Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-07-19
SOME VERY ODD FISH
CURIOUS FORMS OF LIFE THAT ARE
FOUND IN THE SEA.

Peculiar Tuulcntc Fumily-Thc Rnr-
nnclc at One Time WINS Believed to
Bccomc II Dird-The CuttIensh.
Tho commoncst inllabitant of sea or
shore In oldcn times was invested with
fabulous qualities. The homcly barna-
Gle. for instance. because of its feath-
cry breathing apparatus. was said to
be the parent of future bird. as
proof of which ancient wiseacrcs point
ed to the rudimcntary feathers. Ger
close Of the sixteenth century, actually,
gives crcdcncc TO the ridiculous legend
in his Herbal" and furnishes de-
tailed account of the alleged mctnmor-
phosls.
Even today Notwithstanding the
elaborate and intricate systems of sci
entiiic classification, there are still
many OF the marine fauna with little
pressed in II Latin label. 1t Is with
few Of these odd dcnizcns Of the deep
that we are Immediately concerned.
But few will have happened across
the scu fan. one of the Zoophytcs or
animal plants. 1t is found OH the Dew
on coast occasionally. 1t consists of
cacarcous framework or skeleton from
six to twelve inches In height, with
many branches. which are covered
with n flesh colored membrane The
latter is really composed Of innumcra-
bic polyps which. curious to relate, Sc
crete from the salt water the lime nee
csSary for the building mp OF their
common support.
The sea pen Is not dlssimilar. 1t Is
only three or four inches long and,
like Quill, is naked mt one end and
"fcathcrcd" at the other. the polyps be-
ing OH the edge Of the feathers. The
sea pen Is plosphorcsccnt and when IT.
rtuted, 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 incascd in n stout coating or tunic,
consisting OF partly ccllulosc, which, as
we know. is also largely present in the
vegetable world.
Ono variety of the tunicnte or u.s.
cdian is shaped like II double nccl1cd
bottle. All have two openings, ono
for the influx and one for the outflow
Of water.
The snlpa Is n transparent, tubular
genus of the tunlCntc famly found In
tropical and subtropical seas. 1t OK
isis IN two separate forms, one of
which lives alone and produces II num-
her OF the others by sort OF budding
process.
A number Of these latter unite side
by side so ms to make UP series or
cluster, Each of the numerous snlpa
in the group lays Il single cgg. which
in It's turn evolves into one of the sol
itnry individuals.
Sea grapes might with greater rea-
son be clnssrd rs belonging to the veg
ctnble world beneath The waves, and
yet these sea fruit nrc not so lnnocu-
ous as they would appear. They are
the eggs of the embryo cuttlclish. one
OF The most rcpulsivc and sinister of
submarine monStrOstics.
The cuttlcish swins by cjcciing a
~
near the head. Having All internal
skeleton, it Is closely allied to the yer
tchrutcs. With its eight arms provided
with suckers, Its parrotlike beak. its
prominent eyes and its playful habit OF
throwing mud in the eyes of It's enc
mics ny sccrcting ali inky fluid it is Il
queer creature.
Its relative, the octopus, 10 very
similar. but is minus the two tcnta-
fish They are widely distributed in
tropical and subtropicai seas and often
grow to large size.
Encounters with them form n fruit
ful theme for travellers tales. Perhaps
the most imaginative is that fine piece
OF writing descriptive Of fight With
one of these deviliish (as they are
sometimes callcD in Victor Ifugo's
"follcrs Of the Sea"
There arc some very peculiar deni-
Zens Of tho seas which wash the Scotch
coasts. One of these enjoys the Gu
phoniOus title of the lumpsucker.
Thick and clumsy in shape. with II
rough and warty skin, It's name Is Il
congruous one. Nor is 1t made more
acceptable by Its blue, purple and or
nnge tInts and It's oily flesh, albeit the
latter appears to he kcenly rclshed by
seas.
The particular apparatus which gives
this ungninly fish its name is power
full sucker or disk Oh the lower part of
its body. Tho object Of this attach
ment is not very clear. but by means of
the sucker 1t can in stormy weather or
turbulent waters anchor Its 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