Page:The aquarium - an unveiling of the wonders of the deep sea.djvu/149

108 sooner was the little creature put into the tank, than presently the Black Goby caught sight of him, and rushing towards him seized him by the tail, which was in a moment engulphed in the capacious throat. The Blackie glared like a demon as with dilated head he held fast his victim, clutching further and further hold by repeated jerks: the delicate, pellucid head of the unfortunate prey, projecting from the cavernous mouth, panted and rolled its eyes in pain, but there was no escape; for now nothing was visible but the head, when the ferocious victor shot under an umbrageous weed, and on my next sight of him all trace of his meal was gone.

The ferocity of this little fish is manifested even towards its own species; one can scarcely come within sight of another without the stronger darting at the weaker, and pursuing him with pertinacity for a considerable distance, following him in all his doublings and shifts, and through all the crevices and passages which he essays in flight, for some time.

The Black Goby habitually loves retirement; lurking under the shelter of the rocks and weeds, yet often coming into view. He proceeds by starts, as if with effort, shooting a few inches, and resting a while between the strokes, never floating and turning about in the water, like surface-fishes. Near the bottom is his proper sphere; he never comes near the surface except when, very hungry and eager, he sees a fragment of food at the top, and shoots up perpendicularly to seize it, turning instantly downward to his depths again.

The colours of this fish are subject to great change,