Part 22

In the second division of this family we find several curious specimens before coming to the better known flat Fish which are used for food. The first of these is the Sea-snail, which has a long mucuous body without scales and front fins forming suckers, whereby it can attach itself to the rocks. A curious Lump-fish is also classified here which is very different from the Lump-fish of the Ray family. It has little to distinguish it, except that this also has a strong sucker formed by the disc of the ventral fins. And a third queer specimen is the Echineis—an inhabitant of the Mediterranean, which has a flat disk covering its head, which is formed of a number of movable plates of cartilage. Aided by this queer organ it attaches itself firmly to rocks, and even to ships and larger Fishes which it meets with in its wanderings. Its adhesion to these objects is so strong that the strength of a man often fails to separate them. It sometimes attaches itself to a Shark by means of this strange disk, and makes long voyages on this monstrous locomotive Fish, without fatigue or danger; for its enemies are kept a distance by fear of the fierce monster which carries it.

THE FLAT-FISHES OF THE SOFT-FINNED FAMILY.

These have peculiar flat bodies, greatly compressed, but in a direction different from the flat Fishes of the Ray family. In the case of the Raia, the body is flattened horizontally, but in the Fishes belonging to this family the bodies are compressed laterally—like that of the well-known Flounder. The head of the Fishes of this group are not symmetrical; the two eyes are placed on the same side, and the two sides of the mouth are unequal. These strange flat Fishes are always turned upon their side, and the side turned towards the bottom of the sea is that which has no eye. It is to this habit of swimming on their side that they owe their popular name of side-swimmers.

They advance through the water very slowly compared with the motion of other Fishes. They can ascend or descend in the water very quickly, but cannot turn to the right or left with the same ease as other Fishes. This property of rapidly rising or sinking in the water is more useful to them, as they spend the greater part of their time at the greatest depths, where they draw themselves along the sands at the bottom of the sea, and often hide themselves from their enemies.

THE SOLES.

These flat Fish have an oblong body, the side opposite to the edges being furnished with shaggy, soft hairs; the nose is round and nearly always in advance of the mouth, which is twisted to the felt side, and furnished with teeth only on one side, while the eyes are on the right side. The Common Sole is from eighteen to twenty inches in length. It is brown on the right, and whitish on the opposite side. Its flesh has a very delicate flavor, and it is said to acquire a finer taste by being kept for several days.

THE TURBOT.

The Turbot resembles a lozenge in general form. Its under jaw is more advanced than the upper one, and is furnished with many rows of small teeth. One side is marbled brown and yellow, and the other is white with brownish spots and points; the long rows of soft fins are yellow with brown spots. The true Turbot has always been the special delight of the epicure, and fabulous sums are said to have been paid at different times, in order to secure a fine specimen.

THE FLOUNDERS AND PLAICE.

The Flounders and Plaice inhabit the northern seas of Europe. They are also found along our coasts; the Flounders are fresh water Fishes of small size, abundant in the Thames and many other rivers; and they are desirable for food, although not so delicately flavored as the Turbot. The Common Plaice attains the length of ten or twelve inches. It is brown, spotted with red or orange. On the eye-side of the head are some bony tubercles, but the rest of the body is smooth.

THE HALIBUT AND THE DAB.

The Dab is distinguished from the other flat Fish by having very hard scales on its body, and the Halibut has the distinction of being the largest of this class of flat Fish. It is occasionally caught in the seas of Northern Europe and Greenland, measuring seven feet, and weighing from three to four hundred pounds. The body of the Halibut is more elongated than that of the Plaice or Flounder, and its jaws are armed with strong and pointed teeth.

The natives of Greenland fish for the Halibut with an implement which they call gangnaed. It is composed of a hempen cord five or six hundred yards in length, to which are attached about thirty smaller cords, each furnished with a barbed hook at the end. The larger cord is attached to floating planks, which act as trimmers, indicating the place of this destructive contrivance. At the end of twenty-four hours these lines are drawn from the water, and it is not unusual to find five or six large Halibut caught on the hooks.

Another mode of catching this and other flat Fish is to spear them on their sandy beds. No rule is laid down for this method of fishing; in some places it is carried on successfully by means of a common pitchfork. In other places a fine spear is used for the purpose—very long and with sharp prongs.

THE THIRD GROUP OF SOFT-FINNED FISHES.

This includes the well-known Fishes—of which the Cod-fish is the type—so commonly found on our tables. They are characterized by their pointed fins, and grouped according to the position of these fins. The body is long and slightly compressed; the head well proportioned. Their fins are soft and their scales are small and soft. The majority of these Fishes are too well known to require further description. According to the position of their fins we find forming one of the smaller groups—the Cod, the Whiting and the Haddock. In another small group is the Salmon and the Trout. A third group includes the Pike, and several curious relatives—the Stomias, Flying-fish and the Chetedon. And a fourth includes the Herring, Ancovy, Pilchard, Sprat and Shad.

