A SIGNIFICANT CASE OF HERMAPHRODITISM IN FISH. 2O9 



3. The cross-banded pattern is the primitive one for the family 

 as well as for the species, and all young fish of both sexes start 

 out with this pattern. The males retain this juvenile pattern, in 

 a somewhat strengthened form, throughout adult life. In the 

 females, however, the primitive cross-banded pattern is gradually 

 transformed into one characterized by longitudinal stripes, in the 

 following manner. The cross bands, beginning with the anterior 

 ones, show thickenings in two places. The parts of the bars be- 

 tween these thickened regions thin out and disappear, leaving 



Fig. I . Photograph of preserved specimen of male Fundulus majalis from the 

 right side (slightly reduced). This specimen shows the dark spawning coloration 

 about head and back, the large size of dorsal and anal fins, the typical cross-banded 

 pattern. The characteristic male marking on the dorsal fin, however, shows only 

 faintly. 



Fig. 2. Photograph of the hermaphrodite specimen of F. majalis, taken svith the 

 same exposure as Fig. I. Note that the general body coloration is almost that of the 

 male, but that the cross-banded pattern is weaker. This pattern, however, was much, 

 stronger in life. In other respects it resembles the female (Fig. 4). 



the thickened regions arranged in two rows. These then fuse 

 longitudinally into two or more stripes. This process is described 

 fully and figured in a former paper (Newman, '07). 



4. The male is characterized by the presence of a very promi- 

 nent dark spot or series of spots, surrounded by a light area sit- 

 uated on the posterior rays of the dorsal fin. The photograph 



