It's a Cross-Posting Spectacular! this time from Per Omnia Saecula's Weird Medieval Animal Monday!
The Echeneis!
According to The Beastmaster, "The echeneis is a fish, half a foot in length, that clings to ships and delays their passage. When this fish attaches to a ship, even in the high winds of a storm the ship will not move, but seems to be rooted in the sea. The echeneis is found in the Indian Sea."
Seriously, that is an impressive fish. Only six inches long and it can stop SHIPS. He must work out a lot.
Enchirius is a little fish unneth half a foot long: for though he be full little of body, nathless he is most of virtue. For he cleaveth to the ship, and holdeth it still stedfastly in the sea, as though the ship were on ground therein. Though winds blow, and waves arise strongly, and wood storms, that ship may not move nother pass. And that fish holdeth not still the ship by no craft, but only cleaving to the ship. It is said of the same fish that when he knoweth and feeleth that tempests of wind and weather be great, he cometh and taketh a great stone, and holdeth him fast thereby, as it were by an anchor, lest he be smitten away and thrown about by waves of the sea. And shipmen see this and beware that they be not overset unwarily with tempest and with storms.
The Encyclopedia Mythica tells us of how this little fishy plagued Caligula.
Today, he survives as the Echeneis naucrates, or "Live Sharksucker," or "Slender Suckerfish."
Neither of which are likely names that he chose for himself. Poor guy.
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1 comment:
Hurrayyy! =)
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