Oddities

_{-- O d d i t i e s --} _{click on the question number for the answer}
Q 1.
	What fish takes in water through its nostrils?
Q 2.
	What is the most valuable fish to science?
Q 3.
	What is a “sea dragon?”
Q 4.
	What is the Sea Bishop?
Q 5.
	What fish is able to grasp strands of seaweed with its fins?
Q 6.
	What fish wipes its eyes with its fins?
Q 7.
	Is it true that bats sometimes catch fish?
Q 8.
	What fish spends its life permanently attached to the head of its mate?
Q 9.
	What fish "shoots" its prey with a water pistol?
Q 10.
	The lion is supposedly considered the king of the jungle. What animal is considered king of the ocean?
Q 11.
	Can marine animals survive being left out of water for long periods?
Q 12.
	On a recent trip to Europe, I observed what appeared to be an illusion of rain on the surface of the sea. Although it was not actually raining. What phenomenon could have caused this?
Q 13.
	Is there really a fish with Arabic writing on its tail?
Q 14.
	In an "oddities" column I was reading in a recent issue of a magazine, it told of sighting a column of sea snakes, swimming in a column "miles long", and entwined like a rope, and, if I remember correctly, the column was described as being about one-quarter to one-half mile wide. What were these sea snakes, traveling in a "miles-long" column and where were they going?
Q 15.
	While swimming in the Gulf of Mexico at Naples, Florida, something got on my thigh, and I could not shake it off. It did not bite or sting, but just held on. My husband brushed it off and it just swam around. It was a round object about 3 or 4 inches across with a long tail and looked like a giant polywog. It was dark in color. What could this have been? Is it dangerous?
Q 16.
	In True Magazine for July 1965, there is an article entitled "Australia's strange new sea monster," with color photographs of the tadpole-shaped, so-called monster. Your comments in regard to this report would be greatly appreciated.
Q 17.
	Our local press recently carried a story about the then missing transatlantic sailor Bill Verity, stating that he was believed lost in what the paper called the “Twilight Zone.” We have never before heard of this "mysterious patch of ocean" and wondered if you could enlighten us as to what form it takes, since it is suggested that it is capable of "gobbling up sailors."
Q 18.
	I have read that there are animals that swim from deep to shallow water and back again in numbers large enough to create a false bottom on sonar screens. Is it known what sort of animals these are? Why do they migrate in this way?
Q 19.
	Is there any scientific explanation for the mysterious disappearance of ships and planes in the mid-Atlantic near Bermuda and the Bahamas?


_{-- a n s w e r s a b o u t O d d i t i e s --}
	Q&A 1.	What fish takes in water through its nostrils?
	The electric stargazer, Astroscopus guttatus, habitually lies buried on sandy bottoms with only its eyes and nostrils exposed. Instead of breathing water through its mouth, as the majority of other fishes do, the stargazer takes in water through its valvular nostrils before expelling it out through the gills. In addition to this odd method of breathing, this fish is unique in possessing an area of soft spongy tissue in front of the eyes which is capable of emitting an electric shock of mild intensity.
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	Q&A 2.	What is the most valuable fish to science?
	As far as science is concerned, this is probably the Crossopterygian fish, Latimeria chalumnae, only one of which has ever been captured. This fish, like others of its Fanmily, was thought to have been extinct since the age of the dinosaurs until a single specimen five feet long and of a bright blue color was taken off South Africa in 1938. Other rare fishes are the ribbon fishes or deal-fishes (Trachypteridae), which attain a great size in some instances, and are usually found only when washed ashore dead or dying, though smaller specimens are sometimes taken in trawls.
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	Q&A 3.	What is a “sea dragon?”
	This is one of the strangest of all fishes, belonging to the Genus Phyllopteryx, and related to the pipefishes and sea horses. The sea dragon inhabits the coastal waters of Australia and adjacent territory, where it lives in seaweed. Although less than a foot long and quite harmless, the sea dragon is a most bizarre creature and lives up to its name in appearance, having a long snout and being covered with fleshy tabs and filaments which cause it to resemble closely the seaweed in which it lives. As in the case of seahorses, the male Phyllopteryx carries the eggs in a special brood pouch beneath the abdomen until they hatch.
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	Q&A 4.	What is the Sea Bishop?
	This is an entirely mythological sea creature which was said to resemble a man, but with a high, pointed head that resembled a bishop's cap, or mitre, covered with scales, and a finlike cape over the back and shoulders, as well as scaly, ducklike feet. The French writer Rondelet in 1558 claimed to have seen documentary evidence that a sea bishop had been brought to Poland as a curiosity in 1531. Rondelet further narrates: “...Carried to the king of that country, it made certain signs that it had a great desire to return to the sea. Being taken thither it threw itself instantly into the water.”
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	Q&A 5.	What fish is able to grasp strands of seaweed with its fins?
