CHOKING AM OYSTER TO DEATH.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 737, 16 January 1915, Page 3

CHOKING AM OYSTER TO DEATH.

The most destructive enemy of the oyster particularly in North Atlantic estuaries and river mouths is ths starfish. Often these firc-f n_,ered creatures moves in veritable armies from oyster bed to oyster teel,, an:l literally wipe . out ths molluscan population, over wide areas. The oysters, though unable to get away, would be safe against the attack; of starfish were it not for the clever expedient which the latter adopts. It literally wraps itself about tho sh:ll of the bivalve, in such a manner as to starve it—the result being that sooner or later the oyster 'ls o'.-lilgcd: to open its shell. When this happens, tha starfish has it at its mercy, a nd pushes its stomach in between the valves of tha mollusc, the substance of which it absorbs at gluttonous leisure. Then having finished its repast, it seeks another oyster to devour. ;

Years ago, fishermen, v> here starfishes are, very .numerous end destructive, were accustomed to cut in halves and overboard those which thay fetched up in their dredges. This method, of procedure was discontinued, however, when it was ascertained that each half-starfish thus disposed of became a whole one by, growing new parts upon the"mutilated body.