Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-01-07
WHOLE NUMBER 1872.
DEEP-WATER FISH.
SOME FOUND OVER THREE MILES
BELOW THE SURFACE,

1HSy are DlInSult TO Catch-Ihere
are Eels from Four Inches to
Eleven Feet in Length and Ex.
ceedingly VOraciOus.
Many fishes, such as groupers,
founders, red snappers, jew fish, sea
perch, barracudas, eels, pompanos,
rock cod, and other forms that are
captured by the angler in compare
lively shallow water are also found in
the ocean, and are classed by ichty-
ologists as deep-sea fishes, or those
that dwell in salt water of 500 feet or
greater depth, says the Chicago
Times Herald.
Four species very similar in form to
the salmon and classed by Gunther as
salmonoids, have been taken from
depths ranging from S,136 to 1920.
All OF them have the adipose or fatty
fin so characteristic of the salmon
family. Sharks have been taken from
a depth of 1896 feet on the Pacific
coast. Few of them, however, are
found deeper than 1000 to 1900 feet,
One about "a feet in length, seen at
Pemaquid, Me-, in 1880, was mistaken
for sea serpent because of its slender,
long body and snake-like appearance,
is doubtless deep-sea rover, as only a
few of them have been seen. Another
form, the largest of the sharks, and
growing to length of IS feet, is also
believed to visit very deep water and
breed there, as the young have never
been caught or seen.
1t must be remembered that the Up
pliance used in fishing great depths is
not adapted for the capture of large
fish or those that move very swiftly.
Good and Bean, in their Oceanic
Ichthyology," in reference to this
matter, aptly say:
at seems probable that there are
many inhabitants of the depths which
are too swift, too wary and cunning,
or too large thus to be taken. 1t can
not be doubted, for example, that
somewhere in the sea, at an unknown
distance below the surface, there are
living certain fish-like animals, un-
known to science and of great size,
which come occasionally to the surface
and give foundation to such stories
as those of the sea serpent"
One form, allied to the catfishes, is
found in water 14,35S feet deep, and,
in strange contrast of habitat, fresh
water catfish are captured in the
streams of the Andes at an elevation
of IA 600 feet. Some of the ray fishes
have been taken from depth of $500
feet; halibut from 1900 feet; bar
racuda from 6,34S feet; pompanos
from 75O feet; red snappers from L.
500 feet; rock cod and groupers from
1880 feet. The fishing frog, frog fish,
angler, or sea devil, as it is promiscuous-
ly called, well known to the fishermen
in the estuaries of the Atlantic coast,
has been taken in the ocean at depth
OF 2, 100 feet; an allied form (Nelano-
cetus), only four inches long, con-
tanned fish which was u inches long
and one inch deep. 1t was rolled up
spirally into ball and lay in the
capacious stomach of its captor, which
was found in water 1900 feet deer.
Another allied genus (Mancalias)
which DR.. Gunther calls "sea DEVIL"
a degraded form of the fishing frog,
was found by the Albatross in the
Pacific ocean at the depth of 1O,116
feet. Some forms of the eel family
have been taken from depth Of l2,50O
feet. They range from four inches to
IL feet in length, and one Of them,
doubtless, can be classed among the
most voracious and destructive fishes
of the deep sea. Allied species of
similar formation have been taken off
the Pacific coast at a depth OF $500
feet. One species OF the Goldfish
family has been taken in the Ant
arctic ocean from depth of 1854
feet, and one of the founders or fiat
fishes from IL $50 feet.