Show I I Some Fish Carry Lanterns Along Strange Strang indeed has been the thc evolution evolution evolution evo evo- lution of oC the organs of si sight bight ht of the thc practically blind fish which lives in inthe Inthe inthe the total darkness of the depths of the ocean where no ray of light ever penetrates In somo some the eyes ejes are arc very small In others they are arc large and round as if in a struggle to calcI some borne faint gleam of brightness ss Io 1 Most t remarkable of all is that about one-fifth one of these fish possess on some part of the body a luminous organ It is probable says Dr E. E Bade in Popular Science Monthly that these light giving organs were developed in depths where semidarkness prevailed All are evolved from glands and the simplest are merely sacs giving off a substance which is ignited by chemical chemIcal chemical chem chem- ical action of the water Others are arc ed and are lighted up within the hod body Some have reflectors which throw the rays outward and often there is a lens which concentrates the th light and makes it seem brighter In ether other cases the skin may be pulled over the organ shutting off the light altogether Several varieties of fish living nv n n- n nar ar rr arthe r the surface carry lights among them the lantern fish of the tha Malay archipelago and another recently discovered discovered discovered dis dis- dis- dis covered in Jamaican waters All these have a large luminous organ just below the eye emitting a greenish greenish green green- reen- reen ish white light which flickers at regular intervals Some deep sea fish have the light attached to a long movable tip while others in addition to the chief light organ are marked with patterns of smaller lu luminous It vinous spots of varied hues Some of these are probably rea real I lanterns other decoys in the pursuit of prey some protective while come ome perhaps only distinguish male from frem female or one one variety of fish from another All these lights are absolutely absolutely absolutely heatless something science has hal not yet jet produced |