Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
was to use the freight elevator. A third option was to lift each tuna
with the crane located on top of the building. Timing each method
with a stopwatch, we found that the freight elevator was the slowest,
the crane the second slowest, and running the fastest. However, we re-
jected the running method as aquarist abuse; it was simply much too
exhausting.
So we decided to give the crane a try, and a date to carry out the
transfer was scheduled. The operation had to be done at night, when
tra‹c on Cannery Row was minimal. The truck's tank was drained
down, and two wet suit-clad aquarists climbed inside. The first fish
was guided into a stretcher and passed up and hooked onto the crane.
On top, two waiting divers took the stretcher, opened it, and let the
fish swim out into the exhibit.
We had no idea how the fish would react when it saw that huge space.
Would it take o¤ like a rocket and slam into the wall, or into the in-
visible but equally solid acrylic window? With the latter possibility in
mind, we had hung a series of ropes in front of the large window as a
precaution so the tuna would have something to cue in on. Fortunately,
our worries proved groundless. We all watched nervously as the first
tuna swam out and began to cruise around the tank. It showed no in-
dication of panic or of running into the window or walls. That was a
tremendous relief. The next fish and all those that followed did the
same as, one by one, they joined up to form a school.
THE DREAM COMES TRUE
After releasing the tuna, we introduced the mola, bonito, and barracuda.
By the time we'd added the last fish, the exhibit was looking very good.
It was a beautiful sight to watch the separate schools using all the space
in the big tank.
The bonito seemed perfectly normal. Some were exhibiting their char-
acteristic behavior of rolling over and swimming partly on their sides,
something I'd seen in a school of wild bonito many years ago at Catalina
Island. The motion causes light from above to reflect o¤ their sides
and flash silver. We can only guess as to the function of this behavior,
but it may have something to do with keeping the school together.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search