ANIMAL LIFE IN THE GULF STREAM. 



655 



— I speak with particular reference to the lower marine animals — 

 are usually brilliantly colored. This can be seen in the case of 

 sea-anemones, tropical shells, and crabs. Those with little or no 

 defense are inconspicuous and resemble surrounding objects. The 

 reason for all this is plain, for if inconspicuous they easily escape 

 the notice of their enemies. Brilliant, well-defended animals have 

 little fear of enemies, but by their bright colors will attract curious 

 animals within reach of their deadly powers. 



Like the Physdlia in general structure, and in the fact that 

 they possess stinging cells, are the jelly-fishes, which are present 

 in the Gulf Stream in a great abundance of forms. There are 



Fig. 7.— A Jeixy-Fibh swimming. 



bell-shaped, tubular, spherical, discoidal, and many other forms, 

 most being transparent, but some very brilliantly colored. One 

 of the disk-like forms is colored with deep purple and orange 

 bands radiating from the center, while from the entire circumfer- 

 ence hang many transparent tentacles. The mouth of most jelly- 

 fishes is beneath, in the center of the bell, and is surrounded by 

 tentacles which procure food. These are also furnished with 

 stinging cells by which the food is killed. Their modes of repro- 



