Glimpses of Ocean Life 12

Glimpses of Ocean Life 12

I once possessed a Hermit-Crab, whose voracious movements afforded

considerable amusement to myself and my friends. My Diogenes--or,

as the Cockney news-boys used to pronounce the now extinct comic

periodical, _Dodgenes_--on a certain occasion had climbed up a

segmentally cut frond of Irish Moss. On reaching the topmost point, his

weight became too great for the weed to bear; so, finding he was losing

his equilibrium, in great alarm he made a clutch at the first object

that stood near, in order to save him from falling.

 

A mussel was moored hard by, to the side of the vase by means of its

silken byssus threads, and upon this friendly bivalve the Pagurus

leaped by aid of his long taper legs. Unluckily the shell of the

Mytilus was open, and the crab unwittingly thrusting his toe within the

aperture, the intruding object was of course instantly gripped by the

mollusc. This accident put him in a terrible fright. His gestures were

most excited, and no wonder. Let the reader fancy himself hanging on

to a window sill, at a height say of twenty feet from the ground, with

the sash-frame fixed on his hand, and a huge iron foot-bath, or some

such object, attached to the lower part of his body, and he will have a

tolerably correct idea of the painful position of our crustacean friend.

 

After curling and uncurling his tail, and trying several times in vain

to throw his tub upon the valve of the mussel, he released hold of his

encumbrance, and allowed it to drop. Although still hanging, he had no

difficulty in rolling up his 'continuation,' and elevating his body

to the walls of his prison. Once again upon solid ground, he laboured

hard to get his leg free. But unsuccessful in his efforts, he adopted

another course, and snapped it off in a rage.

 

Scarcely, however, was the act of mutilation finished, when the stupid

animal apparently seemed anxious to recover his lost toe, (which I may

mention, had in reality fallen down among the pebbles).

 

After scraping, then resting, and scraping again, many successive

times, he at last succeeded in diving the points of his largest claw

into the chasm formed by the gaping mollusc. Of course, the member was

held as if by a powerful vice. Very soon his courage deserted him, and

he seemed to wait and weep despairingly for fate to release him from

the sad predicament into which he had foolishly fallen. Alas! he little

knew the singular part that fickle fortune had doomed him to play,--to

become, if I may so term it, a kind of Prometheus in the tank.

 

My pack of fishes, having been on short rations for several days, had

become exceedingly ravenous, and consequently were keeping a sharp

look-out for scraps. Hence their intense delight on catching sight

of the devoted 'Dodgenes' can readily be imagined. Such a delicious

_morceau_ was perfectly irresistible:--

 

'Mercy, mercy!

No pity, no release, no respite, oh!'

 

At it they went, 'tooth and nail,' First one and then another tore away

a mouthful, until in the twinkling of an eye, almost, the martyr crab

was left forlorn and dead--

 

'A remnant of his former self.'

 

During the early portion of last year I had a Hermit-Crab inhabiting a

pretty Purpura, whose shell I wished to sketch as an illustration, it

being of peculiar form and colour. On going to the tank I discovered

that Pagurus had most apropos vacated his turbinated cot, apparently

in consequence of his feeling rather squeamish. Thinking he might

perhaps presently recover, or pick up another dwelling, I hesitated

not to abstract the shell, in order to make the required drawing. I

had not been occupied with my task for more than five minutes, when my

attention was attracted by a great excitement and clatter pervading the

tank. A hasty glance within the vessel sufficed to explain the cause of

the hubbub.

 

The brief domestic drama of which I was a spectator, with its somewhat

singular denouement, I will now proceed to unfold for the reader's

entertainment. It conveys a good lesson in natural history, and also

exhibits a striking example of life beneath the waters.

 

The Blennies, I may state, had become very voracious, pugnacious, and

audacious; nothing seemed safe from their attacks. I had begun to feed

them on the _Cardium edule_ and Mussel, but such diet, after a time,

only served to whet their appetite, which certainly appeared to 'grow

by what it fed on,' for they darted about through the water in all

directions, searching, as I suppose, for other dainties. These efforts

were unsuccessful, until they caught sight of the plump, undefended

portion of the body of their companion, the Hermit-Crab, who had just

left his shell, as above stated.

 

The sight of such a feast must have (figuratively speaking) made their

'mouths water,' One after another these rascally fish dodged round

the crustaceous victim, and gripped, and shook his 'continuation'

with extraordinary violence. In vain did the crab try to act on the

defensive; all his efforts to retaliate were ineffectual, and in this

instance it might be truly said that 'might' overcame 'right.' He ran

to and fro in great distress, scraping the pebbles and shells about

(thus partly creating the clatter that I had heard while sketching), in

the hope that he might find an empty univalve in which to deposit his

mutilated carcase. When almost breathless and exhausted, he discovered

a worn-out Wentletrap, and strove to lift his quivering body into the

aperture, alas! without success. His strength failed him, and he fell

dead at the very threshold of his new-found home.

