100 FISHERIES OF THE NORTH SEA 



North Sea fish migrate to the depths of 

 the Atlantic. The submerged continental 

 plateau of the North- Sea is peculiarly 

 suitable to the life of shallow-water fish, 

 and they never leave it. A deep-sea fish, 

 with few exceptions, such as the eel, 

 cannot live in shallow waters, and a 

 shallow- water fish, such as is found in the 

 North Sea, cannot live in the depths of the 

 Atlantic. The constant occupation of fish 

 is pursuit of prey. A North Sea fish will 

 not descend into the depths of the Atlantic 

 where, owing to the absence of light, there 

 is no plant food ; moreover, the weight 

 of water is so great in these depths that 

 the ordinary fish cannot live under the 

 pressure, which at 1000 fathoms is one ton 

 to the square inch ; besides, its eyes are 

 not adapted to the absence of light in the 

 cavernous depths of the ocean. There, 

 all is absolute darkness and stillness. 

 There are no diurnal or seasonal changes, 

 no currents ; everything is uniform, con- 

 stant, horrible, and only a fish specially 

 adapted with enormous eyes by which the 

 phosphorescent glow radiated by other 

 fish is dimly perceived, can see.. For the 



