The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-09-05
INSUL|N FOUND
IN SHARKS
LINERS
Also Supply "cod Liver OIL" In
commerce-PhiIippines
Alive With Fish.
BY NORBERT LYONS.
BY International News Service.

and drown in water, full-SroWn 1lSh
so small that 10000 of them make
a light breakfast for the natives
who catch them, and fish whose
males hatch and bring up the
young, are among the strange and
rare varieties Of the finny tribe
that inhabit Philippine waters de-
scribed by DR.. Albert HERE. fish
expert Of the Philippine Bureau OF
Science, before the American Cham-
Der Of Commerce recently. What 10
considered by scientists the most
unique fish in existence Is the go
called shrimp fish found in the
Philippine waters. 1t is perfectly
transparent, its skin being like csliu-
Ioid, and it's fins are placed where
its head and tail should be.
Sharks are found in abundance
in Philippine waters. the tiger
shark, or man-eating variety, in
habiting Manila Bay. Sharks
seventy feet long and thick In pro-
portion. are caught in the southern
that most Of the worlds CONNER
cial cod liver oil is really shark
liver oil. 1t has also been recently
discovered that the liver Of the
Philippine shark will yield a sub
stance used to manufacture the
new diabetes cure, insulin.
Carry Electric Shock.
Ray fish that give an electric
shock are common in Philippine
waters. A saw.fish, twenty-five
feet long, was caught in Cebu re-
Gently. It uses its long saw to
kill small fish, which 1t attacks
while they swim about in schools.
Giant barracuda, six feet and more
in length, swim about in Philip
pine waters and are more danger
GUS to man than the shark. The
tanguingue is the gamest Philip.
pine fish and puts up royal battles
against expert fishermen. There
are also plenty Of pompano, tuna
and lapu-lapu Of enormous size.
The latter is a beautifully coIored
fish, rivaling the butterfly and
humming bird in the variegated
markings. A swordfish. twenty
feet in length. was recently pulled
out Of Manila Bay. Another sword
fish's sword was found embedded
in a copper-sheather block OF woad,
nine inches thick, giving some no.
ton OF the tremendous force with
which this flSh strikes.
Last week a climbing perch was
found in a water-inundated lot, in
the heart Of Manila, on a tree tour
that's how Ii got its name. This
fish starts out in a certain direc-
ton and never changes 1t. climb
ing obstacles and jumping three
feet off the ground and. as far
along Ii. The sea-horse, 30 called
because it's head bears q remark
able resemblance to that Of a
horse, is the fish whose males
carry the eggs in their tails, hatch
them and bring up the young. A
variety of catfish found in northern
LuZon, carries its eggs in its
mouth. Inside the sea-cucumber, a
variety Of jelly-fish, lives small
fish resembling sardine. Billions
of sardines inhabit the Philippine
waters, but not a cannery exists
In the islands. which import huge
quantities from abroad each year.
Sea Snakes Abound.
Sea Snakes Of various kinds are
found in Philippine waters, some
four or five feet long. In this con.
nection it might be stated that pro-
hibition has not yet reached the
Philippines. DR.. HERE also stated
that only three years ago the life
history of the eel was discovered
after q vain quest of centuries. It
seems that the European eel finds
its way to the Mediterranean. then
makes a Decline to a certain deep
portion of the Atlantic near the
Bahamas. Here it spawns and
matches its young, which are trans
parent, like the Philippine shrimp
fish. AT the end Of the second
year the young cells reach the
Mediterranean and at the end Of
another year proceed up the Euro
pean rivers. A similar process
takes place with Philippine GELS,
though their breeding ground has
not as yet been located.
A certain fish found in the ISL
ands looks for all the world like a
rock. Should a human being step
on it 1t squirts a deadly poison
from its shell. Another fish lives
along the edges Of rivers and lever
goes into the water, thus emulat-
ing the proverbial daughter who
was admonished to hang her clothes
on a hickory limb. 1t lives as long
as it's gills are moist and has been
known to exist this way four or
five days. The dalag, a common
Philippine table fish, found in the
rice paddles. must have air in
order to live and browns miserably
when placed in water, where it
cannot come up frequently for its
regular supply of oxygen. The
botiti, another Philippine member
of the finny tribe. when in danger
blows itself up with air or water
until 1t assumes the shape OF a
ball. then floats on the surface,
stomach up, Stimulating death.
The Smallest Fish.
The smallest fish known to
science is the Upon. found only in
Lake Bull, in the Philippine prov
ince of Camarines Sur. II reaches
a length of one-quarter Of an inch
when full grown. At the same time
some Of the largest whales ever
seen have come ashore in Philip.
pine waters, particularly in the
vicinity Of Cebu.
All in all, there are some 1900
varieties of fish in the Philippines
many Of them Of great commercial
value, but no one has yet develop
ed the fishing industry here on a
commercial scale. Some attempts
have been made. but none have
proved successful. largely because
Of the fact that the persons under
taking the business have not had
the necessary practical experience
The fishes are there, billions OF
fhern-nrnhah Iv M siuoiIar ra0ior