The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1895-03-28
SOME QUEER FISHES.
Singular Exhibitions of Breathing Habits
and ClImbinw Propepsfties.


ard climbing Propensitics.
Taking first the Ophiocophalus tribe, or
.snake- headed' Ashes, found In tho indian
region we meet with singular exhibitions OF
breathing habits, writes DIR. Andrew VII
son, n. r. =. r., y. l.. g., In Once Wook.
II Is known u these fishes that they can
survive long periods Of dryness, living as
they do In tho semi fluid mud OF rivers and
lakes. Often they may be found lying dor
mant beneath tho 'hard-bak crustsof tho
bottom Of q tank, from which every drop OF
water has disappeared" Now, In these
fshes:i II "a clear breathing must DO largely
suspended, and life gocs on at very low
pressure, 30 70 speak; but 40 long "a the
mud IL soft enough, theee fishes can be
seeu 70 rise 10 Tho surface a. intervals 70
gulp Ia air. Thet IL 10 say, whom hard
pressed for water, these fishes have devel
oped q habit Of using air taken directly
from tho atmosphere Tor VIC purposo OF
purifying thssr Ssoed-a fvacs1ou nstnrally
esrrisd a W tAs1s Ris,s. vhsv have ccn-
vertsd tAemscives, hr TIC tsne bong. Into
laad suhnais. Ns~ IL tsAs ali. These
''snahs headed" nshcs az India, whiio en-
Toying their ordinsry Afe Ia The wetcr, are
are also seeu 70 guip down dir FROM the at
mosphere. Dr. Day tolls us that this habit
10 to be regularly observed Va these ishes.
He adds the interesting observation that II
net DO suspended below the surface Of the
water Of tho weasel In which they are con-
tanned, 90 - 20 prevent tho fishes from ris-
ing 10 tho top OF tho water 10 breathe In the
air, tsey will actually perlsh and die by suf-
location. No that yast ~ ordinary fishes
dc sufDocoted cut OF the watcs, those fishes
pcrIsh from nse cause Y thsS s~e kop< IN
Mo wator.
Another end nearly reiAAed division Of
fshes Includes the climbing perch OF India
and its neighbors. In iToT, oao Daldorf, Ia
papor road before the IAnu@an Society OF
London, detailed the fact that he had cap
tured n ciimbing-perch Tor Ansbas) while
the hsh was climbing pslm-tree growing
near n pond. The nsh bad attained q
height of Ave feet above the water, and was
proceeding 10 q higher level stiil. by aid
Of the spines In front OF liza gill covers, It
held on 70 tho trees bark. II then bent It's
tall, and inserted into the bark its hinder
tail. spines. Thus fixing the hinder part OF
the body as kind OF fulcrum or support,
tho Ash then released lis head, and made
further ascent by STRENGTHENING Its body.
In the Malay tongue tho fish has been named
tho stree climber" and II u known 10
walk, or rather 70 wsddle, over tho land In
search Of fresh ponds and pools. The gills
are kept moist Ia its land ioarneys by pc
culiar arrangement OF tho bones OF the
head. These bones art greatly twisted
aud contorted, and serve apparently either
70 retain moisture for tho giils, or 70 hold a
supply OF cir sufficient for tho breathing
operations OF Me fsh.
| But exceliing IA Interest, oven the curious
ashes Just named, we ind the Lepidosiren.
or mud fish, OF tho Amazon and Gambia
rivers, and the Cerstodus, or "Barramun-
d." Of tho rivers Of Queensland. In most
ordinary hshes, such rs the cod, salmon,
herring, otto On organ called Tho air blad-
der, swimming bladder, or sound exists.
Tho use OF this organ Ia apparently that OF
enabling the fish 70 riso or 70 sink in the
water, by releasing or compressing the
gases the Sound" contains. THIS bladder
vsries very much IN shape aud conforna
Non, and Ia somo cases II IL seen 10 commu.
nicato with tho throat OF tho hsh by means
Of duct or tube. In deep-sea fishes the
gas contained Ia the bladder Va mostly
Oxygen, while Ia fresh water fshos much
nitrogen with little oxygen and carbonis
acid gaa arc found. These gases appear u
be- secreted or formed by tho air-bladdel
itself. In some ordinary fishes, In which {
dense network Ok blood-veesels exists II
connection win tho ir-bladder, we ma,
readily believe shat this organ may assis
In purifying the blood.
In certain fshes, however, not only doe
the air-bladaer become lung-like In struct
ure, but II also Discharged the dutios OF
lung, In THAT IL receives impure or venom
blood from the body and returns IL 10 tn
body In q purified condition. Tho Ceratodu
Of Queensland has thus an air badde
which Is true hung. II rises 10 the sur
l a al.