The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1900-02-19
AT THE AQUARIUMS TABLE.
An Institution where They Like TO
See Every Boarder with
Good Appetite.

Good Appetite.
Always after a newly-captured fish
has been put into tank the first thing
done is TO feed it, or try to get it TO eat.
At some periods of the year some fishes
in nature may go without food entire
ly for long time; and in captivity they
might do the same, or eat very little;
but as a general proposition fish that
is doing well eats well; and there is
nothing else that pleases those that
have the care of captive fish 50 much as
to see the stock with good appe-
tites. That means that the fishes are
feeling well, to begin with, and their
taking food regularly and in sufficient
quantities means that they are keep
ing up their strength, and, SO to speak,
their spirits. AS long as fish eats It
is all right The newcomers are not
only tempted with the most attractive
food that can be supplied to them, but
they are actually fed by hand, that is
the food is actually put into their
mouths, and this very likely is done
day after day; and the biggest and
clumsiest of the fishes are the ones like
liest to De fed in this manner
Food was thus offered upon tIiei- ar
rival and settlement in their tank to the
two big western cattishes now in the
aquarium; this is in the shape of slices
Of fish carried down to them in the
water on the end Of stick and put actu-
ally into their mouths in order TO in
duce them to eat; they would not, Of
their own accord, have picked up food
at that time AT all. The great green
moray, otherwise called the junior sea
serpent, seven feet long and with sharp
teeth and powerful jaws, which has
now been in the aquarium more than
six months, has taken almost all its
food in that manner from the begin
ming, 1t rears its great head, and opens
its jaws, and the food is put into its
mouth Even then the big moray does
not by any means always eat it, but
after holding it in its mouth for one or
five or ten seconds time let's it fall. But
every day. with untiring patience, food
is offered toit.
Every effort is always made to give the
fishes generally what they would like
to eat, and their dietis varied as much
as possible with marine delicacies. such
as shrimps, soft-shelled clans. and so
on, and il is sought TO satisfy the tastes
Of even individual fishes. For example,
the green parrot fishes like soft CLANS,
shells and all, and they get them, these
beautiful fishes eating the entire clam,
biting out small chunks and chewing
up the pulp and shell very fine and swal-
lowing all; most fishes that eat one sort
and another of crustaceans, rejecting
the shells. But that's the way the green
parrots like clans and that's the way
the clans are fed to them. On the other
hand, there are some fishes that get
their soft clans on the half she'll, these
being the angel fishes, the cowfishes
and the trunkfshes, and as ii has been
found that it is better for these fishes
health that they should not eat the
tough head of the clam with the leath-
cry, skinny hood that covers VI, that
part is cut out before the CLANS, on the
half shell, are put into the tanks for
them.-N. " Sun.