Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1913-02-14
FISHES WITH SEARcHLIGHTS


Some remarkable models OF fishes
that inhabit the great depths OF the
Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans
have been put on exhibition in the
American Museum of Natural History.
They are considered the most note
worthy contributions yet made to pop
ular knowledge concerning the APP
pearance, complicated structure and
habits Of the curious creatures that
dwell from one to FIVE miles below the
surface Of the ocean, in regions never
penetrated by sunlight.
When fish from the greatest depth
reach the top they are always dead,
having been killed by the change In
pressure in the early stage OF their
upward journey. Many OF the crea-
lures from the depths are cartilagin-
GUS and do not have a bony structure.
Nearly all the fishes have formidable
teeth and are extremely voracious,
with mouths of enormous capacity; In
Sact some have stomachs of such ex-
,ansion that they can perform the
astonishing feat of swallowing ami
mails larger than themselves.
Probably the most interesting and
astonishing of the deep sea dweliers
are the luminous fishes, marvelously
equipped with organs for projecting
light. These light organs are means
OF Illuminating the dark atyssai re-
gions which they inhabit, anc or en-
q IN
their own kind and capture prey.
Many OF these fishes display curious
eyelike organs down the sides OF the
body, forming as it were a series or
miniature bulTs-eye lanterns. Again,
others possess light-emitting organs
behind the eyes or on the head and
shoulders
Provided with lanterns or luminous
spots, these fishes find their way IN
the great depths and pillow through
the dark waters like flaming torches.
Some of the deep sea fishes are pro-
vided with rod which Is hinged so
that its tip can be swung Immediately
over its back or in front of the vora-
cious mouth. At the end of this rod
is luminous lore. This decoy attracts
other sea inhabitants, which are quick
ly engulfed as they approach this
shining point.
The lamp is also used by the fish
itself in pursuit of prey, throwing out
beam of light like a searchlight as
1t darts to and fro in the inky waters.
Many of the fishes are totally blind;
these fall easy victims to the hunter
after being detected by the bright rays
of the lure.
1t has been found that at a depth
Of 5000 feet the suns rays cease to
penetrate the ocean. The eyes Of the
deep sea inhabitants have undergone
some curious notifications. In the
majority OF cases it is found that the
eyes are either very large or very
small. A large proportion of the deni-
zens OF the deep possess either no
eyes or eyes reduced to mere vestiges.
The deepest sounding so far reached
on the ocean floor is in the North Pa
cific, near the Island of Guam, 5,26S
fathoms, or 1854 feet, or about sc
feet less than six miles. This enor-
nous depth is 2,612 feet greater than
the highest land elevation above the
sea, that of Mount Everest In the
Himalaya mountains. $4,000 feet
These great deeps, as they are
termed, vary in form and size. The
Mares Deep. lying wholly in the At
lantic ocean, north OF the West Indies,
Is the largest The floor of this deep
sinks to 1000 fathoms and is est.
mated to cover an area of 10000
square miles.
The animal life ON the ocean floor is
enormous. Not all of the species
have as yet been described.