Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-12-04
A SUBMARINE HOTEL.
A Seaside Boarder who Lives on Sea
Cucumbers.

II seaside Boafdef who Lives on Sea-
Cucumbers.
Several years ago in walking along
the half submerged fringing reef of the
Tortugas group of islands, my atten-
ton 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 Hotothuriayas, or sea-cucum-
bers. Wishing to secure a large speci-
men, | hauled my boat over among
them, and soon had one more than q
foot in length in the glass jar, or port
able aquarium, carried for that pur-
pose.
Another was lifted from its sandy
bed for examination, and curious
creature it was. 1t seemed like great.
grotesque caterpillar, made out of
leather and stuffed with water, as the
handling caused it to eject two streams
of water with considerable force. AT.
ter placing it upon tho seat of the boat,
we found that the creature had elected
all its interior organs-actually thrown
them off. This would have been q
grievous calamity to almost any ami
NAL except the sea-cucumber; but, Gu
riously enough, they have the faculty
OF producing lost parts to 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-
tons of the anatomy of the sea-cucum-
Der we should find that it breathes by
what is called q water-vascular system.
In the star-fish hard red spot is seen
upon the upper surface, punctured
with minute holes. Through this wa
ter is strained and taken in, passing
out into the arms and filling the sac
like feet. In the sea-cucumber there is
n similar arrangement. only the mad
reporic plate, as the pink sieve is call
ed, is ON the inside.
Though certainly not gourmands,
starvation affects them in remarkable
way. Thus, if kept long time with
out food, ring will be formed about
the tail that grows deeper and deeper,
until finally the piece drops of. In a
short time another ring appears and
another piece is sacrificed-a most re-
markable operation. you will say, but
quite ingenious when we understand
it.
The animal is merely retrenching,
and, as the food supply becomes small
err and smaller, portions of the body
are thrown of, SO that there will not
be so much to feed, until, at last, the
sea-cucumber will sacrifice its entire
body to save the mouth or head, and
finally this dies, certainly after heroic
struggle.
But, while we have been looking at
other sea-cucumbers, what has happen
cd to the one we placed in the glass
jarP Being large animal, it soon ex-
hausted the air in the water, and is
now endeavoring to get out, twisting
its body deliberately about to show its
discomfort, for you must remember
that the sea-cucumber 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 peep
ing 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.
Its body was SO delicate and trans
parent that print could almost be read
through it, and a specimen that 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-
cumberP you will ask. This was, at
first, puzzle, and to ascertain whether
it was accidental or not, we collected
large number of the cucumbers, (HoEo-
MurtG F0r'dtdnG). and in nearly every
case, as soon as the animal had ex-
hausted the air in our aquarium, the
silyery, eel-like Fierdsfer-for this is
the fishs name-would come wiggling
out, swim about moment, as if dazed
and bewildered, and then sink to the
bottom and die.
1t 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 tho Fierasfer was boarder in the
cucumber, and such is really the case.
But, though / made many expert
ments. the fish could never be induced
to return TO its home. though freshly
aerated water was constantly supplied.
The explanation that seemed the
most tenable was that the fish never
left the holuthurian; but this was high
ly improbable, and SO the puzzle re-
manned until it was solved by the
curator of the great aquarium at Ma
pies, Italy.
He found that his sea-cucumbers
were also inhabited by Fierasfer, and
by carefully watching them he saw the
fishes come out and return.
In the large tank the fishes ventured
out, swan around, probably fed, and
finally returned; and here is the most
remarkable thing about it. Instead of
returning head first, as you would nat
urally expect, the Fierasfer slipped, not
its head, but the tip of its tail into the
orifice.
In moment, the sea-cucumber re-
Taxed to draw in water. and the cum
ming fish slipped in an inch, then rest
ed; another relaxation by the cucum-
Der, and another inch gained, and so
on until, to the amazement of the Ital-
ian naturalist. the Fierasfer disappear
ed. tail first. within the very accommo-
dating animal.
The Fierasfer. then, is boarder in
the sea-cucumber, a tenant that not on
~ lives upon its host without pay, but
does not hesitate to attack it when
hungry. This has been proved by
Prof. Semper, 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 undoubt-
eddy feeds upon the feed taken by its
host. Prof Holden in Golden Days.