Glimpses of Ocean Life 36

Glimpses of Ocean Life 36

On the following morning I peeped into the vessel, and saw by their

upturned gills that all my finny proteges were dead!

 

'All my pretty ones?

Did I say all?'

 

All except the smallest of the pack, he was still dressed in his sombre

coat, and gracefully reclining upon the rocky couch above mentioned.

 

How thankfully he received the breakfast that I temptingly offered upon

the tips of my feeding brush, and how grateful he seemed to be, when,

after the lapse of a few hours, I was enabled to let him float again in

his pure native element, a fresh supply of which had been procured with

as little delay as possible!

 

The Viviparous Blenny differs from the other British Blennies 'in the

circumstance to which its name refers--that of bringing forth its young

alive, which seem perfectly able to provide for themselves from the

moment they are excluded.'

 

It is a most gentle, graceful-looking fish, but as far as my experience

goes, one that is impossible to tame, or rather, I should say,

embolden. All my efforts to domesticate various specimens have proved

unavailing; and in spite of the most earnest and kindly attention,

they have generally pined away and died within a week after their

introduction to the aquarium.

 

From the illustration on Plate 12 the reader will have no difficulty

in recognising the original, should he by chance meet with it hiding

among the tangle, or beneath the stones by the sea-shore.

 

The spotted Blenny, Butter-Fish, or Gunnel-Fish, as it is variously

termed, is found lurking under stones in the same places as the

preceding. In the north of Scotland it is called 'cloachs,' and is used

extensively as a bait for larger fish. When disturbed, it wriggles its

body about in the muddy bottom of the rock-pool like an eel, for which,

indeed, it is occasionally mistaken.

 

Its length varies from three to nine inches; the depth only half an

inch; the sides very much compressed and extremely thin.

 

The dorsal fin consists of seventy-eight short spiny rays, and runs the

length of the back almost to the tail. The most conspicuous feature in

the Gunnel-Fish are the eleven round spots which occur at the top of

the back, and reach the lower half of the dorsal fin; they are black,

half encircled by white.

 

The tail is rounded, and of a yellow colour. The back and sides are of

a deep olive; the belly whitish.

 

In its young state I have had this fish live in my aquarium for several

months, but it never seemed to be happy or contented.

 

The Five Bearded Rockling is almost as great a favourite with the

writer as the Smooth Blenny. It is a very pretty fish, and may be

easily tamed. In the course of a week I trained one to feed out of my

hand, and when I put my finger in the water the fish would rub against

it with its head, just as a favourite cat frequently does against the

leg of a person with whom it is very familiar; moreover, if I moved the

intruding digit with a circular motion through the water, the Rockling

would waltz round the tip with evident signs of pleasure.

 

This fish is often found in tide-pools, and may readily be identified

by the prominent appendages attached to its head, to the presence of

which, the Rockling owes its familiar appellation.

 

The Goby (_Gobius unipunctatus_), or, as it is more popularly termed,

One-Spotted Goby, is frequently found inhabiting the same pool as the

Blenny or the Rockling. The distinguishing character of this pretty

creature is the black spot which is situated between the fifth and

sixth ray of the first dorsal fin. Its length is usually about one, or

one and a half inches; specimens have, however, sometimes been found on

the shores of the Frith of Forth, that measured nearly three inches.

 

The colour of the Goby is very changeable. If the animal is labouring

under excitement, its body assumes a deep brownish tint, approaching

in some instances to black; this gives place to brown, drab, and even

amber, or yellowish white.

 

The Goby possesses the power of attaching its body to any object by

means of its ventral fins, which become united together in the form of

a funnel.

 

Another species (_Gobius bipunctatus_), or Two-Spotted Goby, is

generally found among the _Fuci_, in rocky situations. Its name is

derived from a dark spot which is distinctly apparent on each side,

near to the origin of the pectoral fin.

 

The head and upper part of the body is dark brown,--the under part of

the head and belly white or pale drab.

 

Allusion has already been made to the peculiarity of the Gobies

affixing their bodies to rocks or other substances, by means of a

sucker formed by the junction of the ventral fins. The adhesive power

in question, which this class of creatures possess, is very limited

as compared with that which is exercised by the true sucker fishes,

and especially by the members of a certain species, whose bodies are

furnished with two distinct organs of adhesion.

