The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-11-18
ODD LIFE In GULF WEED.
CURIOUS ANIMALS THAT TRAVEL
WITH A GREAT CURRENT.
A Little Fish's Protective Resem-
blance to the Weed - Floating
Weed Crowded With Life.

A Little IFish's Protective Resem-
blance to the Weed - Floating
Weed Crowded With Life.
Il is surprising what curious creatures
live in gulf weed. Not the least extra
ordinary of these inhabitants Of the float
ing alge which are borne on the current
Of the Gulf Stream is little fish that
makes its nest in the weeds. For its own
protection from enemies, it is made SO
like the weeds themselves, being orange
colored with white spots, that one cannot
detect the scaly animal without actually
taking handful Of the vegetable stuff
in which 1t seeks shelter and scrutinizing
it. The fish builds its nests by binding
together punches of the gulf weed with
long, sticky, gelatinous strings. Its eggs
are not laid in cavity, but are distri-
buted through the mass. Its very fins are
finger-shaped, counterfeiting the form of
the weed-fronds. They are more like
hands than fins, and are actually EN-
ployed for walking through the seaweed,
rather than for swimming. The fish util-
ises them also in putting together its
nests.
The great Gulf current, in It's course
northward along the Atlantic coast aud
around the great circuit that forms with
its eddy the famous Sargasso Sea of
marine grasses, carries along with it an
endless stream of life in connection with
the gulf weed which floats upon it in
"windrows." The weeds, of varied
kinds, bring with them from the tropics
creatures multifarious, conveyed by the
mighty river of warm water through the
midst of the cooler ocean. Most of them
die when the cooler ATTITUDES are reached,
and thus it happens that the larvae of
many forms are found on the shores of
Nantucket and elsewhere In places to
which the adult animals are unknown.
They never live to grow up.
The floating gulf weed is literally
crowded with life. One cannot pick up
a piece that does not carry many shrimps
or prawns of different kinds as passen-
gers. There are crabs, too, small and
bigger, which mostly initiate the grasses
in their coloring. OF smaller crustacea
there are numerous species, such as the
so-called ''sea feas" aud barnacles.
Barnacles are crustacea which have un-
dergone ''retrograde metamorphosis," "
as it is termed, having been free swim
mers in tho early stage of their existence.
They, too, take passage on the seaweed
RATS and voyage to the land of nowhere,
seeking their fortune.
In the gulf weed, also, is an infinite
number of molusks, some with shells,
and others without any. Among the
latter are the "sea slugs," resembling
the garden slugs, devourers of plants,
which are true mollusks also. Another
mollusk often picked up among the gulf
weeds is the beautiful argonaut, cephal-
opod, celebrated in the mythic story. II
is only the female argonaut that is in
terestihg; the male has no shell, and is
very small comparatively.
There are lots of curious marine worms
among the gulf weed, such as the ''sea
centipedes," abundant in the West In.
dies which have long detachable bristles
that sting the hand like nettles when the
animal is incautiously grasped. These
worms hide in crevlces of floating drift
wood. The latter floats until destroyed
by the boring of the ship worms that
attack it, meanwhile affording u lodg-
ment for barnacles and little crustacea.
Small fishes follow the pieces of drift
wood as they are carried along by the
current, feeding upon both crustacea and
barnacles, while many seabirds skim
about, depending for their meals upon
the same small animals, There is a spe-
cies of crayfsh, too, found in the weed
that makes curious clicking noise with
its claws.
What most people call the "frult" or
"seed pods" of the gulf weed are simply
little air vessels designed for the purpose
of keeping these il terosting vegetables
afoat. Microscopic creatures called
''brivzoa" weave around the air cham
bers delicate lacework, which often
remains in shape after the vegetable
matter has decayed away and disappeared.
thus forming exquisite tilamentous cap
sules. However, these are only few of
the passengers that journey by the path
of the Gulf Stream on RATS of drifting
weeds.-ReU York Sun.