. He lives upon menhaden, mack
erel, bluefsh and other similar fish, bu'
how he learns in the Mediterranean
that he can find such food over here
and how he learns the way
here, and what transatlantic route
he takes, are utterly unknown. He
sticks by water temperature
VI I'LL uCSICCS. w IlCH luC "dIOi l.
colder than that he goes away, nor doe:
he come till it rises to that. And We
fishermen catch the swordfish, by nc
means infrequently, on their halibU
travis, which are down hundred
fathOms or more when the temperature
is not above forty degrees. Here is an
other puZZle-how a fish that leave:
when the water gets below fifty de
grees is caught In a temperature below
forty degrees. But there-is still another
curious fact to be mentioned: The
swordfish appear on our coast about the
first of July and stay until fall. Now
that is exactly the spawning time o
the swordfish in the Mediterranean
which is the only place where such fist
are known to spawn. The whole in.
crease of the breed must be made ur
without the assistance of those thai
come over here. or else the same indi
vidual fish may not breed every year.
Perhaps, unlike Connecticut, they have
a constitution which requires only a bi.
ennial session for business, and those
that have the year off come over to om
American watering places.
Old fishermen say the supply shows
no signs of increase or decrease. Ir
any still morning about eleven, or af.
ternoOn about four, the swordfish in
the season can surely be found, lying
at the surface of the ocean with its !
back fin above the water line. The fish |
move in what is called a school, but |
they keep apart and have to be har |
pooned singly. Such a method of cap |
ture prevents wholesale work and ,
probably the supply will always con-
tinue, especially as the demand for the /
meat is not very great, though some
people think it superior to the halibut, |
being firmer and not so fishy. The |
swordfish has been caught weighing as
much as 100 pounds, but the average /
is $50 to 500. The United States Fish .
Commissioner report, which contains /
much interesting information about ,
this and other fish, has an estimate
that the annual catch along our New !
England coast is about 1000 fish OF :
about 100000 pounds altogether. Al
wholesale they bring at first hands
about three cents a pound.
They are fierce fighters and hungry
eaters, and it is believed some of their
attacks on ships are made out of sim
pie ferocity-a natural antagonism to
everything. Many vessels have been
crippled and more than one sunk by
being pierced with their swords
COurGnt,