Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 142, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 June 1918 — A Balloon Fish. [ARTICLE]

A Balloon Fish.

There lives in ths apper waters of the River Nile a queer fish called the fahak (Tetrodon fahaka), which has the power of inflating itself like a balloon by drawing in a large quantity of air. Usually ft swims In the manner of other fishes; but when danger threatens it rises quickly to the surface of the water and begins to pump air into an extension of the gulleL By this means the abdomen of the fish soon becomes so greatly distended that it exceeds the rest of the body in size. The fish loses its equilibrium, turns over and floats on its back, and at the same time the spines of the abdomen are erected. By this transformation the fahak is protected against the attacks of its enemies. If one of these seize it the aggressor is wounded by the spines and henceforth leaves the unpleasant creature alone. -If the Inflated fish is grasped by the human hand it endeavors to draw in still more air, as if it were well aware of the importance of this action to its safety. When , the danger Is past the aix escapes with a 'slight hissing noise and the fish gradually resumes its normal form.