The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1915-09-30

Several hundred kinds of deep-sea fishes had
been coccted-some OF them dredged from
depth OF more than n mlle-and 1t required a
huge quarto to describe and picture them. From
this volume dates real knowledge OF the
fishes OF the abyssal deep The challenger
expedition was inded. columbus voyage" in
ichthyology: 1t opened a new chapter in the his
tory OF the science.
Since that time many deep.saa exploring
petitions have been sent out by the various ma
tons and hosts of other fishes have been
brought up from the oceans In all parts OF the
world. More than thousand species are now
known. and can appreciate at its full value
the richness and strangeness OF this fauna.
Moreover not only do know the fishes them
selves. but, as IL result of the scientific investi.
cations carried by the various expeditions.
know good deal Of the physical con.
ditions under which they live. so that can. In
q measure at least. explain the why and where.
fore OF their extraordinary characteristics.
When we think of life in the deeosca, there
comes to mind. first OF all, the enormous pres
which these creatures must withstand
This pressure becomes the greater the deeper we
go down. and In the profoundcst depths 1t 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 out of the dark
depths. and the great pressure under which they
live is removed. the explosion OF the gases with
in them bulgcs out the eyes. and often blows out
tho vtScera through the mouth Whlle tne MUS
cles collapse, leaving them soft and habby like
moist rags Most deep-sca fishes are very small
also usually only few inches in length. and It
Is probable that this reduction In size has come
about, to some extent 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 imagine ourselves descend
Ing into the deep ocean, We see the lish, grow
DINNER and DINNER so down, until finally
n level is reached beyond which no light pene.
trates ut 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 IL In some forms tho
ewes have become very small and In some cases
have entirely disappeared There are even hshcs
IN which the skin and scales of the body have
grown the place where the eyes should
be so that these fishes are, has been aptly
said blind beyond redemption" Other forms,
on the other hand have been affected In an
entirely different way. The eyes. instead OF
growing smaller, have grown larger ns If In an
attempt to catch every nocting ray OF light In
some fishes this has hcca carried so far that the
eyes have become like enormous goggles
Most dccpscn fishes have luminous organs OF
one kind or another. so that they carry their
own light about with them, In some the "ntir"
body gmmCrs. the coating OF slime which
cxudes from the pores and lateral canals. emit.
ting soft svcry glow. In others rows OF mi
mute, luminous organs run hlohE tue SUES ol Nl'
body or there are flashing lghtspots on the
head or face What n wonderful sight would 10
TO VA small black fish nittng through the 81
lcncc and darkness OF the deep with It's head
lights and row OF pores cleaning through the
darkness like some small ship passing through
the night with It's portfolios all aglow' Some
dccpsen fishes have n luminous organ at the
end Of fcoor on the head
A pertinent question may be asked How do
We know these fishes glow and Ellmmcr, aimee
no human eye has ever bohcld them In their
abyssal homc' We know this partly from anal
orv and partly from actual observation When
one is In n boat In the tropics, on one OF those
sultry nights when everything Is n dead calm.
and the black clouds hang so low that sky and
sen form one continuous blnckncss, then one
may see the ymmering fishes darling out OF the
path OF the boat, their forms, silvery and ghost
like. outlined for one moment against the black.
moss OF the sea. This effect IL chiefly due TO
mo oxidiz,ng OF the Shiny secretion covering
,hcir bodies Why shall we not believe. then,
that in dccpsca fishes similar phenomenon
takes place. particularly MS In many OF them