The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-08-16
Strange Deep-sea Animals.


greater depths of the ocean conceal
certain animals of the largest size
which so far have evaded capture. In
the introduction to a report Prof. G.
Brown Goode says: ut seems prob
able that shere are many inhabitants
Of the deep which are too swift, too
wary, too 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
flshllke animals unknown to science
and of great size, which come occa-
slonally to the surface and give a
foundation to such stories as those
of the sea serpent Since deep-sea
dredging began more than GOO species
OF deep-sea fishes have been discov-
cred, all Of a more or less wonderful
nature; but it is very rarely that large
fishes are taken. The net on the bot
tom, dragged along by a wire three
or four miles long, catches only the
very sluggish forms; the large and ac-
tive animals dart away along over the
bottom or blowing through the ooze
In 1880 some fishermen hooked up a
strange fish off Pemaquid. 1t was "a
feet in length, had a prominent fore
head, a mouth like that of a shark,
and an eel-like body. The men not
knowing its value threw Il overheard,
bringing in their story about the queer
fish. which soon reached the ears of
naturalists, who made every attempt
to rescue it. Boats went out provided
with dredges and hooks, but the ami
NAL had been devoured az carried off.
Inc fishermen were able to give rough
sketches Of the mysterious fish, and
it was evident that it was large spe-
cimen of what is now known as the
eel shark, one having been found in
the waters of Japan in 1886. Numer-
Gus strange animals have been OBJ
served from time to time which may
have been this long eel-like shark, or
some similar animal, that had found
it's way to the surface. An interesting
and authentic instance is that recorded
by Nathan D. Chase Of Lynn, Mass.
Mr.. Chase was on Lynn beach when
the animal appeared, and he saw it
from distance of not more than 100
feet. He saw body about SO feet
in length, with undulations, or bumps;
its head was carried about two feet
out of water, and its speed was about
equal to that of a steamboat This
animal was seen by hundreds of per-
sons and by. such well-known men as
Amos Lawrence, Samuel Cabot, and
James Prince of Boston, who made the
trip to the beach purposely to observe
the strange fish. That this serpentine
creature was some wanderer from the
greater depths of the ocean there can
be little doubt. Another fish,. we'll
known, but rare. is the ribbon fish
Off the coast of Scotland it has been
taken with length of more than 40
feet, beautiful creature of satin tex
ture with rich scarlet fins resembling
pompons upon its head. That this fish
comes from the deep sea is almost pos
tive, az not 100 specimens have been
seen, and all of those were injured or
accidentally washed ashore In the
great depths live the giant squids, spe-
cimens of which have been found
which were 70 feet in length 1t is
rarely that they are seen except when
sperm whales are caught, which in
variably contains pieces of them.
While the larger animals of the deep
sea are not we'll known, the conditions
in which they live are well under
stood. The ocean bed has been reached
with o net in about six miles of water.
and that there are valleys and de-
pressions of greater depth may we'll
| be imagined. The situation in these
enormous depths is not conducive to
strongly built, heavy, and solid boned
ANIMALS, as the carnivorous whales
and others; the enormous pressure
would shatter such an animal, crush
! it to death, the pressure being at five
miles below the surface five tons to
the square inch in contrast to the is
pounds to the square inch at the sur
face. The objects lowered into this
region come up frayed and worn:
wood is twisted out of shape, the cop
per frames of thermometers bent, and
the glass itself reduced to a powder.
| The temperature is low; it is either
about freezing or below it.; one rec
ord made at a mile showing less than
20 degrees, while others at three or
four miles range from 80 degrees to
"a degrees. Animals to exist here
must be virtual sponges through which
the water may circulate and meet, off
setting the pressure. Nearly all the
fishes so far found in the deep sea
are. when taken from the water found
to be very fragile and so loosely con-
nected that many drop apart, while
the bones are mere tissue filled with
mucus Yet though the fish is a literal
sponge in the deep sea, it may be a
ferocious creature with strength to
rend large and powerful animals Tho
large fishes of the abysmal depths, if
they are sharklike creatures, are un-
doubtedly light sgivers. their body
emitting brilliant light by which
they recognize each other in the track