74 THE TARPON 



United States National Museum at Washington for examina- 

 tion. It was identified as the Nerocila acuminata. Sawfish, 

 porgies and some other fish are also infested with the same 

 parasite. They are rarely found on the tarpon caught at Boca 

 Grande in the Spring and Summer months. It has been sug- 

 gested that this fish seeks fresh water to rid itself of this para- 

 site. The sea-louse has not been reported from fresh water but 

 it does occur in brackish waters. (Dr. Holl.) 



Some fish are fast while others are slow. They swim against 

 backgrounds of many different formations. Some inhabit 

 grasses or coral formations. They live over sandy, stony, 

 gravel and muddy bottoms and in waters of many colors. 

 Nature has cunningly devised protective colorations, markings 

 and forms to protect them from the keen-eyed birds above the 

 waters and the enemies with which they are associated in their 

 own element. Bars, stripes, spots and blotches all serve to give 

 them immunity. Highly colored fish when seen in an aquarium 

 appear conspicuous but even vivid colors do not make them 

 conspicuous in their natural habitat. 

 Norman in his "History of Fishes," says: 



"Fishes habitually swimming at or near the surface, 

 such as the Herring, Blue Shark, Mackerel, or Tunny, are 

 colored silvery or white on the belly and sides, and the 

 back parts are dark green, black or steely blue, sometimes 

 ornamented with black spots or streaks, but as a rule 

 more or less uniform. The water in the sea being gen- 

 erally bluer and clearer than that of rivers, the olivaceous 

 hues of the fresh-water fishes give place to these metallic 

 shades, and seen from above against a background of dark 

 water, or from below against a light sky, the fish is incon- 

 spicuous to its enemies whether they be birds or other 

 fishes. Larval fishes, swimming for the most part at or 

 near the surface obtain similar protection by the absence 

 of pigments being either transparent and colorless or with 

 the head and body covered with minute black dots some- 



