MANY QUEER FISH

Evening Star, Issue 20058, 26 December 1928, Page 5

MANY QUEER FISH

NEW SPECIES FOUND DISCOVERIES OH THE DANA . TRAWLING AT GREAT DEPTHS. Down in the depths of the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and tho tropics are many queer fish, am! some new specimens have been taken by the members of the Danish scientific expedition on board the trawler Dana,.which arrived at Auckland on Wednesday afternoon. ■ ,j Apparently in the (isliy world it is a case of different ways for difi'erent depths. Below the 300 ft marie or thereabouts there is absolute darkness, but Nature lias assisted in a marvellous way by equipping the strange creatures of the sea with a phosphorescent system entirely their own. One little fish which has been found for the first time has throe coloured lights near the end of its nose, and possibly, it might bo easily mistaken lor a tramcar outward bound Irom Hie city on an evening run. Another species of small fish lias rows of lights just above the “ keel,” and in the dark depths oi the Pacific they must look like a miniature floating grille of fire—which the Aorangi and Niagara appear to he when they leave Auckland at mghf time (says'the ‘Star’), SAVORD AND OTHER FISH. One of the most important discoveries on the trip through the Pacific was immature swordfish. This is expected to throw quite a lot of light on the hitherto little-known peregrinations of Xiphias (Radius, the sea king -which anglers pursue with much gusto at the Bay of Islands and off other portions o£ the Auckland coast. Quite the queerest fish found on the way down to New Zealand is one likewise new to science. The female fish is short, somewhat bulky, and, judging from the expression of the. eye, rather benevolent. The male fish is positively tiny, and, tike the remora, attaches itself to- the side of the Indy. Perhaps the attachment is a symbol of -matrimony; but, on the other hand, it might bo merely a handy arrangement to prevent a lifelong separation down in the dark deeps to the mirth of New Zealand. There is one lady fish in the Dana’s collection with three “husbands ” clinging to her. Just' how many “ husbands ” each of the Indy of the species is allowed to have is-,urn-known; likewise it is purely a matter of surmise how the gentlemen of the family group agree. =... There was one pretty little fish-in a black and silver regalia suggestive ”61 an Ail Black on tour, ami a collection of tiny ones of such varied and brilliant colouring ns to suggest that a rainbow must have gone swimming. ■ -■ Fifteen hundred fathoms down-^ne.Ti-the Kermadecs the Dana’s registering apparatus recorded a depth of 31;(RX)ft —species of a new cuttle fish were found, and at a lower dbptli another kind. In the first the eyes were, of enormous size, and they are very re-pulsive-lookinc creatures. .V'.'.!'