THE SCHOOL OF THE SHORE 45 
the open sea, embedded in little compartments 
in a big drifting sheet of violet-grey slime, 
many feet long. After a while the eggs be- 
come separated from the sheet and float singly. 
The newly hatched young one floats also, with 
its heavy head downwards (see Fig. 7, p. 93), 
and the tip of its tail just touching the surface 
film. It is still living on the yolk of the egg 
which is uppermost in the water. After a 
fortnight has passed the yolk is exhausted; the 
young fish is superficially like a tadpole; it 
opens its mouth and begins to fend for itself. 
For a long time, however, it lives an Open- 
Sea life, and it has an extraordinary appear- 
ance, due to the elongation of its fin-rays into 
flexible streamers. These have the same use 
as the slime round the eggs, they secure flota- 
tion, first at the surface, and then in the upper 
layers. This is, on the whole, a very safe 
cradle, and there is an abundance of living 
minutie to eat. Gradually the head of the 
larval angler broadens out enormously behind 
the eyes, and these are shifted to the top. The 
seaweed-like tags of skin become numerous, 
the long fin-tassels disappear. The young fish 
comes near shore and sinks to the bottom— 
there to remain for the rest of its life. 
