Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-10-12
VERY ODD FISH
CURIOUS FORMS OF LIFE THAT ARE
FOUND IN THE SEA.
The Sea Fan and the Sea Pen and h
Tunicate F~amily-The Bar
nacle Mt One Time Was Believed to
Become a Bird-The CuttIeA.b.

""cAe NJ ohe Iime Was Believed to
Become a Bird-The C%uttlehsh.
The commonest inhabitant of sea or
shore in olden times was invested with
fabulous qualities. The homely barna-
Gle, for instance, because Of its feath-
cry breathing apparatus, was said to
be the parent Of a future bird, as a
proof of which ancient wiseacres point
ed to the r~ud1mentary feathers. Ger
rard, a naturalist who fourished at the
close Of the sixteenth century, actually
gives credence to the ridiculous legend
in his HERBAL" Inc furnishes a de-
tailed account Of the alleged metamor-
phosis.
Even today, Notwithstanding the
elaborate and intricate systems of sci
entif1c classification, there are still
many Of the marine fauna with little
more individuality than can be ex-
pressed in a Latin label. 1t is with a
few Of these odd deniZens Of the deep
that we are Immediately concerned.
But few will have happened across
the sea fan, II Of the Z%oophytes or
animal plants. 1t is found on the Dev-
on coast occasionally. 1t consists Of a
calcareous framework or skeleton from
six to twelve inches in height, with
many branches, which are covered
with a flesh colored membrane. The
latter is really composed Of innumera-
| I1o o1ry> --I;11> ,-;>, - .IA.
crete from the salt water the lime nee
essary for the building up of their
common support.
The sea pen is not dissimilar. 1t is
only three IL four inches long and,
like a quill, is naked at one end and
"feathered" at the other, the polyps be-
ing on the edge Of the feathers. The
sea pen is phosphorescent and when ir-
ritated, either by being injured or
thrown into fresh water, glows brightly.
A slightly higher but still lowly form
Of oceanic life is the tunicata. The
species is so called because the body
is incased in a stout coating or tunic,
consisting Of partly c%ellulose, which, as
we know, is also largely present in the
vegetable world.
One variety of the tunicate or as
cidian is shaped like a double necked
bottle. All have two openings, one
for the influx and one for the outflow
Of water.
The salpa Is a transparent, tubular
genus Of the tunicate family found in
tropical and subtropical seas. 1t ex-
lists in two separate forms, one Of
which lives alone and produces a num-
Der Of the others by a sort Of budding
process.
A number Of these latter unite side
by side so as to make up a series or
cluster. Each Of the numerous salpa
in the group lays a single egg, which
In Its turn evolves into one Of the SOL
itary individuals.
Sea grapes might with greater rea-
SOL be classed as belonging to the veg
yet these sea fruit are not so innocu-
u as they would appear. They are
the eggs Of the embryo cuttlef1sh, one
Of the most repulsive and sinister Of
submarine monstrosities.
The c~uttlefish swims by ejecting a
jet Of water from q tubular opening
neal the head. Having an internal
skeleton, it is closely allied to the YER
tebrates. With it's eight arms provided
with suckers, it's %parrotlike beak, its
prominent eyes and its playful habit Of
throwing mud in the eyes Of it's enc
mics by secreting an inky fluid, it is a
queer creature.
similar, but is minus the two tenta-
cles, or f~eelers, possessed by the cutie
fish. They are widely distributed in
tropical and subtropical seas and often
grow to a large size.
Encounters with them form a fruit
full theme for travellers tales. Perhaps
the most imaginative Is that fine piece
Of writing descriptive Of a fight with
one Of these devilfsh (as they are
sometimes called) in Victor Hugo's
"Toilers Of the Sea-"
There are some very peculiar deni-
ems Of the seas which wash the Scotch
coasts. One Of these enjoys the eu-
lHAoAiobo tALlC VI AAC uL4pouNhS1
Thick and clumsy in shape, with a
rough and warty skin, its name is a
congruous one. Nor is it made more
acceptable by its blue, purple and or
ange tints and it's oily flesh, albeit the
latter appears to be keenly relished by
seals.
The particular apparatus which gives
this ungainly fish it's name is a power
full sucker or disk on the lower part Of
its body. The object OF this attach
ment is not very clear, but by means Of
the sucker it can in stormy weather or
turbulent waters anchor it's clumsy
bulk safely to the bottom. When its
young fry are Matched in shallow water
they Immediately attach themselves
by means Of their suckers to the male
fish, which is said to watch over them.
The fifteen pound stickleback. some
times called the sea adder. is Il salt Wal
ter variety often found on the coasts OF
Great Britain and Ireland. 1t fire.
QucntS rocky and stony bottoms cover
ed with SraWcpd and is chiefly remark
Mo far thn f,,; fhlt it S l1njGl1n