The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-05-20
THE SAW-FlSH.
Curious Facts Relative to This Great Mon
stcr of the Deep.

The SAW-FISH.
Curious Facts Relative to This Great Mon.
stcr of the Deep.
| zone of the most remarkable creatures
ever beheld was huge saw-fish which
was captured bya party of seine fisher
men in the waters of the Halifax river
!, Florida. In all my readings and exper
fence l never imagined the saw-fisll
ever grew to such tremendous proper.
tions, but l was told by the captors OF
this great fish that while ordinary speci.
mems averaged two, four and six hun.
dred pounds each, that others passed
far beyond these dimensions, and
reached as much as eight hundred and
one thousand pounds in weight. The
monster that it was my good fortune to
see made a prisoner weighed nine hun.
dred and seventy-flve pounds, and his
snout was armed with broad, double
edged saw six feet in length.
MANY readers confound this creature
with the sword fish, but the two species
are totally different, the saw-fish be-
longing to the group of rays and sharks.
The sword fish is closely allied to the
mackerel family, especially to that
giant of his species known as the horse
macl1erel.
"The fishermen were seining as usual
for mullet, when this huge fish plunged
into the net, tearing and ripping the
strands beyond all repair, but at the
same time getting himself so tangled
and mixed up that, in spite Of his great
weight and mighty strength, he was
made a prisoner. 1 saw him beached
and when couple of half-hitches were
passed around his flippers, and he was
hauled high and dry on the sand, his
antics were so peculiarly lively that his
captors thought best to retire to safe
distance. His body was 3 precise model
of an enormous blue shark, including
the pointed dorsal fin and muscular
fan-like tail. But the most curious
thing about the fellow was the half
dozen pilot fish, which clung by means
of suckers to the monsters back.
"Naturalists are unaware of the fact
that all saw-fish are accompanied on
their foraging expeditions by pilots,
which swim before the big one, on each
side OF the snout or saw, and guide
their patrons to the schools of mullet
which swarm in the waters of Florida.
Indeed, never heard of this curious
fact until it was assured beyond all
doubt by actual observation. The small
pilot fish lead their great companion to
the shoals of mullet, where he laws
about vigorously with his serrated saw,
charging among them and striking
right and left, which results in the kill
ing or disabling of great numbers OF
fish.
''The pilots evidently have an AK to
grind in thus shrewdly remaining an
ally to the saw-fish; for, while they
are safe from the assaults of sharks
tarpon and others, which would prey
upon them had they not protector in
the saw-fish, they not only secure a
meal whenever they want it from the
many destroyed and mutilated mullet
crushed by the big one, but also il
would seem that their huge comrade
never at any time has desire to dine
upon his small and diminutive guides.
1t may be surmised that, after steering
their champion to the spot, they dis.
creetly remain in the rear until the
carnage is complete, when they hurry
to the front and participate in the feast
SO cruelty prepared.
"Florida fishermen declare-and II
was certainly true in the capture re.
ferred to-that in deep water pilot-fisl
swim before and on each side of the
saw; but, on reaching shoal water, they
attach themselves to the mosaic-likc
back OF the large fish by means of al
oval sucker, so firmly and securely that
it is next to impossible to detach then
except by severing with knife thcil
tenacious grip. The sucker OF q pilot
fish resembles the sole of an old rubbe,
shoe, and it is remarkable what power!
OF adhesion this curious contrivance O.
nature is capable Of.
!. "Some years ago the ligh Ehouse
keeper at Jupiter Inlet on the Atlanti,
coast observed tremendous commn
, ton about n mile seward, accompanied
by numerous spoutings and tail thrash
, ings which indicated that whale wa
: engaged in combat with some othe
: denizen of the deep. 1t CHANGED tha
/ the drift of hostilities brought botl
, combatants nearer and nearer to tn,
: shore, until it was possible to deter
3 mine by means OF a glass the individ
l uality OF the mighty rivals.
"The sea was calm and the principal
l in the encounter were too much en-
, gagged in their own affairs to notice TIN
4 intrusion of outsiders; accordingly tn
S light-keeper and his assistant, who ha,
Y approached quite near in lifeboat
!, were able to distinguish the smooth
3 oily body of a sperm whale and tn
r checker-board hide Of huge -fisl
), engaged in deadly conflict. The fgh
l was long and severe. The saw-tisl
would viciously thrust its armed beal
S into the soft blubber-covered body O
/ the cetacean, while the tortured whale
e whirling in all directions made frnnti
4 attempts to strike his agile opponen
I with his tail, any blow of which woul,
, have hopelessly crushed the saw-fisl
4 and put an end to the fight. The lat
g ter Mas evidently getting tho best o
= 1t, When both combatants were strand
= ed on the bar and lay there helplessl
9 splashing about, in vain attempts t
=. get back into deep water.
"The men in the boat now an
9 preached near enough to delive
several shots in vital parts, and tn
a tide, fast receding, soon left the tw,
Q great fish high and dry. An examina
. tion showed the saw-fish to be practi
= cally unharmed except by the bullet
D of the light-keepers; while, ON tn