﻿CERTAIN 
  CITIZENS 
  OF 
  THE 
  WARM 
  SEA 
  

  

  31 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  not 
  known 
  where 
  they 
  retired 
  until 
  

   their 
  numbers 
  became 
  strengthened, 
  but 
  

   the 
  fact 
  remains 
  that 
  this 
  valuable 
  food- 
  

   fish 
  is 
  back 
  again 
  in 
  normal 
  numbers. 
  

  

  Among 
  the 
  coral 
  reefs 
  off 
  Florida 
  one 
  

   frequently 
  sees 
  millions 
  of 
  the 
  fry 
  of 
  some 
  

   pelagic 
  or 
  surface 
  swimming 
  offshore 
  

   species 
  taking 
  shelter 
  in 
  and 
  about 
  the 
  

   skeleton 
  ribs 
  and 
  plates 
  of 
  a 
  wreck 
  resting 
  

   on 
  the 
  ocean 
  bottom, 
  yet 
  easily 
  discern- 
  

   ible 
  in 
  the 
  clear 
  southern 
  waters, 
  which 
  

   offers 
  a 
  harbor 
  for 
  a 
  considerable 
  num- 
  

   ber 
  seeking 
  safety. 
  Not 
  only 
  does 
  the 
  

   structure 
  of 
  the 
  abandoned 
  ship 
  provide 
  

   hiding 
  places, 
  but 
  the 
  grouper 
  family, 
  

   which 
  makes 
  the 
  wreck 
  a 
  regular 
  habitat, 
  

   acts 
  as 
  a 
  guard 
  for 
  the 
  smaller 
  fish 
  against 
  

   their 
  arch 
  enemies, 
  the 
  jacks 
  and 
  yellow 
  

   tails, 
  which 
  are 
  in 
  turn 
  sought 
  by 
  the 
  

   groupers 
  as 
  food. 
  The 
  fry 
  thus 
  fre- 
  

   quently 
  remain 
  unmolested, 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  

   too 
  small 
  to 
  make 
  food 
  for 
  the 
  groupers. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  fry 
  move 
  from 
  place 
  to 
  

   place, 
  they 
  usually 
  do 
  so 
  at 
  dusk 
  or 
  

   through 
  the 
  night, 
  and 
  then 
  on 
  the 
  sur- 
  

   face 
  of 
  the 
  sea, 
  where 
  they 
  find 
  their 
  prin- 
  

   cipal 
  food 
  — 
  plankton, 
  the 
  weak 
  floating 
  

   organisms, 
  and 
  nekton, 
  the 
  actively 
  swim- 
  

   ming 
  animal 
  life 
  — 
  which 
  is 
  more 
  plentiful 
  

   on 
  the 
  surface 
  after 
  the 
  sun's 
  rays 
  are 
  

   lessened. 
  

  

  A 
  PARADOX 
  OF" 
  PROTECTION 
  

  

  Many 
  fishes 
  of 
  the 
  warm 
  seas 
  are 
  

   chameleon-like 
  in 
  their 
  coloration 
  and 
  

   take 
  on 
  the 
  color 
  and 
  hue 
  of 
  their 
  sur- 
  

   roundings 
  for 
  protection, 
  while 
  others 
  

   seek 
  the 
  holes 
  and 
  crevices 
  into 
  which 
  

   the 
  pursuing 
  fish 
  is 
  unable 
  to 
  follow. 
  

  

  Some 
  fishes, 
  to 
  protect 
  their 
  young, 
  

   carry 
  their 
  eggs 
  in 
  their 
  mouths. 
  Nature 
  

   has 
  so 
  taken 
  care 
  of 
  other 
  species 
  that 
  

   they 
  are 
  hermaphrodite. 
  Others 
  live 
  in 
  

   the 
  gill 
  cavities 
  of 
  a 
  greater 
  fish. 
  Some 
  

   species 
  of 
  the 
  sucking 
  fish, 
  as 
  an 
  illustra- 
  

   tion, 
  utilize 
  the 
  gill 
  cavities 
  of 
  larger 
  

   fishes, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  mola, 
  or 
  giant 
  sunfish, 
  

   and 
  the 
  sailfish, 
  for 
  this 
  purpose. 
  

  

  Many 
  live 
  in 
  other 
  marine 
  animals. 
  

   The 
  amia, 
  for 
  instance, 
  lives 
  with 
  the 
  

   animal 
  in 
  the 
  large 
  West 
  Indian 
  conch 
  

   (S 
  trombus 
  gigantus), 
  whose 
  spiral 
  shell 
  

   so 
  beautifully 
  tinted 
  on 
  the 
  inside 
  was 
  

   frequently 
  used 
  as 
  a 
  fireplace 
  ornament 
  a 
  

   generation 
  ago. 
  While 
  there 
  finding 
  pro- 
  

   tection, 
  this 
  little 
  fish 
  carries 
  its 
  eggs 
  in 
  

  

  A 
  TARPON 
  WEIGHING 
  1 
  58 
  POUNDS, 
  TAKEN 
  

  

  IN 
  FLORIDA 
  WATERS 
  BY 
  MR. 
  ALFRED 
  

  

  SANFORD 
  

  

  The 
  tarpon 
  was 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  earliest 
  of 
  the 
  

   large 
  fishes 
  for 
  which 
  sportsmen 
  angled. 
  Con- 
  

   sequently 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  extensively 
  advertised, 
  

   and 
  therefore 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  widely 
  known 
  of 
  the 
  

   sea 
  fighters. 
  

  

  