BARRACUDAS, REMORAS AND OTHERS 185 



supplies of surface food — small fishes, jellyfishes, crustaceans 

 and the like— borne by these currents. They are also known 

 to be very partial to the leaf-like larvae of the Common Eel. 

 A large Sun-fish captured in the trawl off the south of Ireland 

 was found to have in its stomach the remains of a Silver 

 Ling. Now this fish lives on the sea bottom in depths of at 

 least 100 fathoms — a fact that suggests that at times the 

 Sun-fishes descend to considerable depths. 



Many aie the stories told to illustrate the extreme stupidity 

 of these sluggish giants, and there is little doubt that they 

 will allow a boat to come right up to them without making 

 any effort to escape. Their strength, however, is considerable, 

 and it is no easy matter to get a large Sun-fish aboard. The 

 following extract from the ' Voyage of the " Scotia " ' provides 

 an interesting account of the capture of a Sun-fish off Monte- 

 video : " The catch consisted of a large sunfish, weighing 

 about three-quarters of a ton. Some half-dozen of these 

 huge fish were seen during the day basking at the surface, 

 the largest being about the size of a small haystack. The 

 one we captured was really quite tiny, but it was all we could 

 do to haul it on board. Its stupidity was amazing ; unable 

 to swim faster than a boat could row, all it had to do to escape 

 us was to sink — and this they can do quite well — but, although 

 struck by a harpoon a dozen times before one held, it made 

 no attempt to escape. Davidson, an expert harpooner, 

 managed to insert a harpoon into the gill-cleft ; then the 

 beast allowed itself to be towed to the ship, apparently dying 

 of disgust." 



The same writer goes on to describe how this fish, when 

 dissected, was found to have a layer of hard gristly material, 

 2 or 3 inches in thickness, just under the skin, providing an 

 explanation of the inability of the harpoon to penetrate. It 

 seems likely that this armour is intended to compensate for 

 the absence of locomotive power, and to protect the fish 

 from potential enemies. Mr. Whitley mentions a large 

 Sun-fish caught in Botany Bay, New South Wales, whose 

 tough hide rendered it impervious to bullets fired from 

 Winchester rifles ! v 



When captured, Sun-fishes have been described as uttering 

 sounds which are comparable to sighs or to " the grunting of 



