Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-02-07
WAYS OF THE TRIGGER FISH.
An odd Creature of the Aquaria.
That Likes to Lie Down AT the
Bottom.

Disposed here and there upon tn
bottom OF the tank at fAe Aquarium
which is occupied by the trigger fishe
and the gray snappers there are
number of rocks, placed as they nigh
be found In nature. Included anon
these there is near the center of tn
tank a bunch of rocks made mp of
rather narrow fat rock lying horizon
tally, with rock on edge, inclinint
away from it, rising at one side, ant
another rock on edge and also inclininl
away from it, rising at the other side
the three rocks thus presenting sort
of trough-like formation. The trigger
fishes in this tank use this rocky
trough as a couch or resting place, ~
| ing along the fiat surface at the bot
tom and leaning against one or the
other of the flaring sides. The couch
part is not wide enough topermit them
to lie down quite fiat upon it, for the
trigger fish is. proportionately, very
deep bodied and these are stable speci-
mems, weighing four or five pounds
apiece.
1t is a common thing for the trigger
fishes to lie down in this trough appar-
emily to rest, one at time, for there
is only room there for one; in this,
though. the trigger fish is not peculiar;
there are other fishes, the black fish,
for instance, that get into clefts in
rock and that lie down on rocks just
a s. ia 4,.f..c.ay HsL 1,oe nna ~ 49,.
trigger fishes here in the tank may lie
on this rock after II has once settled
down entirely motionless, remaining
thus for an hour or two; to rise then
and sail away giving place perhaps
70 another Of the triggers. Sometimes
another trigger fish will after time
rout ont the one that is lying there,
bu ibis they rarely do; commonly
fish stays there as long as It wants to.
Once vacated. the couch may soon be
occupied by some other fish, or it may
remain for more or less time unoccu-
pied; il may be that the fish that had
just left it will take a turn or two
around the tank and then 60 back TO
bed again itself, this time, however,
very probably to stay but briefly.
Lying there as they do perfectly
the trigger fish may yet be
seen occasionally to shift its eyes;
looking about as one lying in bed
might look about IN the room. And now
md then the trigger fish turns over on
the other side. Lying. II may be, in
clined toward the back wall OF the
trough, IL shifts so as to incline toward
The front wall, bringing its other side
against that rock
This trough or couch ranges length
wise Of the tank, so that its side is pre-
iented TO the spectators view. As
ooked az from the front the rock rising
m that side OF the couch obstructs the
Jew Of the middle section OF the fiss.
hat may be lying on II, the fish's head
nd a little OF its body can be seen pro-
Getting at one end and its tail at the
'ther. The couch Is rather short for
he fish, and at the tail end the fish's
all hangs down over the end of the
ed Imply A trigger fish lying here
hus has not infrequently been mis-
AIKEN for dead fish, and visitors who
ave been to the aquarium often
nough to know the trigger fish's ways
! this respect linger by its tank to lis
en- to the remarks that are likely to be
made by some of the visitors to whom
$ ways are unknown.
"oh, see the dead fisbi' one visitor
ray say TO another in his company.
'dicating as he speaks trigger fish
ing down there in the trough; and
hen they stand and look al the dead
sh, 1t may be that as they are looking
it the dead one comes TO life and
ouses up and nips at and starts of
iter some passing fish.
"Hml Come on. ] guess he's a good
'ays from dead yet" saws the speaker.
nd the two move on 10 the next tank.
But while the trigger fish may start
At in lively fashion, and is not a very
oil fish. il is by no means as quick in
le water or as much disposed TO move
bout as the gray snappers are. In
lct, the trigger fishes alone in this
INK seem lazy and disposed TO loaf;
leyalone lie down in the rocky trough
he gray snappers, graceful in shape,
re pretty much always on the 90 and
lay be seen often scurrying about in
,mpany.
Trigger fishes are found in the wa
RS hereabouts; they are, however,
ore abundant in the waters Of Ber-
uda, whence these particular trigger
shes come, as did also their tank com
anionS, the gray snappers.
sf1H-tD.ta ,-..-