The Mudfish.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 9 February 1892, Page 3

The Mudfish.

0 i ■ Africa is the home of many extraordinary animals, but there is no mire extraordinary creature than the mudfish, which inhabits certain of the rivers of Western Africa, and as its name implies, it lurks in the muddy bottom of tbese rivers. At present, however, it is not necessary to go to Africa to see this fish, as it can be seen, by anyone who has the time in the reptile house at tbe Zoological Gardens. At first sight there is perhaps nothing especially striking about this animal ; it looks very much like an ordinary fish except for its curious long slender fins. A visitor who knew nothing about tbe creature, would probably go away with the impression that he had seen nothing out of the common. When the fishes arrived, each one was encased in a ball of dried mud, lined with mucus from its body, and perforated* by a small aperture to admit of breathing. This " cocoon," as it is sometimes called, on account of its analogy to the eartbern case fabricated by many catepillars in which to undergo their metamorphoses, on being placed in warmish water was dissolved and the fish liberated. The habit which the mud -fish has of making an earthern chamber of the mud at the bottom of the river . is a most wonderful provision of nature for the exigencies of the climate. The rivers which the , fish inhabits are liable to periodical droughts. When such a drought is imminent the fish retires to deep water and excavates a pit, in which it lies, covering itself over with a thick layer of mud. It can suffer with impunity the. complete drying up of the river. But the most interesting fact about the | creature is that during the time of its voluntary imprisonment it ' breathes air .directly through an, aperture left in the cocoon, by means of lungs, just like a land animal. When the returning rains dissolve tbe mud and. liberate the fish it breathes by means of gills, just like any other fish. — Leisure Hour.