The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-08-01
EELS ARE TRACKED
TOTHEIR BIRTH PLACE
FOUND THAT EUROPEAN AND
AMERICAN SPECIES ARE DIS
TINCTLY DIFFERENT.
BOTHERED INBERMUDA
Former Take Three Years to Cross
Ocean. Some Said to Reach Age
Of 20 Years. Investigating Party
Equipped by Denmark Government.


WASHINGTON, D. C.-The COM
mon, everyday mudhole eel, the prob
lem of fishermen, especially the small
boy when it comes to taking him off
hook is an active subject, but his
life history typical as one OF the mar
wells of the sea and recent announce
ments have added to his reputation.
Reports have just reached here of
the success of a Danish expedition to
the Bermudas in answering the an
cient question of the cells origin. Head
ed by DR.. Johns Schmidt director OF
the Harisbeg Laboratory of Copen-
hagen, the party on the ship Dana has
been searching the seas for seven
months to find where the eel breeds
and is Matched, as the eel industry is
of prime importance in Denmark, the
party was equipped by the govern
ment and several societies in conjunc-
ton. DR.. Schmidt has been making a
special study of the eel for more than
fifteen years.
Tracked to BerTnudaS.
Since at least $50 B. c. scientists
have been trying to find the cells
birth place, and by tracking down the
route found taken by the young cells
DR.. Schmidt placed the breeding
grounds between the Bermudas and
the Leeward Islands, where the sea
reaches depth OF more than a mile.
Here the most remarkable discovery
was made: that the European species
and the American, which vary SO
slightly as to be almost negligible, and
absolutely so to the layman, breed side
| bv side and eventually start for their
| later homes, thousands OF miles away,
but that neither variety ever goes to
the others fresh water grounds.
The marvel is to scientists, accord
ing to DR.. H. F. Moore, deputy COM
missioner of the United States bureau
of fisheries, that of the millions of
Young making the trips instances OF
discovery of the European species IN
American waters, and vice versa, have
been exceedingly rare. And there is no
interbreeding between the two.
Three Years to Make Trip.
The European species, DR.. Schmidt
found. deposit their eggs and breed IN
section to the south and east OF the
Rermudas. while the other breeds to
the south and west of the islands. The
first make a three-year migration to
the shores of Europe from the North
sea to Italy, while the second journey
to the American coast from New Eng
land to the south coast, taking only
few months or a year.
1t was found that eggs are hatched
at DEPTHS of about 200 meters, the
Young larvae generally rising. as they
grow, until some were found on the
Surface. 1t is also true that the larvae
vary their depth in the water accord
ing to the time of day. At this stage,
and until they reach coast waters, they
are known as ''leptocephalide" and are
ribbon or leaf-shaped and quite trans
Darent-so transparent in tact, that I'M
der lens the vertebrae may be count
ed the only means of determining the
species. The European variety, 1t was
found, have more vertebrae than the
American.
Translucent as Defense.
The translucent quality is believed
70 be means OF avoiding peril, as the
leptocephalus is found in schools along
the coast line in spring and must un-
doubtedly form a food for larger fish.
AS they approach shoal brackish wa
ter there comes a marvellous metamor-
phosis-they change from the ribbon
shape to the cylindrical familiar torm'
but are still transparent. They become
much thicker and are even shorter
+b.n before They gradually assume
light lines Of pigment, though remain
ing translucent for some time, and as
the pigment increases the dark color
becomes more and more apparent un-
til they are of the familiar color
DR.. Gemzoe has shown that some
eels captured in the fall were as old
as Il and IS years. and Regain est
mates others, weighing as much as u
pounds, must have been 20 or 81 years
or more.