. The popular natural history . Zoology. THE SUCKING FISH. 471 This little fish was reported to adhere to the bottom of ships, and to arrest their progress as suddenly and firmly as if they had struck upon a rock. The winds might blow, the sails m'ght fill, and the masts creak, but the unseen fish below could hold the vessel by its single force, and confine her to the same spot as if at anchor. It is wonderful how fully this fable was received, and how many years were needed to root the belief out of prejudiced minds. Both scientific names refer to this so-called property, echeneis signifying
. The popular natural history . Zoology. THE SUCKING FISH. 471 This little fish was reported to adhere to the bottom of ships, and to arrest their progress as suddenly and firmly as if they had struck upon a rock. The winds might blow, the sails m'ght fill, and the masts creak, but the unseen fish below could hold the vessel by its single force, and confine her to the same spot as if at anchor. It is wonderful how fully this fable was received, and how many years were needed to root the belief out of prejudiced minds. Both scientific names refer to this so-called property, echeneis signifying " ship-holder," and reinora meaning " ; That the Sucking Fish is able to adhere strongly to smooth surfaces is a well-known fact, the process being accomplished by means of the curious shield or disc upon the upper surface of the head and shoulders, the general shape of which can be understood by reference to the engraving. This disc is composed of a number of flat bony laminae, arranged parallc. lo each other in a manner resembling the common wooden window-blind, and capable of being raised or depressed at will. It is found by anatomical investigation that these laminae are formed by modifications of the spinous dorsal fin, the number of laminse corre- sponding to that of the spines. They are moved by a series of muscles set ob- liquely, and when the fish presses the soft edge of the disc against any smooth ob- ject and then depresses the laminae, a vacuum is formed, causing the fish to adhere tightly to the spot upon which the disc is placed. When the creature has once fixed itself it cannot be detached withsii-t much difficulty, and the only me- thod of removing it, without tearing the body or disc, is to slide it forwards in a di- rection corresponding with the set of thelamins. In the opposite direction it cannot be moved, and the fish, therefore, when adhering to a moving body, takes care to fix itself in such a manner that it cannot be washed of
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
