8U 



THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 



moved by washing tlie shells in the 

 sea. Tlie demand by button makers 

 for trochus sliell has been created with- 

 in the last ten years. The catches after 

 being pi-epared for market, are shipped 

 to Japan where rows of buttons are 

 cut from each shell. 



A CORAL RKKF. 



At first sight a coral reef is very 

 disappointing; the surface is composed 

 of dead and broken coral presenting a 

 long vista of heaps of discoloured frag- 

 ments which have been piled up by the 

 action of the waves. As the coral 

 grows nearer to the surface of the sea 

 portions become exposed to the direct 

 heat of the sun when the reef is un- 

 covered at low tide and under these 

 circumstances the coral soon dies. The 

 liranched forms ("stag-horn coral") die 

 first, and their broken limy skeletons 

 compose the main bulk of the reef. In 

 the deeper pools left by the receding 

 tide, and on tlie outer edge of tlie reef 

 flourish the living corals which are of 

 extreme lieauty and of the utmost in- 

 terest. As these continue to grow all 

 around the edges in the deeper water 

 they are continually adding to and thus 

 enlarging the size of the reef. There 

 are many different kinds, from llie 



l)ranching "stag-horn coral"' to the great 

 rounded masses of the "brain corals," 

 which may be three feet or more in dia- 

 meter. 



The colours of the living corals are 

 lirilliant and diverse, one liranching 

 variety being a beautiful light green 

 with the end of each branch terminating 

 in a bright yellow tip. Some are vari- 

 ous shades of pink, while others again 

 are a brilliant blue. In and out be- 

 tween the coral branches of these sub- 

 merged gardens dart many Ijizarre and 

 highly-coloured flaml)oyant fishes, which 

 harmonise to an extraordinary degree 

 with their florid surroundings. In the 

 deeper channels between the reefs large 

 Spanish mackerel, exceeding Use ie^' in 

 length, were often caught on lines baited 

 with red flannel, and trailed from the 

 stern of our boat as we sailed through 

 the narrow tortuous passages. 



Attached to the sides and keel of our 

 boat were the strange sucker fishes, 

 which cling on by means of a large oval 

 sucker on the upper surface of the 

 head. The fish are thus carried from 

 place to place, and only loose their 

 hold when they temporarily leave the 

 ship to go in search of food. 



As one wades through the shallow 

 water of the reefs large black cucumber- 

 shaped animals may be seen protruding 



•#":^^-'\.-; 



Bleached corals from the Great Barrier Reef, 



