186 THE INHABITANTS OF THE SEA. 
CHAP. XII. 
THE MARINE FISHES. 
General Observations on Fishes—Their Locomotive Organs — Tail — Fins.— 
Classification of Fishes by Cuvier.— Air-Bladder.—Scales. — Beauty of the 
Tropical Fishes. —The Gills. — Terrestrial Voyages of the Anabas and the 
Hassar. — Examples of Parental Affection. — Organs of Sense. — Offensive 
Weapons of Fishes.—The Sea-Wolf.—The Shark.—The Saw-Fish.—The Sword- 
Fish.— The Torpedo.— The Star-Gazer.— The Angler.—The Chetodon Ros- 
tratus.— The Remora, used for catching Turtles. — Defensive Weapons of 
Fishes.—The Weever.—The Stickleback.—The Sun-Fish.—The Flying-Fish.— 
The numerous Enemies of the Fishes.—Importance and History of the Herring 
Fishery.—The Pilchard.—The Sprat.—The Anchovy.—The Cod.—The Stur- 
geons.—The Salmon.—The Tunny.—The Mackerel Family.—The Eel.—The 
Murey.—The Conger.—The Sand-Launce.—The Plectognaths.—The Sea-Horse. 
—The Pipe-Fish.—The Flat-Fishes.—The Rays.—The Fecundity of Fishes. 
Tue bosom of the ocean is full of mysteries; it conceals a whole 
world of curiously-shaped animals, which the naturalist only 
superficially knows, and may, perhaps, never be able to fathom. 
To observe the habits of terrestrial animals, and accurately to 
determine their various species, is a comparatively easy task ; 
but the denser element in which fishes live prevents us from 
following their motions with exactness, from studying their 
instincts, and from noting with fidelity their specific differences. 
Since Pliny, who mentions but seventy-four different kinds of 
fishes, the number of known species has indeed enormously in- 
creased. The ancients, who knew only the waters of the Medi- 
terranean and a very small part of the ocean, had no conception 
of the finny multitudes inhabiting the tropical and icy seas ; 
but although modern science has succeeded in describing and 
picturing above eight thousand different kinds of fishes, yet 
there can be no doubt that many still unknown species dwell in 
the depths of ocean, or in the distant seas which are but seldom 
visited by the European mariner 
