Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1904-06-09
Father Catfish a Good Husband.

preston that fish have only sense
enough to stay under water and gulp
down the tempting bait thrown them
are sadly off on their calculations,
remarked a Kansas City man who
spends all his spare time either catch
ing or studying fish.
There are fish which are possessed
of a great deal Of good horse sense, as
the saying is, and some fish have Won
derful Judgment. Take, for instance,
our common old catfish, and study
him awhile. They are bull headed,
but they have sufficient sense to build
a nest for their eggs and carefully
watch their young when they are
hatched out.
"If you will 60 out at any time
during the month Of August in this
latitude you will see in the streams
and ponds big catfish Of the common
sort, each one accompanied by a
swarm of small fry. In each case the
old one is a male, and he is engaged
IN taking care Of his young while the
mother fish floats around and takes
things easy, not having the care Of her
offspring to interfere with her pleasure.
The male catfish is more thoughtful
of his frau than are the great many
men. Should an intruder come near
the little catfshes there will be
trouble, for the daddy fish is all ready
to do battle for them.
"How did we find out that the male
fish do the caring for the young
Easy enough We simply put a pair
of catfsh-mals and female-in an
aquarium and watched the results
At spawning time eggs were laid
and one of the fish kept constant
watch over them. When the eggs
hatched and the little fsh Logan to
frisk about the same old fish kept con-
slant watch over them, not permit
ting the mate to come near them, and
this continued until the little fellows
grew large enough to take care ot
themselves. We then took the hst
which had so carefully guarded and
cared for the young and dissected 1t
and the result was that it proved tt
be the male fish.
This fact we have found to be true
in the habits Of other fish. The cat
fish, when in their native ponds anc
brooks, always find a quiet place II
the water near the bank to lay then
eggs, building nest in the sand anc
covering ic with spawn. The male
fish will hover around the nest anC
force fresh water through the mas
by rapid vibrations Of his fms. Thu
continues for week or ten days-noi
Il
longer-when the eggs hatch and the
father fish assumes his duties as care
taker of the young fish.
1.-THE common sunfsh also takes
care Of its young and eggs as do othel
species Of its family peculiar to NORTH
America, such as black bass anc
cIapPie. In the early spring pair
of these fish will come near the shore
and carefully clear away circular
spot foot or two in diameter, remov'
| ing all the weeds and stones, and il
this clearing the female lays her eggs
This done, the male Immediately takei
charge, lowering over the nest anc
driving away all intruders. This h'
continues to do until the babies are
hatched and able to hustle for theil
own living.
"In the case Of all fish which tsk'
care Of their own young, curiouI
adaptation Of natural law to clrcum
stances is found. Those which take
the greatest pains and care in shelter
ing their offspring have the fewes
eggs, perhaps lesa than hundred a
a Law, while on the other hand othel
species Of fish, which pay not TIT
slightest attention to their young
produce hundreds Of thousands anC
even millions Of eggs at a single lay
The extreme in the other direction !
found in the gigantic devilfsh o
southern waters, which will grow t
20 feet in width. The devilfsh bear
a single young one at birth. Tn
Youthful devilfth-coming into tb'
world four feet broad-iS so big tha
it is in little danger Of an enemy
There are many kinds Of fish whicI
bring forth their young alive.