Bathybius

Bathybius, the name given to a supposed low form of life found at the bottom of some parts of the deep sea, but usually regarded with much scepticism. In 1857, during the explorations connected with laying the Atlantic cable, attention was first directed to the presence at great depths of a slimy mass which was first described by Professor Huxley in 1868, and called, in honour of Professor Haeckel, Bathybius haeckelii. The supposed organism consisted simply of formless masses of slime without any detectable structure, and containing numerous curious limy concretions. In the same year, Sir Wyville Thomson and Professor W. Carpenter had, in the Porcupine expedition, opportunity of examining bathybius in its fresh and apparently living state; and in 1870 Haeckel published a more detailed account of this apparently simplest form of life. His description, like that of Huxley, was wholly based, however, on preserved specimens. Apparently simpler than any of the lowest forms of life (Monera) which had been previously discovered, bathybius excited great interest. From the results of the Porcupine dredging it was expected that this living slime would be found abundantly diffused in the great depths; but this hope was cruelly disappointed. During the prolonged explorations of the Challenger (1872-76) the bathybius was not rediscovered. Nor was this all; for Mr John Murray was led to suspect that what had been regarded as living matter was only a gelatinous precipitate of sulphate of lime from sea-water mixed with alcohol. So strong was his suspicion, that he withdrew his previous opinion as to the existence of any such organism. Huxley regarded this step as justified, and also abandoned bathybius to its fate. This instance of the fallibility of modern scientists has not unnaturally been taken advantage of by opponents, and made the basis of large assumptions as to the general shakiness of scientific conclusions. Haeckel, however, refused to abandon his namesake, and his characteristic constancy of opinion has been to some extent justified by the fact that in a later North Polar Expedition (1876) Dr Bessels discovered a similar quasi-organism, which he named Proto-Bathybius. This was dredged in abundance in Smith's Sound from a depth of 92 fathoms, and its appearance and movements seemed to be those of a living organism. It is regarded by some, however, as merely the result of the protoplasmic debris of larger protozoa which sink down to the bottom as they die. The case for or against the existence of such a low form of life is therefore at present doubtful, and must await further exploration. Apart, however, from this special point, it is of more importance to note the fact that the researches of Haeckel, Cienkovski, Zopf, and others, have resulted in our acquaintance with a large number of exceedingly simple organisms, which Haeckel calls Monera, and which are only at most a step above bathybius. See LIFE, MONERA, PROTOZOA, PROTOPLASM, SPONTANEOUS GENERATION, &c.