The natives of Zanzibar, Cuba, and Torres Straits are said to employ sucking-fishes in the capture of sleeping turtles, the fish being secured by a ring round the tail, and liberated as soon as a sufficiently near approach to the quarry has been made. About ten different species are known, the bulkiest of which attains a length of 2 feet and a weight of about 8 lbs., a longer but more slender species measuring 3 feet.
Carnivorous, of small size, and feeble swimming-powers, the family of the Weavers are remarkable rather for their disagreeable qualities than anything else, though at least one species is declared to be excellent eating. The Star-gazer is a particularly ugly-looking fish, especially noteworthy in that the eyes, which are on the top of the head, can be raised and depressed at pleasure, whilst the heavy jaw is armed with a freely moving tentacle, which, waving about in the current of water drawn in at the mouth, serves as a lure to attract small fishes, the rest of the body being concealed between stones at the bottom of the sea.
Photo by W Saville-Kent, F.Z.S.] [Milford-on-Sea.
SUCKING-FISH.
By means of the sucker on the top of its head this fish attaches itself to ships and larger fishes.
The Common Weaver is a well-known British fish, much dreaded on account of the poisonous wounds which it inflicts unless most carefully handled, the poison being introduced by the spines of the back-fin and gill-cover. No special poison-organs seem to be developed, but the mucous secretion around the spines has poisonous properties. As the flesh of this fish is extremely palatable, fishermen remove the spines at once directly after capture. Should a wound be inflicted, great suffering and occasionally death follows.
Photo by Reinhold Thiele & Co.] [Chancery Lane, W.C.
LARGER WEAVER.