New-York tribune., 1909-03-07
ODD ABODES OF
MARINE ANIMALS
HOME OF FISH IN OYSTER
SHELL.
MolluSk HoEIOzcs q House an Sea
Urchin's Spine Jellyfsh
Umbrella Shelter.

Many OF the marine animals" remarked well
known naturalist the other day. either construct
very odd homes or else utilize extraordinary OBJ
tects either animate inanimate as such.
"One Of the oldest Of homes inhabited by ma
r1ne animal Is that of Fierasferida small. eel
Ike fish, generally ghostly white in color but so
translucent that its internal organs can De DIS
tincty through the walls or It's body IL IS
noted for its very singular habit OF living chiefly IN
the interior OF other animals especially holothu-
rians. The latter animal is also known as the sea
cucumber as Il somewhat resembles in shape the
common vegetable. and Is found IN pretty mucn al
seas When free in the water the fish swims head
downward. with tail curved toward the back oy
undulatory movements of the anal fin Coming 10
holothurian lying at the bottom, 1t eagerly seeks
the posterior aperture OF the animal through
which the holothurian expels and sucks in water
Taking advantage of this the fish. during the act
of expulsion by the animal pushes it's head into
the orifce and. Curving it's tail to one side. Dy q
rapid recof movement introduces itself. tail foFe-
most into the intestinal canal pushing further and
further in with every suction Of its involuntary
host At last the fish has its whole body lodged In
its new home and with its head near the anus OF
the holothurian is in position TO Drotrude 1t IN
search of food when hunger impels- Occasionally
It leaves Its host for short periods. looking then
like vertable ghost OF the sea with It's pecullar
color and transparency.
occasionally this fish makes it's home within the
shell OF the pearl oyster. The Museum Of Compare
tive Zoology at Cambridge Mass. has a pearl
oyster shell in which be seen imbedded in the
substance Of the shell a herasfer. In this case
the fish probably made the fatal error Of pene-
trating between the mantle and the shell Of the
oyster instead OF introducing itself between the
two halves Of the mantle This caused irritation to
the molIusc. which 1t resented by Immediately Sc
creting the substance with which the intruder Is
now covered. In the specimen in question the fish
is covered with a thin layer OF Deary substance.
through which not only the general outlines Of the
body, but the eye and mouth. be seen
The time required TO imbed the fish must have
been very short decomposition did not have
time 10 set IN
I'm New South Wales IT has been observed that
Nomeus gronovii. A fish remarkable for It's
enormous ventral fms which fold in ventral
groove IS to found only on the coast when the
physalia, Portuguese men-of-war.' are driven
ashore the fish swimming beneath them for shell
ter The physaIia has tentacles which attain
length of ten twelve feet and which have such
powerful stinglng properties that any animal COM
ing IN contact with them is instantly paralyzed
Nomeus seems to be immune to their influence
however. and plays in and out among them with
inlpunity, which is most remarkable when 1t IS
considered that other fishes do not seem to possess
this