6 Big Game Fishes 



by nature to its environment. Now to look at 

 its internal economy, not thoroughly, as text- 

 books are at hand, but merely to afford the angler 

 between strikes a general idea of how his game 

 eats, breathes, and makes so determined and gal- 

 lant a fight. A section of the fish is shown in 

 Fig. 2. Lifting the gill-covers (dr) near where the 

 fish should be gaffed, we see the gills, blood-red 

 membraneous leaflets supported by cartilaginous 

 arches, separated by slits. These are situated in 

 branchial chambers or breathing rooms on each 

 side of the head, and are the lungs or breathing 

 organs of the fishes, though in some forms the air- 

 bladder assumes this function when the fish leaves 

 the water. The fish obtains its oxygen at second 

 hand, using minute particles of air which are held 

 in the water. Storms and winds raise a sea which 

 forces air-bubbles down below the surface, aerat- 

 ing the water in sufficient quantities to support 

 life. To demonstrate this it is but necessary to 

 place a fish in an aquarium and allow the water 

 to run in from below; the fish in a short time 

 languishes and rises to the surface and dies. In- 

 troduce the water from above, imitating the action 

 of a wave so that it falls upon the surface with 

 force, carrying down air, which is seen permeating 



