The Key West citizen., 1952-09-05
SEA
SECRETS

to be true fish, the lamprey
rs now regarded as belonging
to a lower class, Cyclostomes,
which include all species of lam
preys and their blind allies the
hagfishes, differ from true fishes
in their lacking a head differ
entiated from the rest of the
body, jaws, ribs, and paired
appendages. They also lack a
framework Of the body consist
ing of a primitive stiff but flex-
ible central rod, the notochord.
In embryo or very young fishes
the notochord is present but is
other Cyclostomes specifically
resemble eels and are largely
parasitic in habit. Lampreys at
tach themselves to the bodies
of larger fishes by means of
their funnel mouth armed with
rings of horny teeth, rasp away
the flesh with the Spiny tongue,
and feed on the blood and body
fluids of their host. Lampreys
inhabit both fresh and salt wa
ter.
}. OF what use is the "saw" to the
sawfish?
l. This large, sharklike creature
is actually a true ray, allied
to the skates, since its gills are
on the underside. It's head is
equipped with a long, flat, bony
rostraI blade or ''saw" which
bears a row Of evenly-spaced
strong teeth along each edge.
The mouth, on the other hand,
is small and practically devoid
of teeth and is situated beneath
the head. Recent observations
made on captive sawfish at the
Lerner Marine Laboratories at
Bimini have shown that the saw
fish will impale small fishes on
the edge Of its saw by raising
it upward and shaking the head
vigorously from side to side.
When fish has been "snagged"
in this manner, the sawfish viii
sink to the bottom to devour
its meal.
Q. Is it true that certain marine
organisms show response to par
ticular phases of the moon?
A. Yes, number Of marine crea-
lures are noted for showing
definite lunar periodicity". The
Grunion, Leuresthes, a small
fish of the Pacific Coast of A.
merica (see Sea Secrets, Sec B
July 81 spawns on the highest
tide Of the series following the
full of the moon or the new
moon. Perhaps the best-known
case of lunar periodicity is the
famous palalo worm of Samoa
and Fiji, which lives in crevices
about the coral reefs. This worm
Eunice Viridis, produces many
poSterior segments that become
crowded with eggs or sperm
cells as the breeding season ap-
prOaches. On the first day of
the last quarter of the October
November moon, these sexual
segments become detached from
the rest of the worm and swim
under their own power to the
surface of the sea, where the
eggs and sperm are discharged
into the water. Vast swarms of
these worms occur nightly for
three or four days, and the ma
tives, who regard them as q
great delicacy, collect Eunice
in baskets, wrap them In leaves,
and roast them. Another spec
les of marine worm, the lumirl-
Gus Leodice fucata of the West
Indies and Gulf of Mexico,
swarms in the third quarter Of
the June-July moon.
@. What is the "red-eyed mullet7"
A. This mullet, Mugil gaimardia-
mus, is known from Cuba and
elsewhere In the Caribbean, but
is only an occasional visitor to
the Florida Coast. Because of
the orange-red color of the
iris of the eye in life, this fish
is known as the red-eyed. pink
eyed, or Quail.eyed mullet when
ever ii is found. Local species
of mullet include the common
or striped mullet. Mugil cepha-
lus. the white mullet, NJ. cure
ma, and the fan-tailed mullet,
NJ. triehodon.