	The sargassum fish, Histrio gibba, has a fleshy, froglike body and paired fins which are capable of being curled at the tips so that it may grasp the strands of floating Sargassum weed in which it lives. The color of the sargassum fish is remarkable in being brown, yellow, and white in patches, exactly matching the color of the weed. Although the sargassum fish is capable of swimming rapidly from one patch of floating weed to the next, it usually prefers to lie quietly among the floating fronds, devouring any food which happen to come within reach.
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	Q&A 6.	What fish wipes its eyes with its fins?
	The sheepshead, Archosargus probatocephalus, has very long pectoral fins, located just back of the gills. Specimens of this fish kept in aquaria have been seen to rotate the fins forward and brush them over the eyes at times. This may possibly be a means of keeping the surface of the eyeball free from settling sand or other debris, although this is not known for certain. The sheepshead is an excellent food fish, reaching a weight of 20 pounds in the northern part of its range. It may be recognized by the pattern of seven broad black bands on a whitish background.
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	Q&A 7.	Is it true that bats sometimes catch fish?
	Certain tropical American bats of the suborder Microchiroptera feed on small fish which they catch in their long claws as they skim over the surface of the water. Bats normally drink on the wine, swooping down over the surface of a lake, pond, or stream, so this method of fishing is probably not too difficult for them. At least one species of fish-eating bat is known from the Caribbean area, and another inhabits certain rocky islands in the Gulf of California.
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	Q&A 8.	What fish spends its life permanently attached to the head of its mate?
	The Ceratioid angler fishes, a peculiar group of little known deep sea fishes, are unique among all other vertebrates in that the male (which is very small) is a true parasite on the female. After being free-swimming for a time, the tiny male will attach itself by its mouth to the much larger female. The forehead is one of the most frequent sites for this permanent attachment. Often several small males will be carried in this manner by a single female. Female Ceratioid anglers range in size from 21/2 inches to about 40 inches.
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	Q&A 9.	What fish "shoots" its prey with a water pistol?
	The archer fish, (Toxotes jaculator), of coastal rivers and bays of India has a unique way of capturing its food, which consists largely of small insects which live on plants and grasses overhanging the banks. By means of a special groove in the upper jaw into which the tongue fits, the fish can project a tiny stream of water out of its mouth with great force and accuracy. Insects struck down by this jet of water are quickly swallowed by the archer fish.
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	Q&A 10.	The lion is supposedly considered the king of the jungle. What animal is considered king of the ocean? Miami, Florida
	Many marine species might be considered the king of the marine world, but our nomination goes to the horseshoe crab, Limulus polphemus. They are truly regal as exhibited by the fact that when injured, they bleed blue blood rather than red.
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	Q&A 11.	Can marine animals survive being left out of water for long periods? Miami, Florida
	The time interval which marine animals will survive out of water varies widely with different species and groups of animals. A large number of animals, representing several major groups (for example, molluscs, crabs, fish , and worms) live between the high and low tide marks and are uncovered for a few hours every 12 hours .It is true that some of these live in pools left by the receding tide. The expression "like a fish out of water" is not always strictly appropriate to describe a person who is helpless and unsuited to his environment. Some fish such as eels, sharks and lampreys can be extremely active out of water for short periods. When fishermen catch the wolf fish in the North Atlantic waters, they are very cautious about handling it, as many people have been bitten by the careless handling of this fish out of water.
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	Q&A 12.	On a recent trip to Europe, I observed what appeared to be an illusion of rain on the surface of the sea. Although it was not actually raining. What phenomenon could have caused this? New York City, New York
	You may have observed a large number of small planktonic animals skipping about the surface of the water. One species of copepod, Anomalocera parrersoni, might well be called “the flying fish of the copepod world.” They are very energetic and might easily give the illusion of rain. Norwegian fishermen welcome a “shower” of these animals as a good fishing indicator, since the summer herring feeds extensively upon them.
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	Q&A 13.	Is there really a fish with Arabic writing on its tail? Punta Gorda, Florida
	One of the butterfly-fishes (Holacanthus semicirculatus) in which the dark ground color of the head and body is broken up by a series of narrow curved white stripes, has its caudal fin ornamented with similar markings. In a specimen which appeared in the market at Zanzibar, these markings on the tail bore a remarkable resemblance to old Arabic characters, reading on one side of the tail "Laillaha Illalah", (There is no God but Allah) and on the other side "Shani-Allah" (A warning sent from Allah). This caused considerable excitement, and the fish, which was originally sold for a penny, eventually fetched five thousand rupees!
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	Q&A 14.	In an "oddities" column I was reading in a recent issue of a magazine, it told of sighting a column of sea snakes, swimming in a column "miles long", and entwined like a rope, and, if I remember correctly, the column was described as being about one-quarter to one-half mile wide. What were these sea snakes, traveling in a "miles-long" column and where were they going? Long Island, New York
	There are a number of reputable accounts of sea snakes covering areas of water a mile or more long and hundreds of yards wide. These are pelagic sea snakes and are found in the open ocean. Little is known of their migratory habits; however, some information on them appeared in a past issue of SEA FRONTIERS (Vol. 3, No. 2).
