The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-04-03
ALL ABOUT FISH.
PAPA FISHES THAT TAKE CARE OF
THEIR LARGE FAMILIES.

ways oI tne th'ush ana Suuu'n
That Bring Forth Their Young Alive.
at is generally supposed that fishes
take no care whatever of their young.
,eaving them entirely to the attention
of nature, " said Professor Theodore Gill
of the Smithsonian. But the fact is
very much otherwise with many species.
The most remarkable point, however,
regarding certain kinds of finny Great.
ures in their parental relations is that
males do the care taking, and not the fe-
males. Very interesting discoveries
have been recently made with regard To-
the habits of nest building fishes, the
catfish among others.
IF you will go out any time during
the month of August in this latitude,
YOU will see in the streams and ponds
Dig catfish of the common sort, each
one accompanied by swarm of small
fry. In each case the old one is a male
and lie is engaged in taking care of his
offspring. If an intruder comes near he
will dash at him and drive him away.
1t has been known for long while that
catiishes had this way of guarding their
Young, but only lately has it been as
certaiued that it was the papa fish which
did the care taking Some time back
there was a pair of catishes in one of
che aqusria 'at the building of the fish
commis,i M At spawning time eggs
were laid, and one of the parents kept
watch over them, not permitting the
other to come near. The young were
duly hatched and thrived. being cared
for in this way until they We're big
enough to look out for themselves.
linen the fish which had stood guard
was taken out and dissected, the result
being that il was found to be the male.
"ln their native ponds and brooks you
will find large broods of young catfish
rs big as three-fourths of an inch in
length remaining together in flocks,
each flock accompanied by the male.
Sometimes the latter will swim slowly
along in the center of the flock and at
other times alongside. In laying their
eggs the parent cntiishes select II spot
where the " ater is quiet, if possible pro-
tected by aquatic plants, and there they
make a nest, perhaps 8 inches by g. in
outer envelope and over it the male
hovers forcing fresh water through the
mass bv rapid vibrations of its fins until
after about week they are Matched.
"Sometimes the male catfish takes
care of its young in still more peculiar
manner There is a kind found in the
sea the eggs laid by which are rs big rs
all h,,ll. M in,
the mouths of the males, which do this
to protect them. After the eggs are
laid the papa catfish takes them into his
mouth and keeps them there until they
are all hatched, when they go out and
take care of themselves
"But this method is not confined to
the calfishea There are found in Africa
and South America species which re-
semble the sunfish OF our own streams
These 'cichlids, as they are called. are
also plentiful in Texas and Palestine.
They are often found with their cheeks
fairly Lulging with young. In the sea
of Galilee the cichlids are SO numerous
that the miraculous catch of the time
when St Potter fished there might be re.
peated any day. it being the manner Of
these fishes to move about on top Of the
water in solid Masses covering many
square yards and making noise like
that "f rain pouring.
THE common sunfish also takes care
OF its eggs as do other srecies Of its
family which are peculiar to North
America, such as the black bass, rock
lass, and crappie. In the spring pair
of these fishes will come near shore,
and carefully clear away circular
spot foot or two In diameter, remov-
ing all the weeds and stones In this
clearing the female lays her eggs. and
the male Immediately takes charge,
lowering over the nest and driving
away all intruders This continues
until the baby fishes are Matched and
able to take care Of themselves.
"The pipe fishes, which are found in
every sea, save where it is very cold,
also take care'of their young, and in a
very curious manner The new laid
eggs are taken charge Of by the male.
which has a sort of fold on each side of
its body. Beneath these flaps lie keeps
sAAo Seeo sho youuk dIc llubCutu
and sufficiently grown to take care of
themselves In the group which in.
cludes the sea horse the male has a
pouch under its tail, wherein it retains
the eggs until the little fish have been
Matched for day or two, at the end of
which time they make their way out
and do their own foraging.
"ln the case of all these species of
fishes which take care of their young
curious adaptation Of natural law to
circumstances is found Those which
take the greatest pains in sheltering
their offspring have the fewest eggs,
perhaps less than one hundred at lay
On the other hand, other sorts of fishes
which pay not the slightest attention to
their young produce hundreds of thou
sands and even millions at "a single lay.
The extreme in the other direction is
found in the gigantic ray known AS
the devil fish of southern waters, which
grows to be 90 feet in width. II bears
but single young one at birth, the
mother retaining it inside her body until