The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-07-09
new FACTS ABOUT FISHES.

Sc1entlhc American.
Prof. A. E. Vcrrill, of Yale, has re-
Gently received new details concerning
the great octopus which was found
some time ago on the shore near St.
Augustine, Fla. The professor classi-
fcs it as species distinct from all
known forms and proposes as a name
for it Octopus giganteus. The part
washed ashore was of at least six tons
| weight, which was about half its
weight when living The true length
OF the body is about q feet with a
maximum width Of about feet and a
diameter OF at least feet when liv-
ing. Prof. Verrill thinks that two
posteror stumps, looking like arms,
may be the remains Of lateral fins.
Some of the arms were probably about
q feet long. The dimensions Of the
Florida octopus are decidedly larger
than those of the Newfoundland speci-
mems which Prof, Verrill brought to
public attention years ago. Prof.
Verrill adds that the species is proba-
bly, one OF the kind upon which the
sperm whale feeds regularly on our
Southern coasts, and chat the spcci-
men found may have had suckers as
large as dinner plate, corresponding
to the size OF suckers once described
to him by a trustworthy whaling cap
tain.
In a number of the American Jour
nal of Science, Prof. Vcrrll describes
SCmc singular nocturnal changes in
the colOrs OF fishes and their curious
habits when sleeping at night. His
observations were mace between mid.
night and 2 o'clock a. M, the gas jets
near his aQuaria being turned as low
as possible. Most fish, the pro.
fcssor says, sleep very lightly and are
reused by almost imperceptible vibra'
tions of air or water. Founders thus
seen sleeping at night showed their
dark markings much more strongly
than by day, and the same was true
in greater or less degree of the mark.
ings OF certain minnOws, king fish, the
black sea bass and trout, the latter
becoming much darker by night than
by day. This change is of protec'
tive character. Describing other
changes, Prof. Vcrrill says:
Other fishes, however, show much
more remarkable changes. Among
these the soup or porgy is one of the
best examples. This fish, when active
in the daytime, usually has a bright
sllvery color with iridescent tints
But at night, when asleep, it has q
dull bronzy ground color, and the
body is crossed by about six trans
verse back bands. When one Of these
fishes with this colOrati0n was awak
encd by suddenly turning up the gas
it Immediately assumed the bright
silvery colors belonging to its day
time dress. This experiment was re
peated many times on different In
dividuals with the same result. A!
this fish naturally rests among ee
grass and seaweeds, the pr0tectiv,
character OF its nocturnal cOlOrs i
obvious.
!. A common alc fish was observe,
that presents very decided change II
, color pattern. This species in tn
' daytime is mottlcd with brown an,
dark olive green and the fins and tai
are Il little darker than the body, bu
: when asleep at night its body become
pallid gray or nearly white, while til
. fins and tail become decidedly black
Il These colors are decidedly protectiv
at night or 10 Il feeble light anon
# rocks and weeds, where it lives. Thi
= and other species OF file fishes whe
sleeping would usually rest on til
Il bottom with the back leaning agains
y the glass Of tie aquarium or against
" stone ut a considerable angle.
The common tautug or black is
has the curious habit OF resting upo
's one side, half buried among gravel, {
y partly under stones, and Is 0fte
!" curved In strange positions. 1t
easy TO imagine that the founders o
!" iginated from some symmetrical al
- cestral form that acquired, like Il
=. tautog, the habit Of resting upon OF
rs side, at first only when sleeping. b,
aftcrward continually, owing to II