The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-01-31
SEA
SECRETS

special biological group?
A. Yes, generally speaking.
While some fish may occasionally
become poisonous through bacte-
rial or other forms of contamina-
ton, the truly poisonous eating fish
belong principally to the single Or
der Plectognathi. This Order con-
tains the triggerfishes, filefiShes,
buffers or blowfish, porcupinefish-
es, trunkfishes, and the giant
ocean sunfish, Mola mola. 1t should
be remembered that while some
Plectognaths are good eating,
great number may be exceedingly
dangerous the liver, gall bladder.
and ovaries being the principal
source of the poison, which re-
sembles that of deadly mushrooms
In its action. Fortunately the Plec-
trognaths are among the easiest
of fishes to recognize, and their
various bizarre shapes and color
ing act as a natural warning" to
anglers.
Q. What is meant by "plankton"
and "nekton''?
A. "Plankton" is Greek for
"wanderer" and refers collectively
to all drifting or floating sea life
or that which swims so slowly that
it is virtually at the mercy of the
wind and tide. Floating seaweeds,
jelly. fish, microscopic organisms,
and many larval or very tiny fish
are included under the name of
plankton. ''Nekton," also from the
Greek, means Swimming" and
refers to all marine animals that
are able to migrate freely, such as
most fish, whales, squids, etc.
Q. What two great dangers does
a deepsea fish that inhabits a GER
tain depth of water face?
A. Falling" either up or down.
A fish inhabiting a certain depth
of water usually has its body
weight delicately compensated by
the amount of air under pressure
in its swim bladder, having the
effect OF making the fish weight
less In water. Should such a fish
stray too far upward, as some
times happens, the air in the swim
bladder would expand, making the
fish lighter and lighter until it
could no longer check its upward
rise. This would become faster.
until the swim bladder exploded.
killing the fish. Conversely, should
the fish stray into too deep water,
the swim bladder would shrink,
making the fish heavier, until the
swim bladder and internal organs
would be crushed, also resulting
In the death of the fish. Because Of
these factors, any fish living at a
particular depth must constantly
adjust itself to the unstable condi-
tons under which it lives. An in
vertebrate, such as a shrimp or
jellyfish Is much better off, since
It has no air spaces in its body
and can therefore tolerate a great
er vertical migration with little
danger to itself. Normally. a fish
can move to a greater or lesser
depth within limits, if it does this
very gradually, since the amount
Of air in the swim bladder is con.
stantly regulated by the body pro.
cesses and will slowly compensate
for any continued pressure change.
Q. Was Lake okeechobee ever
connected with the sea?
A. Yes, Lake Okeechobee was
once a shallow part Of the sea. and
1t is believed that a part of the
Gulf Stream once flowed through
the area at present occupied by
the lake (south Florida being an is
land at the time.) Ample evidence
that this shallow lake was once a
part OF tl.e sea is presented in the
form Of a vast number of fossilized
sea shells, coral, and other marine
animals found buried in various
places adjoining the lake. Some of
these are extinct, while certain
others represent forms that are
living along the Gulf or Atlantic