Evolution: An Investigation and a CritiqueGraebner, Theodore
Religion
Evolution: An Investigation and a Critique
Graebner, Theodore
Evolution; Religion and science
From a German monthly devoted to aquaria, we quote the following: "But
now, dear readers, we come to a fish which shows an exceptionally
peculiar and touching care for its young--the mouth-brooder,
_Haplochromis Strigigena_ (formerly _Paratilapia Multicolor_). This
fish is so much concerned about the safety of its young, that it knows
no better and no more secure place than its own mouth in which to
preserve them. In no other division of the animal kingdom can we find
such an interesting example of fostering care for the young as we find
in this species of fish. Immediately after emitting the spawn the female
again gathers up the eggs and packs them away in her mouth like herring
in a barrel. She naturally must employ the organs of the throat and also
the organs between the gills and thus the appearance of the animal is
greatly changed even to the extent that it looks very much like as if
she had a craw. Furthermore, during ths [tr. note: sic] entire period,
which is about fourteen days, the little animal cannot take food and is
hampered very much in her movements. Therefore in case of imminent
danger it becomes necessary for her to cast out the entire brood which
then wretchedly perish, and for this reason it is to be recommended to
disturb or disquiet these animals during this period as little as
possible. Even after the young leave the mother of their own accord,
they always flee to her protecting mouth, and thus they present an
exciting aspect, when they are first seen peacefully and contentedly
playing about the mother fish, until a shadow or a sudden thrust warns
them of danger and quick as lightning they dart into her mouth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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