The Washington times., 1936-03-12
NOW
COLOrfuL Exhibit
Of Fish
HUMANS DRAB
By HELEN ESSARY

I knew, of course, that human
beings, for all their arrogance
were heavy footed, rather plair
and generally out of shape.
But it never occurred to mt
how colorless they were also, un
til I saw some solemnly dressed
specimens of the genus homt
looking at the bright flashing
fish of the Fourth Annual Exhibit
Of the National Aquarium Society
ct the Department of Commerce
The fish, exquisitely colored in
red, gold and green and rose
some opalcscent, some as varied
as the tints of the rainbow, skim.
ming through their little aqua
rum worlds of water and glass
were so gay and beautiful. The
human beings worn down by alb
Surd anxieties, were so drab, even
in the Springtime.
Seeing and hearing about the
fish with the assistance of Mr..
Fred G. Orsinger, aquarium direc-
tor of the Bureau of Fisheries,
was a delightful experience. The
aquarium world is fairy tale
world.
The Sea Horses, gay little ques
tion marks, poised on the edges OF
plants, might be the creatures OF
a child'S imagination. All Of the
aquarium fish have this unreal
quality.
In the marine exhibit, an i'm
portant showing in which salt
water was kept moving by a
system of tubes and filters, are
ridiculous sea urchins, like brown
marbles covered with porcupine
quillS.
Here, too, is a Bat Fish. of the
highest order of fish life, who
looks like he sounds. He is horny
and brown and revengeful. He
has real feet, pink matching his
breast, and he can walk about
The Puffer also looks like he
sounds. When Mr.. Orsinger
lifted him out of his marine pool
he swelled up like a campaign
orator, about to save this broad
land of ours"
Guppyi (guppies) have always
fascinated me. In one tank of this
exhibit are 200 male guppyi, lovely
in swift motion and iridescent
colors. In another tank are 200
females, dashing about like ami
mated exclamation points.
The Scalare, or angel fish, are
the ar.Stocrats of the fish world.
They are as thin as paper. When
in danger their colors disappear
and they may hide safely behind
willows from their marine enemies.
The Giant Danio are blue and
gold striped. The Black Mollies
are plump and frisky. The Red
Moons, the Lion Heads, the Rain
bow Fish, the Gold Fish (big
enough for a Lenten meaD, the
Chinese Walking Fish, which, when
their pools dry up, can stumble
along on dry land to another
pool,-are worth a trip to the
Department of Commerce.
In individual aquariums, side by
side, are the Siamese Fighting Fish
in radiant blue, green and red.
The dispositions of the Fighting
Fish are also highly colored. And
their home life is confused.
The male fish will kill his wife
as soon as she has spawned un-
less she is moved into another
tank.
Once the lady is out of the
way, the male begins to blow
bubbles violently-I saw one so
engaged-until on the surface of
the water there is a bubble nest.
He then carries the eggs to the
bubbles and swims watchfully
about If one egg falls through
the bubbles. the soon-to-be-proud
parent carries it up to the nest
again. Meanwhile the mother of
the family, carefree, is swimming
about in another neighborhood.
Fish lore is no child's play. It
is one of the most fascinating of
sciences. On the board of coun-
selors of the aquarium society of
which Mrs ]. j. Costinett is
president, is DR.. William M.
Mann, director of the National
Geological Park, DR.. Paul Bartsch,
the naturalist, Mr.. j. J. Fitz-
patrick, first president of the
society, and Mr.. Orsinger.
Among the many entertaining
side paths to which fish culture
leads is the development of aqua
rum plants. Such species are
now being grown as the NADIA
gascar lace plant, the water ba,
mana plant, the water violet and
lichens which spread on stones,
wish I had space to print in
full the Bureau of Fisheries ad-
vice on How to establish and
maintain a balanced aquarium"
One point emphasized is the i'm
portance of water surface. Fish
need oxygen to live. The depth
of the tank is not so important.
Guppyi live two or three years.
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