| In the eyes of the non-diving public, | | | | much of it can be transplanted to the |
| the underwater hunter is a guy who walks | | | | aquarium environment with great success. |
| out of the water with a spear, a mask, a | | | | Actually, the limitations are more often |
| big wide grin, and a big dead fish. To a | | | | set by preconceptions than by nature. To |
| degree, the picture is an accurate one: | | | | the average aquarist, the only fish that |
| certainly big-game hunting has always | | | | seem appropriate for life in a glass |
| been and continues to be an important | | | | tank are fresh-water topicals. Period. |
| aspect of the sport. | | | | The skin-diver is just as likely to |
| But in recent months there has been an | | | | think in terms of a few marine species |
| enormous upsurge of interest in | | | | only. Both frames of reference are |
| small-game hunting for specimens that | | | | unnecessarily narrow. Good aquarium fish |
| are caught and kept, and not killed. Not | | | | can be found in most of the coastal |
| too long ago only a few of the hundreds | | | | areas of the U. S., and even the inland |
| of aquarists' clubs in the U. S. had one | | | | waters contain interesting and beautiful |
| or two divers as members. Today there | | | | candidates for the home set-up. |
| are several societies composed entirely | | | | There are a few factors to consider |
| of diver-aquarists, and several thousand | | | | before you start bagging tenants for a |
| unaffiliated collectors who have found | | | | tank. Most species that swim out in the |
| that the aquarium hobby opens up a big | | | | open do relatively poorly in restricted |
| and practically virgin territory in the | | | | aquarium surroundings, and should |
| underwater world. | | | | generally be avoided. Choose varieties |
| No one has a better opportunity to see | | | | that swim close to the bottom, in the |
| and collect exceptional specimens than | | | | protective cover of kelp or coral, or in |
| the skin or scuba diver. In fact divers | | | | and around submerged objects. |
| whose contact with underwater life has | | | | Consider also the fish's size. Really |
| sharpened their interest and observation | | | | big or even fairly big species are |
| sometimes know more about the subject | | | | unsuitable, of course, but young |
| than land-locked marine biologists; more | | | | examples of medium-sized species are |
| than one diver has come up with a new | | | | sometimes more appropriate than they may |
| species that's totally unknown to the | | | | seem: aquarium life has the effect of |
| professionals. Anyone who spends his | | | | stunting growth, because fish tend not |
| time exploring down under gets an | | | | to outgrow their environment. |
| intimate knowledge of submarine life | | | | The equipment used to collect fish can |
| that translates into a head start in | | | | be as simple as a wide-necked glass jar |
| learning the arts of the aquarist. | | | | or a small hand net. Best of the latter |
| Divers discover through direct | | | | is a long-handled butterfly net made of |
| observation what environment various | | | | nylon marquisette or mosquito netting, |
| species require, what they eat, how they | | | | and held still in the water so that it |
| nest and spawn, what kind of cover they | | | | flows out with the current. |
| like to live in, and so on. | | | | When fish swim into it (which they're |
| Still, the diver who wants to maintain | | | | more likely to do if there's some |
| his underwater acquisitions in an | | | | crushed-shellfish bait nearby), the trap |
| aquarium has a number of new skills to | | | | is locked by turning the handle 90 |
| learn. Killing fish is usually easier | | | | degrees. Another tool is the slurp gun, |
| than collecting them; and collecting | | | | which consists of a piece of metal or |
| them is often easier than keeping them | | | | plastic tubing about two feet long and |
| alive. But the result is worth some | | | | with a 1 1/2-inch bore, with a tire-pump |
| effort. As trophies go, a well-kept | | | | rod and plunger added to provide vacuum |
| aquarium stocked with beautiful, | | | | and suction. |
| thriving fish can't begin to be matched | | | | Many beautiful species of fish can be |
| by taxidermy's best. | | | | caught and kept alive using this |
| Where, What and How to Collect | | | | equipment. |
| Anywhere there's water there's life, and | | | | |