CERTAIN CITIZENS OF THE WARM SEA 
137 
the fish so closely resemble. I'hey glisten 
in the sunlight like the sun flash from a 
mirror. As a food-fish some say they are 
equally as good as the Pompano, high 
praise indeed. 
Traits which mark land animals, with 
which man is more familiar than he is 
with the sea-dwellers, can be traced in the 
turbulent life under water. Killer-whales 
travel in packs like wolves and stalk their 
prey in much the same way. Other fishes, 
because of their appearance, have been 
given names to indicate a resemblance to 
land forms. There is the Dogfish, the Sea 
Catfish, and the Hogfish; but it is doubtful 
if ever a fish was given a more appropri¬ 
ate name than the nickname bestowed on 
the Barracuda. 
THE TIGER OF THE SEA 
The Barracuda is a carnivorous pirate 
from the tropical and subtropical regions 
and has been recorded as reaching a 
length of eight feet. It is amazingly 
swift in action, and strikes its prey with¬ 
out hesitation, on sight, darting with 
lightning rapidity at any moving thing in 
the sea, big or small, fast or slow. While 
cruising, its movements are slow and 
sluggish, and its habit of frequently hid¬ 
ing under some floating log or pinnacle 
of rock reminds one of a U-boat lurking 
in the ocean lanes, but ready to strike 
down the passerby (Color Plate, page 
H3); 
When taken with rod and reel, this fish 
proves to be a savage fighter. Its teeth 
are most sinister in appearance, having 
on each side a sharp, cutting edge, which, 
with the powerful leverage of its mighty 
jaws, make it a formidable foe. It will 
attack almost any kind of sea denizen, 
its own species included, no matter what 
the size, and with one snap it can sever 
the body of an unbelievably large fish. 
This has been demonstrated often to 
fishermen, who have had their catch 
taken by the Barracuda before it could be 
hauled into the boat. 
Natives of tropical waters fear the 
Barracuda more than the Shark, and with 
good cause, as is attested by the injuries 
this fierce fish has inflicted on the bodies 
of individuals who have been so unfortu¬ 
nate as to be struck by its wicked jaws. 
Yet this ferocious creature, like practi¬ 
cally all fishes kept in captivity, becomes 
docile when properly cared for. At the 
Photograph from Alfred Sanford 
A TARPON WEIGHING 158 POUNDS, TAKEN 
IN FLORIDA WATERS 
The Tarpon is one of the earliest of the large 
fishes for which American sportsmen angled. Conse¬ 
quently it has been extensively advertised, and there¬ 
fore is the most widely known of the sea fighters. 
