The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-31
BIO CATFISH.
Two seventy-hve Founders Now at the
Aauarium-A sizable Alligator Ear.

The two big Western catfish now on exhibition
at the Aquarium, ono weighing seventy eight
pounds and the other scvcnty-fve, were taken
in the Arkansas River about thirty miles above
its junction with the Mississippi They had gone
into tho mud. Larger fishes might have been
secured but these Of medium size were preferred
because Of the greater certainty Of their surviving
the long journey east. They arrived In good
condition.
These big catfish are each about four feet long.
When one Of them happens TO lie athwart the
tank II reaches from the glass at the front Of the
tiled wall at the back. They are Of the same
general appearance as the familiar smaller cat
fish Of Eastern wnters having the same familiar
BARRELS and fcclcrs around the mouth. the Same
round wide snout and capacious jaws, and tho
same little eyes, set wide apart. Tho mouth
IL about ten inches wide and the tail spreads
about eight inches The fishes are each about
foot in diameter at the biggest part OF the body
They ore hig fishes. and they look II.
Inc western liver oa cal, howeset az, as wen
ing often weight Of 200 pounds and length
Of six feet and more fishes thus carried over
mans shoulder, would trail their tails on the
ground As sold in the markets along tho Mis-.
sissippi, these big catnshcs nobody would want
whole fish weighing 100 or 200 pounds oI,nd,
is in the markets here, or big steak cod. These
scvcnty-hve.pound catlshcs at tho Aquarium
Vt home in their native rivers these big cat
fishes eat frogs or whatever they can get II
would seem though the frog could keep away
from n comparatively slow-moying fish like the
catfish. but II might even be that frog would
Jump into the widr.opcn mouth OF q catfish with
out knowing II until II was too lnto. The big
catfshcS AT the Aquarium have as yet eaten
nothing since they have been here, now about
two weeks but this cxcites no uncasiness, for
II might be easily that in the colder waters. in
nature at this season. they would 20 a month
or more without eating. Food is offered, however,
Ia them daily and as they become more accustomed
10 their situation and surroundings they will
doubtless begin 10 feed 10 bc thus enrolled among
the heavy eaters at the Aquarum's table.
There was brought from the same waters, and
at the same time with the big catnshcs alligator
gar Of about four feet and half In length. which
In pretty stable sort Of gar, though they grow
much bigger The alligator gar takes its name
from the shane Of its snOut and mouth, which are
something like those 81 the alligator. The hli-
gator gar IL at home in either salt or fresh water
It's mouth u furnished with needle pointed teeth
increasing in size from the beginning Of the Jaws
20 tho end Of the snput Like the biz catfish.
the gnr may roam of through break in levee
into the comparatively shallow water on over
flowed lands and the big ~ars may be fcrocous
when attacked and II struck at for instance
foht back as dog would in similar circumstances
The bic catNShcs and the ALI -ator gar are
placed NJ the Aquarium In tanks on the ground
tier, fresh water side