The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-12-05
MARINE CURIOSITIES.
Some of the Queer Things Found at t
bottom of BehrinE Sea.

Some of the Queer Things Found at the
bottom of BehrInE Sea.
Everybody will remember the United
States Fish Commission steamer Alba
tross. and the wonderful collection of
fishes and marine curiosities on board of
which was such An attraction.
The Albatross, has been cruising in
Behring Sea and that vicinity and
Is now in San Francisco, where the
specimens collected during the trip have
been boxed up and forwarded to Wash
ington where they will be examined and
classified.
The Examiner says there were enough
boxes to fill car and many of the speci-
mems are new to the scientists, and
the voyagers feel quite elated with theiy
success. They located many new cod
banks and found places where spawns
and shri;nps may be scooped up by the
bushel.
The oldest thing in tho catch Is an
ascidian anchored on the back Of crab
smaller than itself. For a long time
after tho capture of the two they were
kept in the aquarium on board, and tho
forded good deal of amusement.
The crab is small fellow, an inch and
. half in diameter.
For the benefit of the unscientiflc it
may be stated that an ascidian is an
animal without head or backbone.
This particular ascidian resembles a
miniature balloon, the bag being about
two inches long; feelOr ten inches
long like o cord connects & with the
crab This little old man ot the sea"
on the crab raises and lowers himself
by sucking in and expelling water.
The crab had been pretty we'll broken
in by its strange rider when captured,
but in its new quarters it renewed its
efforts to shake off the parasite. 1t
rolled over, vainly rubbed the sides of
the aquarium and once it managed to
grasp in its jaw the tentacle by which
tho bobbing balloon chung to it.
The crab began joyfully to pull him
self along the cord, claw over claw. He
did it gingerly, for it was a risky climb.
The ascidian inflated itself, and scared
off the length of the cord. The crab
kept clawing and after a great time
reached the main section Of his enemy.
He fiercely jabbed his tormentor, but it
didn't do him much harm. An ascidian
hasn't any arms, head or legs, but is
simply bag. Jabbing the limp skin
didn't harm it much. The crab soon
found that out and quit operations.
For some time he meekly obeYed the
ascidian whenever the latter wanted q
ride. His spirit, however, was broken
and he died shortly afterward. Then it
was discovered that the ascidian had
grown on to the back of the crab and be-
come part of him, as it were. The two
are still firmly linked, but they are in
alcohol.
Tho serpent starfsh has black disc
like body the size of half dollar. From
the edge project five serpentine feelers
ten inches in length. 1t is 1.-the, active
and vicious, and makes things unpleas-
ant for the small fry that ventures with
in reach of it's long, sinuous arms.
There's little squid on board scarce
ly two feet long, but he is the pigmy
counterpart of the one captured on the
Atlant seaboard that measured seventy
feet and weighed something over 500
pounds.
A queer-looking fish is the pipefish,
from eight to twelve inches long and
slightly simmer than lead pencil.
The most healthy looking oddities on
board are the pair of young eagles.
They were captured while still in down
during trip on shore. Now they are
full-grcwn, very tame, and insist on
overlooking and investigating all the
queer things that the dredging net
filings on the deck.