Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-05
DEEP SEA BIG FISHES
MONSTERS CAUGHT FAR BELOW
SURFACE OF OCEAN.
Specimens Captured in Travis Where
Water is Cold as Winter
and Dark.
From the Boston Christian Register.

| The animals of the deep sea which live
| habitually in water Just above the freezing
| point, in darkness that is profound, are
| among the most grotesque and singular of
living beings. The fishes, SO far as known.
| are Of small size, but this does not prove
| that there are no large animals in the deep
| sea- The method Of taking deep-sea forms
| precludes the capture of any except the
| small and very sluggish ones which lie in
| the deep ooze, but the time will come when
| a large dredge will be invented in which the
monsters Of the deep will be taken, as there
| are few naturalists who have given the
| subject any attention but believe that there
are in the greater depths some gigantic anil
NAL which Is occasionally seen by those
who go down to the sea in ships. The many
and oft-recurring stories of the sea serpent
! cannot all be visions, pictures Of the fancy.
| Many Of the supposed sea serpents are
whales lines Of birds or patches of sea-
weed, but 1t Is the consensus of opinion
among conservative naturaliSts that there
! Is some gigantic animal in the deep sea yet
comes to the surface, showing portions of
| Its form, to the amazement of the mariner
who may chance to be in the vicinity.
AS to the nature of these unknown ami
mails we have several suggestions. Some
years ago a fisherman on the Georges
Banks, off the Maine coast, or in that
vicinity, brought up a remarkable fish
| twenty feet in length which was entirely
new to him. Considering Il mere en-
cumbrance, It was thrown overheard. but
the catch was reported and aroused great
interest among naturalists, SO much that
a large sum was offered to the fishermen
to fish 1t up again, which they tried to do
without success. The fish was a veritable
young sea serpent, and, if such a fish at
tanned the length of fifty feet, It would
Well compare with the accounts of sea
3" ora tnI
this occurrence several eel-like sharks have
been taken-long, serpentine-like creatures
that, when large, must be the sea serpents
OF the deep sea, and have convinced OBJ
servers that the tales which have aroused
the credulity Of people are not without
foundation. and that this mysterious realm
conceals strange and gigantic forms which
only rarely rise to the surface.
Inc eel-llke sharks found are in some in
stances luminous, emitting a strange light
over the entire surface-the light-givers Of
the deep sea.
The Ribbon Fish.
Another strange denizen of the deep is
the so-called ribbon fish, several specimens
of which the writer has seen on the shores
OF Santa Catalina Island. This creature is
one of the most beautiful of all fishes It
resembles white silver ribbon, slashed
with black. long fin extends it's entire
length, and over the head forms number
OF plumes or pompons Of a vivid red that
IN long specimens might easily be taken for
a name waving to and fro. That this deli
cate ribbon fish attains a large size is gen.
orally believed, as large specimens have
been captured. Some years ago a fisher
man was hauling net on the coast of
Scotland, when it was found that some
heavy, weight was holding the net back
Additional help was obtained, and a dozen
men finally hauled in a monster fish which
a tod tn 10Th Ic
gigantic ribbon fish, thirty feet or more
In length. SO long and heavy that it re-
CURED the efforts Of half dozen men to
carry 1t along the deck. 1t was veritable
sea serpent, and extending from its head
were tall deep red or scarlet plumelike fms
which form a sort Of "mane" frequently
described as being seen on the typical sea
serpent. II these fishes attain length of
thirty feet, there Is no reason why they
may not exceed this, and it Is very possible
that some of the "sea serpents" which have
been observed at various times were gil
gantic ribbon fishes which came up from
the deep sea, and moved along with undu-
lating motion at the surface.
During the past year a large specimen
OF this deep sea wonder washed ashore at
Newport Beach. Cal, where 1t was de-
stroyed by a Mexican, ignorant of its
value. The fish, which was twenty-five or
thirty feet in length, and estimated to weigh
900 pounds, was seen at first in the surf
presenting remarkable appearance as its
flashed in the sunlight. The finder waded
into the surf, and with much difficulty
hauled the struggling ribbon fish out upon
the sands.
is unknown, but 1t is supposed to come I'D
from the very great depths where almost
profound darkness reigns.
The Hideous squid
One of the most remarkable as well as
gigantic animals of the deep sea is the
giant sQuid-a favorite tid-bit of the sperm
whale. The size to which these animals
grow, their strength, their hideous appear
ance, place them on a par with many of
the weird and grotesque creatures Of a past
age. The squid undoubtedly attains a
length of nearly, If not over, 100 feet; and
pieces have been taken from the stomach
of whales which suggested animals far be-
yond this in size.
No more hideous creature can be imag-
ined. The body is barrel-shaped, the tail
like an arrowhead the eyes as large as
saucers, black and white, hypnotic and
staring The arms are attached to the
head, and are ten in number, from ten to
twenty feet long in extremely large anil
mails, while two are from thirty to fifty
feet in length, depending upon the size of
the individual. The short arms are pro-
vided with extraordinary suckers their en-
tire length. The two long ones have them
only at the extremities; and they form vir-
tually pair of pincers which shot out
thirty or more feet like flash of light to
seize the unsuspecting prey, which Is then
ha uled along the shorter arms and held
powerless to escape. The mouth is small,
but is provided with two large parrot-like
beakS.
This weird creature, weighing tons, with
power of changing its co.or like a cham
eleon, and In some species luminous lives
in deep fjordlike bays and probably in the
deeper regions Of the ocean, as it Is rarely
seen except when wounded. A number of
years ago an epidemic appears to have
overtaken these animals; and numbers
were found at the surface in Newfound-
land waters, one, fifty-f1ve feet in length
giving the man who discovered it a hard
struggle. The hideous animal threw it's
arms over the boat, holding on with wise
like strength. emitting clouds of ink. which
permeated the water in every direction 1t
was finally secured towed in. and
chored in the surf, where it lay until the
tide ebbed tossing its arms aloft, filling
the water with ink-a terrifying spectacle.
Naval Orders.
Lieutenant Commander ]. F. Parker, from
A~sn Ito