CONTACT ORGANS IN KILLIFISHES OF WOODS HOLE. 



I/I 



female being clasped by only one male at a time. The two- 

 bodies are closely pressed together side to side, the tails turned 

 considerably to one side and the heads to the other. The male 



Photographs showing scales with and without contact organs, X I2 - 



FIG. I. Scale from the side of a large male /". inujaln. 



FIG. 2. Scale from a corresponding part of the body of a large female F. majalis. 



clasps the female securely about the body back of the dorsal and 

 anal fins, using as claspers his large, strong dorsal and anal. 

 For additional security the small ventral fins on the sides of con- 

 tact are locked. On the body the points of closest contact are 



4 3 



Photographs showing scales with and without contact organs, X I2 - 

 FIG. 3. Scale from the lateral line region between the dorsal and anal fins of a 

 spawning male Cyprinodon varie^atns. 



FIG. 4. Scale from a similar location of a spawning female Cyprinodon variegatus. 



the region of the sides between dorsal and anal fins and the side 

 of the head, which is bent sharply against that of the female. 

 The distribution of the contact organs is in detail just what might 

 be expected on the supposition that the name given them is apt. 

 The organs are largest and most numerous on the proximal 

 parts of the dorsal and anal fin rays and on a rather narrow zone 

 of the body immediately between these two fins. They are fairly^ 