THE CHEATODONS.

These Fish form a very curious species. They are brilliantly colored and marked with odd stripes. Their head is large, with small eyes placed near the top; the nose and the mouth of some species are very curiously formed; and the tail—which is not divided—also shows strange forms in some varieties.

One of the best known is the Bow-banded Chaetodon. The ground color of this Fish is brown, which shades to black towards the back, and looks as though covered with velvet and inlaid with ivory, and the light stripes in the form of a bow, on both sides of the body give it still more showy appearance. This species inhabits the coasts of Brazil, and other parts of South America, and grows from three to six inches in length. Other varieties are somewhat larger, but they are all comparatively small Fish.

In the winter or rainy seasons they lie deep in holes near the shore. During the summer, when the sun in that climate blazes the whole day, they keep at a depth of twenty to thirty yards, which protects them from its intense heat.

FLYING-FISH.

Strange tales have been told from time to time of the marvellous powers of flight possessed by certain Fishes; and while some of these have been greatly exaggerated, it is nevertheless true that some Fish do possess that power to a surprising degree, yet only on certain limited lines, unlike the upward flight of Birds. (See colored plate).

The front fins of the Flying-fish are transformed into wings by which they are enabled to rise for a few seconds. These wings, however, are neither long nor powerful, for they act the part of a parachute, rather than wings.

These curious fins of the Flying-fish are nearly as long as the whole body; the head is flattened above and on the sides, and the lower part of the body is covered with a long series of scales; and the mouth is filled with small pointed teeth.

The Flying-fishes in their own element are harassed by attacks of other inhabitants of the ocean, and when under the excitement of fear they take to the air, they are equally exposed to the attack of aquatic Birds, especially the various species of Gulls. In their leap from the water, their fins sustain them like parachutes, with which they beat the air. Mr. Bennett’s description is clear on this point. “I have never,” he says, “been able to see any percussion of the pectoral fins during flight; and the greatest length of time I have seen this Fish on the fly has been thirty seconds by the watch, and the longest flight, mentioned by Captain Basil Hall, has been two hundred yards, but he thinks that subsequent observation has extended the space. The usual height of their flight, as seen above the surface of the water, is from two to three feet, but I have known them come on board at the height of fourteen feet and upwards. And they have been well ascertained to come into the chains of a line-of-battle ship, which is considered to be upwards of twenty feet. But it must not be supposed that they have the power of raising themselves into the air after having left their native element; for on watching them I have often seen them fall much below the elevation at which they first rose from the water; nor have I ever in any instance seen them rise from the height to which they first sprang, for I conceive the elevation they take depends on the power of the first spring.”

The brilliant coloring of the Flying-fish would seem designed to point it out to its enemies, against whom it is totally defenceless. A dazzling silvery splendor pervades its surface. The summit of its head, its back, and its sides, are of azure blue; this blue becomes spotted upon the fins and the tail. This Fish is the common prey of the more voracious Fishes, such as the Shark, and also of the Sea-birds; its enemies abound in the air and water. If it succeeds in escaping the Charybdis of the water, the chances are in favor of its coming to grief in the Scylla of the atmosphere; if it escapes the jaws of the Shark, it will probably fall to the share of the Sea-gull.

The Dolphin is also a formidable enemy to the much-persecuted Flying-fish. Captain Basil Hall gives a very animated description of their mode of attack. He was in a prize, a low Spanish schooner, rising not above two feet and a half out of the water. “Two or three Dolphins had ranged past the ship in all their beauty. The ship in her progress through the water had put up a shoal of these Flying-fish which took their flight to windward. A large Dolphin which had been keeping company with us abreast of the weather gangway at the depth of two or three fathoms, and as usual glistening most beautifully in the sun, no sooner detected our poor friends take wing than he turned his head towards them, darted to the surface, and leaped from the water with a velocity little short, as it seemed to us, of a cannon ball. But though the impetus with which he shot himself into the air gave him an initial velocity greatly exceeding that of the Flying-fish, the start which his fated prey had got enabled them to keep ahead of him for a considerable time. The length of the Dolphin’s first spring could not be less than ten yards, and after he fell we could see him gliding like lightning through the water for a moment, when he again rose, and shot upwards with considerably greater velocity than at first, and of course to a still greater distance.

“In this manner the merciless pursuer seemed to strike along the sea with fearful rapidity, while his brilliant coat sparkled and flashed in the sun quite splendidly. As he fell headlong in the water at the end of each leap, a series of circles were sent far over the surface, for the breeze, just enough to keep the royals and topgallant studding-sails extended, was hardly felt as yet below.

