DEEP SEA FISHING

Hokitika Guardian, 14 May 1929, Page 6

DEEP SEA FISHING

THE DANISH EXPEDITION. ;Australian Press Association) (United Service.) SYDNEY, May 2. Interesting details regarding the work of the Danish Government research expedition’s ship, the Dana, were related by Mr T. C. Roughley, economic zoologist of the Sydney Technological Museum, to members at the Royal Zoological Society last night. Mr Roughley said that 2000 miles east of Sydney hauls were made at a depth of about two amt three-quarter miles. The question of how far light penetrated into the sea was not the least interesting of tho researches, from the results of the work done by the expedition, Mr Roughley said, ho calculated that below 1500 metres there was' utter darkness. A definite relation has been found between the colours of deep-sea fish and • the depth from which they were taken. Man> ’crustaceans ‘had been found to secrete a luminous mucus which flowed from them like a cloud, whilst in.others the light-producing organs had been very conspicuous, highly-organised structures, having a source of light with a Hector behind and a lenso in front. It had been interesting to discover that the male angler fish was a parasite on the female, and received its blood circulation from that of its host. AVatei analysis at different depths was also conducted. The percentage of oxygen had been found to be greatest at the surface, and decreased to a depth of 400 metres, after. wlii.ch . there was another increase.. Air G. P. Whitley, ichthyologist to the Australian Museum, supplemented Mr Roughley’s lecture with many curious specimens, including eel larvae, .and fi<sh with eye's at the hack of tlie head,- arranged -on stalks,, like, those of snails. He told the gathering that many fish, brought up from great depths, hurst on reaching the surface.