The state herald., 1915-10-01

Several hundred kinds of deepsea fishes had
been collected-some OF them dredged from a
depth of more than mile-and It required
huge quarto to describe and picture them. From
this volume dates our real knowledge OF the
fishes OF the abyssal deep The Challenger"
expedition was inded. Columbus voyage" in
ichthyology; It opened a new chapter in the his
tory of the science.
Since that time many deepsea exploring
petitions have been sent out by the various
tions. and hosts OF other fishes have been
brought up from the oceans in all parts OF the
world. More than a thousand species are now
known. and we can appreciate at its full value
the richness and strangeness OF this fauna.
Moreover, not only do we know the fishes them
selves but h result OF the scientific invesu'
cations carried by the various expeditions.
know a good deal OF the physical con
ditions under which they live. so that We can, in
a measure at least explain the why and where
fore OF their extraordinary characteristics
,, When we think Of life in the deep-sea, there
Comes to mind first OF all. the enormous pres
sure which these creatures must Withstand
This pressure becomes the greater the deeper we
10 down. and In the profoundest depths II equals
thousands OF pounds to the square inch. The
result OF this pressure is that the tissues OF these
fishes are tender and loosely knitted together.
When they arc brought up ont OF the dark
depths. and the great pressure under which they
live is removed. the explosion OF the gases with
In them bulges out the eyes, and often blows out
the viscera through the mouth while the mus
cles collapse, leaving them soft and nabby like
moist rags Most deep-sea fishes are very small
also usually only n few inches in length. and II
IL probable that this reduction In size has come
about. to some exten, at least from the great
pressure under which they live
, Another important condition Is the dimness OF
light, or even darkness In the profound depths
OF the sea II We imagine ourselves descend
ing into the deep ocean, We see the light grow
DINNER and DINNER AS we 40 down. until finally
n level is reached beyond which no light pene'
trates nt all The entire vast depth below II. Is
In eternal darkness Now the fishes living In
this dim light. or In total darkness. have been
profoundly modified by H. In some forms the
eyes have become very small, and In some cases
have entirely disappeared. There are even nshes
In which the skin and scales OF the body have
grown over the place where the eyes should
be 80 that these fishes are. aS has been aptly
said blind beyond redemption other forms.
on the other hand have been affected In
entirely different way. The eyes instead OF
growing smaller have grown larger ms II In an
nttemp, to catch every noeting ray Of light In
some nAhep this has bcon carried 10 far that the
eyes have become like enormouF gogglcr
Mos, deopsoa nshca have luminous organs OF
one Kind or another. 20 that they carry their
own light about with them. In some the entire
.rud.n from the pores and lateral canals. emit
ting n soft silyery glow. In others rows OF mi
mute. luminous organs run along the sides OF the
body, or there are flashing lishtspo,s on the
head or face. What wonderful sight would be
20 IN a small black nsh nitting through the nj
Ionee and darkness Of the deep with it, head
lights aud row Of pores cleaning through the
darkness like some small ship passing through
the nirht with itn portfolios NIL aglow' Some
deepsaa nshes have n luminous organ ai tho
end OF u icelet on tho head
A pertinent question may be asked How do
Ne know these nHheH glow and Elimmof' since
no human eye has bched ,hcm In thcif
ah,ssal homcf We know this partly from anal
oyy and partly from actual observation. When
one Is IN a boat In the tropics. on one OF those
suitry nights when everything IL y dead calm,
and the black clouds hang 20 low that hb aud
sea form onr continuous baekneAa. then ono
may 900 tho sllmmerins nFhes daruur out Of the
pa,h nf the boat their forms, HilVory and ghost
Ike outlined fof one moment asanH, tho black
ness Of the sea This eject Ia chiefly due TO
the osidifnE NJ the alimy secretion covering
tbais bodies Why shall We not believe. then,
that 10 doepHsa nsheH similar phenomenon
takes plnce, particularly as N many Of them