“The group of wretched Flying-fishes, thus hotly pursued, at length dropped into the sea; but we were rejoiced to observe that they merely touched the top of the swell, and instantly set off again in a fresh and even more vigorous flight. It was particularly interesting to observe that the direction they took now was quite different from the one in which they had set out, showing that they had detected their fierce enemy, who was following them with giant steps along the waves and was gaining rapidly upon them. His pace, indeed, was two or three times as swift as theirs, poor little things! and the greedy Dolphin was fully as quick-sighted; for whenever they varied their flight in the smallest degree, he lost not the tenth part of a second in shaping his course so as to cut off the chase; while they, in a manner really not unlike that of the Hare, doubled more than once upon the pursuer. But it was soon plainly to be seen that the strength and confidence of the Flying-fish were fast ebbing; their flights became shorter and shorter, and their course more fluttering and uncertain, while the leaps of the Dolphin seemed to grow more vigorous at each bound.

“Eventually this skilful sea-sportsman seemed to arrange his springs so as to fall just under the very spot on which the exhausted Flying-fish were about to drop. This catastrophe took place at too great a distance for us to see from the deck what happened; but on our mounting high on the rigging, we may be said to have been in at the death; for then we could discover that the unfortunate little creatures one after another, either popped right into the Dolphin’s jaws as they lighted on the water, or were snapped up instantly after.”

THE HERRING.

As this Fish is so commonly known in all parts of the world, it would not seem necessary to give it special mention or description, except for the fact of its congregating in such wonderful “schools” at various seasons, and the fact that it forms the principal food of the Whale family. Because of the great quantities in which it is captured in certain parts of the Old World, it has been called the most important of all Fishes for mankind, and the old Hollanders used to say that the Herring fishery was the greater and the Whale fishery the least.

The Herring banks or schools are separated into two groups—the high sea and the coast schools. In each, the Fish are found in unbelievable masses; they extend over a vast space, and in some instances it is claimed that in these great schools the Fish swam so thick that an oar pushed into the midst, did not fall, but remained standing.

It has been stated that about thirty years ago, when one of these great schools were passing, the fishermen of Lowestoft, a coast city of about fifteen thousand inhabitants, in the English county of Suffolk, caught in two days around twenty-two millions of Herring, only a small part of which could be preserved. Neither people, nor casks, nor salt enough were at hand, and the greater part of these Herring were used for fertilizer.

The markings of the Herring are very peculiar in some instances, and have lead to curious superstitions. The back of the Fish is green during life, but after death it becomes an indigo blue color. Other parts vary in their color and markings, sometimes representing written characters, which ignorant fishermen have considered to be words of mystery.

In November, 1587, two Herrings were taken on the coast of Norway on the bodies of which were markings representing Gothic printed characters. These Herrings had the signal honor of being presented to the King of Norway, Frederick II. This superstitious prince turned pale at sight of this supposed prodigy. On the back of these innocent inhabitants of the deep he saw certain cabalistic characters, which he thought announced his death and that of his queen. Learned men were consulted. Their science, as reported, enabled them to read distinctly words expressing the sentiment, “Very soon you will cease to fish Herrings, as well as other people.” Other savants were assembled who gave another explanation; but in 1588 the king died, and the people were firmly convinced that the two Herrings were celestial messengers charged to announce to the Norwegian people the approaching end of the monarch.

This Fish abounds throughout the entire Northern Ocean in immense shoals, which are found in the bays of Greenland, Lapland, and round the whole coast of the British islands. Great shoals of them also occupy the gulfs of Sweden, of Norway and of Denmark.

It was the favorite theory, not very long ago, that Herrings emigrated to and from the arctic regions. It was asserted, by the supporters of this theory, that in the inaccessible seas of high northern latitudes Herring existed in overwhelming numbers, an open sea within the arctic circle affording a safe and bounteous feeding-ground. At the proper season vast bodies gathered themselves together into one great army, which, in numbers exceeding the powers of imagination, departed for more southern regions.

This great Herr, or army, was sub-divided, by some instinct, as they reached the different shores, led, according to the ideas of fishermen, by Herring of more than ordinary size and sagacity, one division taking the west side of Britain, while another took the east side, the result being an adequate and well divided supply of Herrings, which penetrated every bay and arm of the sea.

Closer observation, however, shows that this theory has no existence in fact. Lacepede denies that those periodical journeyings take place. Valenciennes also rejects them. It is true that the Herrings have disappeared in certain neighborhoods in which they were formerly very plentiful; but it is also certain that, in many of the fishing stations, Fish are taken all the year round. Moreover, the discovery that the Herring of America is a distinct species from that of Europe, and that they do not even spawn in the same waters, is fatal to the theory. In short, there is a total absence of proof of their migrations to high northern latitudes, and recent discoveries all tend to show that the Herring is native to the shores on which it is taken.

