DEEP-SEA FAUNA. 141 



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front of or below the large eyes. It is not 

 certain what the colour of the light is that is 

 emitted by these organs, but it is very probable 

 that if the Fish could be seen in their natural 

 haunts they would have an extremely beautiful 

 effect. 



In describing the general characters of the 

 shallow water Fauna in Chapter II. reference 

 has been made to the remarkable lure at the end 

 of the tentacle of the Angler-fish. In the Angler 

 of the great depths this is also found, but in the 

 obscurity of their surroundings a lure, such as 

 that of the shore species, would be useless, and 

 it is actually replaced by an organ which is sup- 

 posed to be phosphorescent. The mouth is enor- 

 mous and armed with ferocious-looking teeth, the 

 body is rounded and adapted for burrowing in 

 the ooze, and we can well frame in our minds a 

 picture of the little Fishes and other creatures 

 attracted by the " will-o'-the-wisp " light, meeting 

 with a sudden death in the cavernous jaws of this 

 voracious deep-sea Fish. 



It is possible that in addition to the light given 

 off by definite organs, the slime secreted by the 

 skin either over the whole surface or certain cir- 

 cumscribed regions, may be phosphorescent, but 

 how far this may serve as a means of illumination 

 must remain a matter of conjecture. The Crus- 

 taceans are in some cases known to emit a phos- 

 phorescent fluid. The naturalists of H.M.S. In- 

 vestigator found a brilliantly phosphorescent 

 liquid in the glands at the base of the antennae 

 and elsewhere in certain deep-sea Shrimps, and 

 one of the Cray-fish from great depths is said 



