The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-05
yORACITY OF The GOLDFISH.
Queer Things from the Bottom OF tho See
Found Sometimes In Their stomachs.

NSsUCt AtAA " hno ~ VI tuo
Pound Sometimes In Their stomachs.
There was printed recently in THE Sun a de-
spatch from Essex, Conn. telling OF tho finding
of a watch in the stomach of a Goldfish. That
incident illustrates the voracity of the Goldfish.
and many stories Of tho same kind are related
in 1.-THE Fisheries and Fishery Industries Of
the United States"
Scottish feed upon all marine animals small
or than themselves which are found in the
same waters with them and are digcstiblc,"
says the writer. ut would seem useless to give
n catalogue Of the species which have been dis
covered in their stonachs. For q long period Of
years. before our naturalists learned to use tho
hand dredge, a favorite place in which to search
for the rare invertebrates of the deep water was
the fish dealers store. and from the stomachs Of
Goldfish scores of shells new to science have been
taken. Since the introduction Of improved meth
DDS of deep sea research this mode of collecting
has been somewhat less prosperous, but even at
the present time many important additions to
ZOOLOGY are yearly made by the aid OF this ON
nivorous animal.
Goldfish swallow bivalve shells of the largest
size, like the great sea CLAIMS. which are a favor.
lite article of food on certain portions of tho
coast; for instance. in Ipswich Bay great beds
Of empty shells Of the sea clam, Mactra GRATIS,
may be found upon the bottom. These shells
are 'nested.' the smaller inside Of tho larger,
sometimes six or seven in a set. having been
packed together in this compact manner in tho
stomachs OF the Goldfish after tho soft parts
have been digCsted out. Some OF them had
were quite fresh, having evidently been but re.
Gently elected by the fish. In Dana's Geology
island Of Grand Manan, which doubtless origi.
mated in the same manner. Mr.. w. Fl. Dali
which he attributed to the walrus, but which
are more probably the remains of mollusks
eaten by the Goldfish:
sters and stNrfsh. and have been seen at tho
surface catching the potato beetles and June
bugs which hayo drifted out from tho shore. 1t
is said that they succeed occasionally in cap
turing a duck. The Gioucester Telegraph Of
May 9, 1857 reports the Tineyard Gdsefte as
took n Goldfish at tho South Side which
T UiI!sToM GvG Gu siEs,y ,d BGrp sds,1 ON dressing dress sn it tT 70
Its %entrails. They were quite fresh, having most
Of their feathers on. Goldfish vary their diet by
browsing upon carraRcen, or Irish moss, which
grows on the lodges near the shore. In search
Ing at the bottom for shells ana worms, Goldfish
logue of such objects might be included in this
such as scissors, brass oil cans, potato parings,
corn cobs: and tho head Of q rubber doll. The
c c1a I al and Ht TIE heel edn of 'b boot 'f inside Of a 81 iar Sl
Goldfish has suggested tho idea that sometimes
they swallow the fishermen.
A wedding ring which belonged to Pauline
Burnam, an English lady who was lost In the
steamship AnRlo-SaXon, wrecked Off Chance
stored to her relatives by st. Johns fisherman,
who found the ring in tho cntrails of a Goldfish.
for restoring. the highly priced memento to the
lady,s son. IBoston Jontrnali July Q. ls71l,
In their stomachs. and fishermen have u theory
that this is a sign OF an approaching storm and
that the fsh thus take in bnlIast to enable them
troubled. 1t Is more likely that these stones are
swallowed on account of soa anemones or other
ri ala RIhllHnpaa NNhiNh m n IA at a.
them. In just the same manner that the shells of
mollusks arc taken in for the sake of the nutri.
tious parts which they contain.
1T is believed tlat certain shoals of Goldfish
feed almost entirely at the bottom, while others
to distinguish these two classes by their general
appearance. the first being heavier, with shorter
quently known as grubbers or ground Keepers,
while fish bel longing to what are known az the
squid, school, the herring school and the liant
school. which are probably the same lish at diff
fercnt seasons of tho year, arc brighter-eyed.
slenderer IN form, with sharper head and In
every way better adapted for swift LOGON o,ion.
On the coast OF Labrador, ns well az in Scandi-
navia. goldfish follow the schools OF spawning
cnpclin In TO the shore and prey greediiy upon
them, and elsewhere ut other seasons they feed
with no less vorncity upon other species OF fsh
which may be schooling. and OF which they
destroy vast numbers. such as mackorel, men.
haden. herring, alewifc, salmon, sculpin, foun.
"G "Iin 'S N"TemS S@" h 1872, Mr.. vinal n. Edwards.
found In the stoinachs Of COD taken at No Mans
~ 80 ~ 'ff f'N. w. - VIZ ~ 'Nll WHY
~ great depths. and Othcrs. like the twO-su,ncd
sticklcbRCk, G0SterOstens GidcuicatUs. md tho
little file fish, NOhOcdnthU S Sttifcr, must have
been taken at the surface or near the shore.
"On the GRAND Ranks, especially in shall
low water about the Virgin Rocks. | have been
told that they follow the liant TO tho surface,
pursuing them with great ticrccncss. Along
our northern coasts they replace, 10 some cX-
tent, the voraciOus bluctish and bOni o OI the
South. Capt, Atwood remarks that the amount
OF food which they consume Ii enormous, when
the size OF the FISH is taken into account. He
has seen them on the coast of Labrador. whcrr
tho capelin were in great numbers with their
stomachs illlrd to tho greatest possible extent,
and cnpClln In ihci- mouths which they were nm.
able to swallow tor want of room. and in this
condition they were still biting at the hook.
They even feed upon the young at their own
kind. They are said To feed largely upon her
ring spawn, though they are not seen In great
numbers about The spawning grounds until tho
schools Of parent FISH have departed. Tho her
ring, also, Is u taYOritr Rrliric Of food, and when
this tiBh approach the shores or arc seen on tho
banks II is u very good sign that cod will soon
be abundant. Mr., Earl remarks:
>" ] am tod that In the spriug Of 1879 an i'm
mense school OF herring moved closely across
Georges Bank, and that with thum came tho
largest shoal OF cod thai has been sCOn in that
locality for 4 long time. Tie cod remained con.
stRntly among the herring, 80 that whom the
latter had passed tho tishing feet the vessels
were ouligei to weigh anchor and follow them
In order 10 secure the COZ.
About PrOviDcetown the common squid
sometimes. appear in great numbers and they
are most VIE rously prcyed upon by the cod"