G4 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



19.— FlSn BECOinilVO BIvUE AIVI> RIOID DIRINO TRAIVSPORTATIOIV.* 



By J. STANCE. 



An instance of fish becoming bluish and rigid daring transportation 

 has recently happened, which seems to throw some light on the subject. 



After the fisheries in one of my carp ponds, located about 1.] hours' 

 journey by wagon from my residence, had come to a close, the carp were 

 put into a large and long barrel, which on the upper side had a square 

 hole measuring 40 centimeters [15^ inches] in diameter, which is lined 

 with boards 24 centimeters [9i inches] high ; this barrel was placed on 

 the wagon and filled with water up to the edge of the liale. Besides 

 this barrel there was put on the M-agon a low tub filled with water and 

 containing two pike. As the weather was rather warm, I told my 

 driver to go fast, which is generally considered advantageous under the 

 circumstances. As the entire length of the road was paved, the water 

 had been spilt out of the low tub, so that the pike touched the bottom. 

 They were lying on their side and did not move, not even when I took 

 them from the tub, with the exception of the eyes and gills, wliich they 

 moved in a feeble manner. It struck me at once that these pike, instead 

 of a yellowish, had a bluish color. I immediately placed them in a fish- 

 tank, through which passed a current of spring water. The barrel con- 

 taining the carp was still full of water; the fish were sound and lively. 



The next morning the two pike lay on the bottom of the fish-tauk. 

 I took them out ; their color was still blue ; they were not dead, and 

 moved their eyes and gills, but otherwise appeared as if they were i)ar- 

 alyzed. The body was flexible, as in sound fish, but had lost the faculty 

 of motion. I again placed the pike in the tank, and examined them 

 every day, but for four days there was no change ; the pike remained 

 alive, but the faculty of moving did not return. When I came to the 

 tank on the fifth day, it had been broken open, and the pike unfortun- 

 tunately had been stolen. 



The rigidity of these two fish had probably been caused by the cir- 

 cumstance that, after most of the water from the tub had been sjiilt, 

 the fish, by the bumping of the wagon against the stones of the rough 

 ])avemeut, had repeatedly been thrown with their abdomen against the 

 bottom of the tub; and that thereby the body hacj become rigid. I 

 l)resume this all the more because the carp in the barrel, which, when it 

 reached its destination, was still full of water, were, without exception, 

 ill a normal condition. If fish, during transportation, are to remain 

 sound, they should therefore have plenty of water. 



WiK, near Kir:L, Holstein. 



* '^Dat Jjlauverden und Erstarrcn der Fisclie heim Transport." From the Deutsche Fisch- 

 erti-Zeiliing, Vol. VIII, No. 50, Stettin, December 15, 1885. Translated from the Ger- 

 man bv Herman Jacobsox. 