 

The extraordinary adhesive powers of the Lump-Sucker, for instance,

have been tested by several writers. One observer states, that a fish

of moderate size has been known to suspend a weight of above 20 lbs.,

upon which it had accidentally fastened itself. Mr. Pennant says still

more, for he has known that, in flinging a fish of this kind just

caught into a pail of water, it fixed itself so firmly to the bottom,

that, on taking it by the tail, the pail was lifted up, though it

contained several gallons of water.

 

To descend from the largest to the smallest species, we arrive at the

Montague Sucker-Fish, or, as it is sometimes called, the Diminutive

Sucker, one of the most interesting little creatures to be met with

at the sea-shore. At the coast near Edinburgh I have met with many

specimens, equally well in the spring or winter season, as during

the summer months. At such locality this species may therefore be

pronounced common; yet it is comparatively unknown to most 'collectors'

in the neighbourhood. Many, indeed, contend that my designation is

erroneous. But having taken considerable pains to satisfy my mind upon

the subject, I have no hesitation whatever in stating that the little

fish in question is identical with that of the Montague Sucker.

 

Donovan, in his 'Natural History of British Fishes,'[19] was the first

to illustrate and publish an account of this _petite_ gem of ocean.

His figures are copied from drawings made by Colonel Montague, who

also furnished the description of the specimen delineated. With the

important exception of the sucker--an organ of adhesion which is very

nearly correct--the general appearance of the Diminutive Sucker-Fish

as figured, is not at all satisfactory. Perhaps this is not to be

wondered at, when we remember that the specimen from which the sketches

were taken was very small indeed. Moreover, it was diaphanous, and is

depicted as being principally transparent, spotted, and tinged with

pink.

 

[19] This splendid work, which was published in five volumes, between

the years 1802-8, contains 120 exquisite illustrations, all, _with

the solitary exception, unfortunately, of the Montague Sucker-Fish_,

accurately drawn and coloured from living specimens, procured at vast

trouble by the author.

 

The Diminutive Sucker, in its adult state, is said to be from two to

three inches in length; consequently Colonel Montague's first specimen

must have been an extremely young one.

 

The usual colour is deep orange, varied with minute dark spots. The

under parts of the body and throat are of flesh colour; the centre of

the sucker being faintly tinged with crimson.

 

I have seldom met with specimens measuring more than one, or one and a

quarter inches. It is a marked peculiarity in this Sucker-Fish, that

when adhering to any substance it has a constant habit of curving the

tail towards the head. In such position it will remain motionless for

several hours.

 

There is little difficulty in capturing the Montague Sucker in its

native haunts. It does not possess the power of darting to and fro with

the speed of the Blenny, or most other fishes, but progresses through

the liquid element with a peculiar quivering motion.

 

It is not a fish that can be recommended for the aquarium. A fortnight

to three weeks is the longest time that I have been able to keep a

specimen alive; indeed, until I adopted the plan of allowing each

little captive to remain quiet and undisturbed in a dark and shady

place, death ensued in the course of one or two days.

 

My illustrations (Plate 12) having been carefully drawn and coloured

from a living specimen, the student will, I trust, find no difficulty

in recognising the Diminutive Sucker, should he be so fortunate as to

meet with it in a rocky pool.

 

'There is also a fish called the Sticklebag, a fish without scales, but

hath his body fenced with several prickles. I know not where he dwells

in winter, nor what he is good for in summer, but only to make sport

for boys and _women anglers_.' Thus contemptuously does dear old Izaak

speak of the Sticklebag, or Stickleback, as it is now termed, one of

the most amusing and interesting members of the finny tribe. I have

frequently transferred specimens of the Stickleback from fresh water to

salt water, and found them live quite as well in the latter as in the

former.

 

The contrast, however, between the appearance of the three spined

Stickleback, when first taken from the sea, and one captured in the

fresh water pond is very remarkable. The first is dressed in a gorgeous

coat of varied colours. Around the mouth and belly it is bright

crimson, on the upper part of its body various tints of green prevail;

while in the pond specimen no red colour is visible at all, but only white blended with green.