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	Q&A 15.	While swimming in the Gulf of Mexico at Naples, Florida, something got on my thigh, and I could not shake it off. It did not bite or sting, but just held on. My husband brushed it off and it just swam around. It was a round object about 3 or 4 inches across with a long tail and looked like a giant polywog. It was dark in color. What could this have been? Is it dangerous? Sylvania, Ohio
	It would be impossible to identify definitely the animal that you encountered. Remoras, or shark-suckers, occasionally attach to swimmers. They are harmless. Clingfishes, also harmless, may do the same in rocky areas. Possibly you startled a small stingray. They have no means of attaching, but in your haste to get away, you might have dragged it along.
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	Q&A 16.	In True Magazine for July 1965, there is an article entitled "Australia's strange new sea monster," with color photographs of the tadpole-shaped, so-called monster. Your comments in regard to this report would be greatly appreciated. Ridgecrest, California
	It is not possible to give a definite identification of the object shown in the photographs that appeared in the magazine. Scientists at the Institute of Marine Science, University of Miami, who have examined this article and the illustrations do not credit the idea that a monster of the shape indicated is living today in Australian waters. If the photographs are real, and no hoax was involved in the making of the pictures, it is possible that the photographs depict - a tightly packed school of fish. The close-up, particularly, suggests a densely-packed fish school. Such behavior is common among schooling fishes.
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	Q&A 17.	Our local press recently carried a story about the then missing transatlantic sailor Bill Verity, stating that he was believed lost in what the paper called the “Twilight Zone.” We have never before heard of this "mysterious patch of ocean" and wondered if you could enlighten us as to what form it takes, since it is suggested that it is capable of "gobbling up sailors." Lower Hutt, New Zealand
	Your article referred to the infamous "Bermuda Triangle," an area of the Atlantic enclosed by lines joining Miami, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Bermuda. In this region of 440,000 square miles during the past 25 years over 1,000 people have disappeared without trace. Among the mysterious disappearances are the U.S.S. Cyclops, a Navy collier that vanished in 1918; five Navy torpedo bombers lost after a weird radio exchange with their base, in 1945, and the patrol plane that was sent after them; an Air Force tanker plane in 1962, vanished with no wreckage; and in 1963 alone the merchant ship Marine Sulphur Queen, a fishing boat and two Air Force tanker jets. The U.S. Navy's point of view is that the disappearances are a "strange coincidence." It does not believe that any "Twilight Zone" exists where supernatural forces gobble up ships and planes.
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	Q&A 18.	I have read that there are animals that swim from deep to shallow water and back again in numbers large enough to create a false bottom on sonar screens. Is it known what sort of animals these are? Why do they migrate in this way? Mobile, Alabama
	You are referring to phenomena known as deep scattering layers, which are sound-reflecting bands existing at various depths, generally above 3,000 feet, over broad reaches of the world ocean. These layers, discovered by accident during World War II, confused both cartographers charting the sea bottom and sonarmen searching for submarine echoes. Scientists discovered that the layers migrate to the surface during the night and sink to mid-depth during the daylight. Various kinds of animals appear to make up such layers, but most oceanographers now believe that the greater part of the scattering effect is caused by reflection from the swim bladders of certain fishes, notably hatchetfishes, lanternfishes and bristlemouths. A fish swim bladder, acting as an air bubble, scatters sound extremely well. It is not known what makes the fish and the other organisms in these layers move up and down in the water column. Illumination seems to be the major influence, but there are complicating factors. It seems that whatever organisms make up the DSL are responding to daily changes in a number of interlocking stimuli, of which the most important are probably illumination, temperature, and nutriment.
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	Q&A 19.	Is there any scientific explanation for the mysterious disappearance of ships and planes in the mid-Atlantic near Bermuda and the Bahamas? Wilbraham, Massachusetts
	In the area known as the “Bermuda Triangle” over 1,000 people have disappeared without a trace. The 440,000-square-mile area in the Atlantic is enclosed by hypothetical lines joining Miami, San Juan, and Bermuda. Among the mysterious disappearances are the U.S.S. Cyclops, a Navy collier that vanished in 1918; five Navy torpedo bombers lost after a weird radio exchange with their base in 1945; an Air Force tanker plane that vanished in 1962; and, in 1963, a fishing boat, two Air Force tanker jets, and the merchant ship Marine Sulphur Queen. The explanation is still a mystery. The area included in the Bermuda Triangle is noted for strong magnetic anomalies, however, which may result in inaccurate compass readings. Further information on the disappearance of craft in the Bermuda Triangle can be found in Invisible Horizons, True Mysteries of the Sea by Vincent H. Gaddis (Chilton Book Company, Philadelphia, 1965).
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