Fislir>. 



poisou fas does that of the Common Eelj when injected into the blood 

 of a "mammal. In the Aquarium they "can be kept for years. 



A quite unique appearance amongst fishes is afforded by the Sea- 

 horse and its allies . which are collectively classified as Lophobranchii 

 or tuft-gilled fishes, on account of the form of their gills. Every one 

 will know the Sea-horse, Hippocampus (Fig. 130). which is sold dried, 

 as its hard skin preserves the shape of the animal. The life and habits 

 of $iese fish , so common in the Bay of Naples , are very attractive. 

 Everything about them seems as different from other fish, as is their 

 shape, which reminds one of a gracefully carved chess figure. They seem 

 to do best where plants or worm-tubes give them plenty of opportunity 

 of fastening themselves with their finless tail. When swimming in their 

 graceful manner . their dorsal fin is in constant wave-like motion. They 

 float up and down, bend themselves about, chase each other, or swim in 

 couples clasping each other with their tails , or in other laughable atti- 

 tudes. This playfulness is chiefly exhibited in autumn , which is their 

 breeding season ; and loving couples may be seen swimming or resting 

 together and billing each other like a pair of turtle-doves. The eggs as 

 soon as laid are received by the male animai, which carries them about 

 in a pouch on its ventral surface until the young are fully developed. 

 As his family become more and more lively within the pouch, they cause 

 so much irritation that the father considers it time to get rid of them ; 

 this be does by successive abrupt bendings of that part of the body 

 which bears the pouch. At each bend the pouch opens and a number 

 of small beings are expelled, separating immediately and swimming about 

 very actively ; their size is about a sixth to a quarter of an inch. 

 Economically the Sea-horse is of no value whatever. It seems to have 

 no enemies in the sea ; in the Aquarium, at least . where it has been 

 kept with all sorts of animals, it is never touched. 



To the Lophobranchii belongs also the Pipe -fish or Needle-fish. 

 SyngnathllS (Fig. 103). They live in the beds of Posidonia and resem- 

 ble most accurately , both in shape and colouring , the dying leaves of 

 the latter. The male of this animal also takes care of the eggs till they 

 are hatched. 



The freely swimming fish to which we shall now turn 

 contain most of the well known sea fish. They pass most of their life 

 floating or swimming, and thus prove that they have a complete mastery 

 over the element in which they live. But a number of them also frequent 

 the coasts, from habit or in search of food , while others swim about to 

 greater distances , or may , like the pelagic fish, become independent of 

 coast and sea-bottom and live in the open water. 



We shall first treat of those kinds which frequent the coasts , be- 

 ginning with the Labroida, characteristic by their large protrusible lips 

 and conspicuous by their brilliant colouring. The brightly coloured Wrasse, 

 Labrus (Figs. 36 and 37) , and the Peacock-wrasse . Crenilabrus 

 'Fig. 34). belong to this group; they swim about with a curious jerking 

 motion. The gaily coloured Labrus festivus is interesting on account 



