The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-12
EEL IN THE SHARK TANK.
Not Definitely Known How 1t Got There
It's Life In the Tank.

In the sharks tank at the Aquarium there ia
an eel fifteen or sixteen inches long which is rarely
seen. II makes Its home under the overhanging
edge OF a fat stone on the bottom and there II
stays most OF tho time. II may DO actually out
Of sight, under the rocky ledge; but IL is helped
in escaping observatio by the color OF the bottom
Of the tank, which is all Of deep brown like
dark iron rust due TO the presence OF very minute
form OF marine vegetation, which covers the rocks
and the gravel with its fine sort Of velvey growth.
How the eel got into the tank nobody knows,
but Il has probably been there year or moro.
II was first discovered some months ago. II
was doubtless very small when II first came in;
little creature perhaps two or three inches long.
II may have been thrown in with shrimps fed to the
fishes in the tank. Shrmps are carried to the
tanks in a shallow pan containing hundreds.
or probably thousands Of shrmps, and hand
full or more Is thrown into a tank at once; tiny
eel mixed In with q lot Of shrimps might easily
In this manner have been thrown into the tank
unnoticed. The eel could scarcely have got in
through a salt water pipe, for all the salt water
! used at the Aquarium is taken from wells OF its
own, sunk under the building. through the made
ground and gravel upon which the building stands
and which serves as a great filter. Fresh water,
however, is occasionally used in cleaning salt
water tanks, and the little eel might easily have
got in upon one of these occasions through tho
tanks fresh water pipe; and. once in the tank.
SO small an eel could easily escape notice on the
bottom. In all probability 1t at once sought out
the place which it now makes its home and which
is in all the tank the place best adapted to it's
security and comfort
Tho sharks tank really comprises two tanks
made practically into one by an arch between,
the opening being almost as wide and as high
as the tanks themselves; the shark, which Is
about four feet long. and almost always on the
Co. moves from one tank TO the other through this
| arch. 1t Is usually accompanied by the pilot
| fish in the tank. and often also by two yellow
mackerel that have been placed In the tank and
follow the shark around Just as the pilot fish
does maybe to keep the pilot fish company.
The bottom Of this double tank makes a stretch
| ten or twelve feet long There three or four
stable fiat rocks scattered along il, the one that
the eel lives under being the rock furtherest to the
| left, as one faces the tank The overhanging
part OF this rock Is mostly to the left and around the
back Of H. the rock itself is to the left Of the arch
90 that the cells home is in the left hand tank and
| it's outlook chiefly toward the left hand Of that
tank.
II so happens that the food for the shark and
the other fishes there is put into the tank at that
| end; and the presence Of the eel was discovered
by its reaching out from under its stone for some
| of this food IL was observed that by some means a
piece Of fish that had fallen near the low overhang
ing rock was being drawn under IL; and clost
| look revealed the eel. Since then a piece. al
feeding time. has always been dropped near enough
| for the eel to get IL without being in dan
ger from the shark The eel will stretch out within
four or FIVE inches Of its length beyond the stone
and seize a strip Of goldfish and drag il in and ca
| what il wants and push out the remainder. Ono,
the shark seized strip Of Goldfish at ono end Jus
as the eel seized it at the other The eel hung oil
until the shark had lowed il a foot or moro alonf
the bottom OF the tank but then II let 60; II wantet
the piece of Goldfish but that was as far from hom
as II wanted to go with the shark.
In front OF the cells porch, so to speak. there 4
of toward tho back Of tho tank depression in tn
gravel; sort Of little valley. The eel sometime:
comes out into this. and il may move around
little In its immediate neghborhood, but has never
so far has been observed been to the other sid
Of the arch into the other tank. Apparent.
It doesn't want TO get too far from home, and
seldom ventures out There II Is safe; and
seems to know H. and il is alarmed 1t curls aroun
the base of the rock away in under the shelf quit
out OF sight where IL can't be reached by anything
in the tank. Or the eel perhaps lies there on tn
bottom. safe under its low projecting roof and loo
out at the shark as II goes by, close at hand yer
| likely within few inches its mouth open, an
| It's ferocious, in-curving teeth plainly showing
II may DO that right there the shark halts for
moment and dips its head and picks up piece
Goldfish from the bottom, right by the cells from
door; and then starts up again and sails on pas
with the pilot fish and the yellow macherel tol
ging along after it, but the eel does not come OF
10 Join in the procession.