What seems most surprising is the fact that these harmless little Fishes, which live largely on small crustaceans and small Fishes just hatched, should continue to thrive in such marvellous numbers, when its enemies are the most formidable inhabitants of the ocean. All the different members of the Whale family destroy them by the thousands, and our illustration on Page 247, where the Sword-Whales are feasting on one of the great shoals of Herring, gives a limited idea of the great quantities devoured by these great Fish. Then we must take into consideration that man, on the other hand, carries on a war which threatens to be one of extermination. In fact, the Herring fishery has been to certain nations, the great cause of their prosperity. It was the foundation of Dutch independence. But in spite of this continual war against them, the Herrings continue to thrive and increase, and they are well worthy of the place they have long held as one of the greatest friends and helpers of mankind that has been found in the animal kingdom of the great deep.

THE FAMILY OF SPINY-FINNED FISHES.

This fourth large family of bony Fishes includes the Perch family, which is altogether a fresh water Fish; and many curious species which are found in the sea—like the Weevers, Mullets, Gurnards, Labrus, Frog-fish and Sword-fish. The well known Mackerel family is also included among the Fishes with spiny fins, with the Tunny and the curious Archer-fish.

The Weevers are a good type of these spiny-finned Fishes. They bury themselves in the sand, and are dangerous to the fishermen because of the serious wounds which they inflict with their spines.

THE GURNARDS.

These fascinating Sea-scorpions are remarkable for the hideous appearance of their heads, quite as much as for the beautiful markings of their body. The head is mailed and cuirassed in a wonderful manner; it is very large in proportion to the body, broad in front and compressed at the sides, and completely covered with large spines and fringed barbs; the longest of these are over the eyes, and the broadest near the corners of the mouth; the jaws are furnished with a great number of small sharp teeth; the tongue is loose, thin and pointed at the end; the lips are also movable, and the upper lip is composed of two bones which form a furrow in the middle where they join; the nostrils are single and lie midway between the mouth and the eyes. The whole effect of these Fishes, so different from other species, gives them a disagreeable and even hideous appearance, and has procured for them various names, such as Sea-frog, Sea-devil, Sea-scorpion, and others equally significant. And whether we consider the curious and remarkable appearance of the Red Gurnard as he moves along the sandy bottom, seeming to walk on the strange projections that look like huge toes growing out from the front fins—or the still more startling effect of the Flying Gurnard—it is not surprising that superstitious fishermen have told remarkable tales of these strange Fish in the past.

Twelve species of the Trigula or Gurnards are known. The commonest species are the Grey Gurnard—a silvery grey Fish, clouded with brown, and speckled with black. This is found in British seas. The Red Gurnard is commonly found in the Mediterranean. This is a fine, bright red-rose color, paler beneath and more vivid about the fins. The Perlon or Sapharine Gurnard is a large species, handsomely marked with green and blue hues.

The Flying Gurnard is much like the other Flying-fishes in the formation of the front fins into wings, and in the manner of their flight, but their appearance is very different because of their queer armored head and the large eyes, as well as the brilliant markings peculiar to the Gurnard family.

THE SWORD-FISH.

The Sword-fish, so called from the upper jaw being elongated into a formidable spear or sword, was known to the ancients, and has borne this name which recalls its important characteristic, from very early times. And while the Saw-fish, which belongs to the group of Cartilaginous Fishes, and a species of Sword-whale, have also been known as Sword-fishes, this species—scientifically known as Xiphias gladius—is the real, and the original Sword-fish.

This Fish attains a great size, being found in the Mediterranean and Atlantic from five to six feet in length. Its body is covered with minute scales, the sword forming three-tenths of its length. On the back it bears a single long dorsal fin; the tail is keeled, the lower jaw is sharp, the mouth toothless, the upper part of the Fish bluish-black, merging into silver beneath.

It seems to have a natural desire to exercise towards and against all the arm with which nature has furnished it; it darts with the utmost fury upon the most formidable moving bodies; it attacks the Whale; and there are numerous and well authenticated instances of ships being perforated by the jaw of this powerful creature, while the toothed spear of the Saw-fish has been found fast in the body of a Whale which it has pierced.

In 1725, some carpenters having occasion to examine the bottom of a ship, which had just returned from the Tropical seas, found the lance of a Sword-fish buried deep in the timbers of the ship. They declared that, to drive a pointed bolt of iron of the same size and form to the same depth, would require eight or nine blows of a hammer weighing thirty pounds. From the position of the weapon it was evident that the Fish had followed the ship while under full sail; it had penetrated through the metal sheathing, and three inches and a half beyond, into the solid frame.

The Sword-fish has obstinate combats with the Saw-fish, and even the Shark, and it is supposed that when he attacks the bottom of a vessel he takes that sombre mass for the body of an enemy.