 

While watching thus far the above transaction, the writer felt almost

inclined to waver in the faith he had long held with others, namely,

that fishes and other marine animals are insensible to pain. But

the movements of this poor Hermit-Crab were as indicative of severe

suffering as anything he ever witnessed in bird or quadruped.

 

Wishing to examine the remains of the crab, I stepped aside for a few

moments to procure my forceps, but when I again reached the vase, to

my intense surprise the defunct animal was nowhere to be seen! I could

only account for so singular a circumstance by supposing some of the

larger crustaceans had taken advantage of my absence to complete the

work of destruction, and therefore took no further notice of the matter

at the time.

 

I had often wished that some of my finny pets would deposit their spawn

in the tank, and felt very anxious, if such an event did take place,

that I might be near to witness it. But I was most anxious to watch the

gradual development of the ova, and, if practicable, to become the fond

owner of a host of infant 'fishlings.'

 

Guess the thrill of pride, then, which ran through my veins when, on

peering into my mimic rock-pool, after a brief absence from home, I

observed the largest of my Blennies to be apparently in an 'interesting

condition.' I watched and petted her many times daily, and fed her with

every suitable dainty that could be thought of. Sometimes I took her

in the palm of my hand, and with a fine camel-hair pencil stroked her

glossy back. This operation evidently gave great delight to the little

beauty; and after a while, when my hand was laid in the water, she

gently floated off into her native element with almost swan-like grace.

 

The law of nature being the same with this fish as with the

Stickleback, I knew the nest, if there was to be one at all, should

be built by the male. But as I could not detect any specimen of the

'sterner sex' among my pack, and there being no signs of preparation

for the grand event about to take place, I felt in a manner compelled

to carry out the nidifying task in my own humble way. Of course, I gave

up all idea of 'weaving' a nest with bits of weed, stones, and marine

glue; nor was such a style of structure a desideratum in the present

instance, wanting, as I did, to take notes, in Paul Pry fashion, of the

minutest particular that might occur within the building. The following

was the plan I adopted. First was procured the exquisitely formed valve

of a large _Pecten_, the interior of which was white and beautifully

irridescent. This pretty cot, I said to myself, shall serve as a

chamber for my _protégé_. The shell being deposited behind a piece of

rock, in such a position that its side rested against the surface of

the glass, I was thus enabled to watch what was going on within. Some

fronds of sea-weed were trained around so as to form a kind of drapery.

The Blenny, I am quite certain, knew perfectly well that all this care

and preparation was on her account, for nearly the whole of each day

she spent in the novel apartment extemporized for her accommodation.

After a week had elapsed, she grew uneasy and pettish, was ever

snapping at her companions, and hunting them about in all directions.

On one occasion, however, she seemed to be uneasy, now clashing round

the rock, then darting to the top of the tank, and down again upon the

pebbles. Scores of times these movements were repeated, until I felt

alarmed for her safety, and annoyed at my inability to relieve her

sufferings. But aid from me being impossible, I felt compelled, though

very unwillingly, to allow nature to take its course.

 

On looking into the aquarium one morning, I observed some strange

object protruding from the fish. The little creature, too, on catching

sight of me, came to the side of the tank, near to where I stood, and

by her movements asked me, as plainly as any dumb animal could ask, to

give her my assistance. After a few minutes spent in a 'brown study', I

resolved to grant her petition, and immediately setting to work, drew

from her--what? what do you suppose, reader? In truth neither more nor

less than the body, head, and long antennæ of the 'martyr' Hermit-Crab!

whose late sudden disappearance was now fully accounted for.

 

There are ten British species of Lobster-Crab, but one only, _P.

Bernardhus_, to which the reader has been introduced, is common to our

shores.

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER VI.

 

Exuviation of Crustacea.

 

(THE PHENOMENA OF CRABS, ETC., CASTING THEIR SHELLS.)

 

 

'As Samson at his marriage propounded a riddle to his companions

to try their wits thereon, so God offereth such enigmas in Nature,

partly that men may make use of their admiring as well as of their

understanding; partly that philosophers may be taught their distance

betwixt themselves, who are but the lovers, and God, who is the giver

of wisdom.'--INTRODUCTION TO CONCHOLOGY, page 384.