04 Fish City

Chapter 04 Fish City There were fish everywhere: floating over the swaying sea grass, eating on the white sandy bottom, peeping out of coral caves. Some kinds of coral looked like blue fingers or lacy fans. Others looked like deer antlers or lettuce leaves or mushrooms or trees. Jack read in the book:

Coral reefs are only found in warm, tropical waters. Nearly 5, 000 different species of fish live around coral reefs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Jack pulled out his pencil and notebook. He started to write a list. Coral Reef Research warm water over 5, 000 kinds of fish “ Look! ” said Annie. The sub floated past a huge starfish. Then a pink jellyfish. Then a blue sea horse. Jack added to his list: starfish jellyfish sea horses “ What is that?” said Annie. Jack saw a creature that looked like a giant pancake with a long tail.

“ A stingray! ” said Jack. He put that on his list as well. “ And that?” said Annie. She pointed at the biggest shell Jack had ever seen. It was as big as a footstool. “ I’ll have to check on that one, ” said Jack. He turned the pages of the ocean book. When he got to the page about clams, he read aloud: The giant clam of the coral reef is three feet wide and weighs up to 200 pounds. “ Wow, ” said Annie. “ No kidding, ” said Jack. He added “ giant clam” to his list. “ Dolphins! ” cried Annie.

Jack looked up. Two dolphins were peering in the window. They tapped their noses against the glass. Their eyes were bright. They seemed to be smiling. Jack laughed. “ It’s like we’re in a fish tank—and they’re looking at us, ” he said. “ Their names are Sukie and Sam, ” said Annie. “ Sister and brother. ” “ You’re nuts, ” said Jack. “ Here’s a kiss for you, Sukie, ” Annie said. She pressed her lips to the glass as if she were kissing the dolphin’s nose. “ Oh, brother, ” said Jack. But the dolphin opened her mouth and tossed her head. She seemed to be laughing. “ Hey, I know the answer to the riddle—dolphins! ” said Annie. “ They’re gray and plain. But they have great beauty inside. ”

“ You forgot the ‘rough as a rock’ part, ” said Jack. “ Dolphin skin looks smooth and slippery. ” “ Oh, right, ” said Annie. The dolphins flipped their tails. They swam off into the light blue water. “ Wait! Don’t go! ” called Annie. “ Sukie! ” But the dolphins were gone. “ It’s time for us to go, too, ” said Jack. He was afraid someone might be looking for the mini-sub. “ But we haven’t solved the riddle, ” said Annie. Jack studied the bright underwater world.