Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-05-08
SEARCH LIGHTS OF THEDEEP
CURIOUS AND INTERESTING FORMS
OF SEA LIFE.
Fish That Make Their Own Light,
Either to See Their Way or to
Entice Unwary Prey.
From the Chicago Tribune.

From the Chicago Tribune.
Among the many Investigations and ex-
plorations which have marked the last por-
ton of the last century, the discoveries in
the deep sea have an absorbing interest to
the naturalist and laymaH One hundred
years ago the sea was mystery in every
sense and no conception of it's depth or
the marvellous animals which peopled it
was formed. The deep places could not be
found, were labeled mo bottom and it
became a belief among some that the ocean
was practically bottomless: that the great
er depths could be reached, examined and
mapped was not even thought of. The bot
tom of the sea presented problem to in
vestigators which was more difficult to
solve than that of the pole or darkest Afri-
1t near at hand; there was no
difficulty about that. but how to probe a
region where divers could not penetrate
below 100 feet, more or less, was puzzle.
The suggestion to reach the deep sea by
dredges was at first received with scorn.
Mathematician protested that if the ocean
was three miles deep no object could sink
lower than a mile, and would there be held
suspended, there being a zone of drifting,
floating wrecks in the ocean. But gradual
ly Investigations and discoveries were
made Dredges and leads reached the bot
tom, first at half mile, then mile; Eng
land, Germany, Italy, Monaco, Sweden and
the United States all sending out we'll
equipped ships to study and solve the prob
lem of the deep sea, and today as result
many facts relating to this marvellous
world of the abysmal ocean are known. Its
average depth is about three miles; there
are vast depressons where the water is
six, possibly more, miles deep, and nearly
all of this region is inhabited with animals
so strange that they seem more like weird
figures of the imagination than living ami
mails.
Prof. Agassiz, during his late expeditions
in the Albatross, has taken living animals
from the deepest dredging, showing that
life exists where the temperature is just
at or just above freezing: where the pres
sure is so great that glass is powdered, and
where the normal conditions are inky dark
ness. The animals which live in such
soundless region can but excite the inter-
est and imagination Of the reader. They are
forms which have been driven to the dark
unfathomed caves in past ages, and have
slowly become adapted to the strange con-
ditions. How such animals can see or ex-
list under such pressure Is the question ask
ed the explorer; and it can be briefly an
swered that the animals are literal SpongeS.
through which the water circulates; and
they see by the system of phosphorescent
lights emitted by organs Of illumination;
and so universal is this that few of the
deep-Sea animals so far found are without
them. If the reader in Imagination should
descend into the sea he would find that it
grew dark at a depth Of 200 feet that at a
depth of 1000 feet the darkness was in
tense. and that all plant life had diSap-
peared; but as his eyes became accustomed
to the darkness he would see, here and
there, dots and splaShes of light, and the
watery atmosphere would soon take on the
appearance of the heavens with stars con-
stellatfons, moons and even meteors dash
ing along. AS he plungeS on in the deep
ooze he would find himself in forest Of
seeming cornstalks. each tipped with a
light among which strange fishes poise,
moving slowly away. Nearly all these
fishes are luminous; some over their entire
surface; others have special lights, or
llght-glving organs, either to attract prey
or to aid in the general illumination.
A Weird Fancy of Nature.
In general appearance all these fishes are
remarkable abnormal creations seemingly
of some weird fancy of nature. Some are
large, and all are engaged in preying one
upon the other. using their wonderful lights
as flashes or decoys. One Of the sharks OF
the deep sea- known as Isistis having no
common name is ablaze with light over its
entire surface. When caught 1t presents a
remarkable appearance, outlined in light,
the latter flashing from head to tail. An
allied form created so beautiful a light
when captured that the discoverer read by
it. The light in this instance was green
Some of the largest of the deep-sea fishes
are covered with phosphorescence and are
Veritable SpecterS as they move along, out
lined against the dark background. In these
instances the seat of the light appears to be
in the peculiar muscilaginOus system which
they possess, and the light can be rubbed
off on the hand. But the most marka BILE
forms are those which have Eighteenth ting
organs, virtual searchlghts, sometimes OF
two colors. which throw beams of light
ahead of them as they move through this
silent realm. Such fish is the MalacOS:
teus, which has four lghts-two above anC
two below, the former emitting an orange
colored light, while the latter are green
We imagine this marvellous creature
swimming slowly along, the CLEANS of Its
differentiated lights shining brightly, at
tracing prey or illuminating it SO that il
can be seized in the terrible fang-like teeti
of the living fashlight
Another remarkable fish is the Stomias
| with the head of dragon, long needle-likt
| teeth and body slender and attenuated
| Along the lower surface of the latter are
rows of objects. which in the day time re
| Semble mother of-pearl, but which at night
| glow and CLEAN like the open portfolios Of g
| ship. Each one is a flashllght capable 0.
| emitting phosphorescent light. the combined
| effect being sufficient to outline the fish II
| lines of fire.
| Uncommon Names.
Another-Sciadonus-th have no com
mon names-has a searchlight upon 1T
| forehead, which throws a CLEAN Of ligh
|
| fiashlght fishes found by the various expe
| ditions and brought to the surface In thei
dredges is astonishing. Nature appears t.
| have been more than prodigal In producing
eccentricities. The lights are not confines
| to any special place. In some the head Il
| the seat of luminosity; in others the spot
are scattered along the sides and on tn
head and in one the tail is luminous, Will
! in others again the entire body seems to b.
| dotted with these lamps. One form ha
| three distinct lights on the cheek, or VIVA
| compares to it, and three oblong ones Of
| the lower jaw, while the strange Diaphu
has three enormous flashlights which throw
| the light downward from the head. Hid
| eous little creatures, known as Sternopty1
| and Argyropelecus, are ablaze with lights
| the CLEANS coming principally from tn
| lower surface fish called Aethopror;
| not only has lights along the sides, but tn
entire top and front of the head is re
Hector or light. calling to mind the head
| light Of a locomotive, so that when the fsl
Is coming head on it presents the appear
| ance of star.
| In all these the flashlights and reflector
| are undoubtedly employed by the fishes. t
| throw light about their prey and enabl
| them to seize it, but there is anothe
| class abundant in the deep sea which us
| thar fishtS as lures. Such a with al