EXTRAORDINARY CREATURES

Hokitika Guardian, 23 July 1929, Page 7

EXTRAORDINARY CREATURES

DENIZENS OF THE DEER. CAPTURES OFF COAST OF NEW ZEALAND. AUCKLAND, July' 19. Amazing creatures, caught thousands of feet below the surface of the sea off the New Zealand coast by the scientists on the Danish research yacht, Dana, several months ago, were decribed by Air It. A. Falla in a lecture in the University College. Mr Falla, who is shortly to accompany Sir Douglas Mawson to the Anta.retie, spent a fortnight on board the Dana at the invitation of Professor Johannes Schmidt. There was complete darkness at depths greater than about two hundred fathoms, Mr Falla said, but 'below this there lived a weird assortment of creatures, some hardly to be classed as fish at all. The pressure of the water was enormous at these great depths, and, although there was comparatively little life, there was a constant falling of matter from above. At these depths metals would be crushed as though smashed by heavy hammers, and glass would be reduced to fine powder. Research of life in these dark wastes was, therefore, not easy, and specially reinforced instruments had to be used for taking records. Among the strange catches by the Dana off the New Zealand coast, at depths ranging up to nine thousand feet, were examples of the deep sea devil, a creature with an enormous mouth and constructed like a skeleton with practically no internal organs, so that there was water inside it and out. It was thus able to withstand the great pressure. A strange oiling about the creature was a long feeler above its head holding a lamp. By generating its own light for this, it attracted fish from higher levels. Theso became lost in the utter darkness, and then, seeking the light again, were an easy prey to the great jaws. Another species of deep sea devil had a long feeler with a hook on the end and a light at a joint, and it not only attracted its prey, but hooked it as well. There were also lantern fish, with rows of lamps along their bodies. These lights were wonderfully formed, and the scales acted as lens and reflectors to each lamp. Shrimps which exuded a phosphorescent fluid and so lighted their way were also. caught, as well as hundreds of other strange inhabitants

of the'depths, previously unknown. Mr Falla said that Professor Schmidt had spent twenty-five years in studying the habits of the common cel. He had now established the tact that eels from Europe and North America travelled thousands of miloß to their breeding grounds near the West Indies. This research work was being continued by the Dana on her present two years’ cruise, and much valuable work had been done on the New Zealand coast. A. fortnight off the New Zealand coast hod been spent investigating deep and shallow waters and thousands of specimens were secured, in some instances several hundred miles from land. The wonderful wireless sounding gear on the Dana would undoubtedly be productive of much valuable information. It v;;vs possible that future deep sea research work off New Zealand would reveal much useful information regarding the habits of fish, their feeding grounds and breeding places, so giving assistance to the fishing industry.