1)7 



ON THE TRANSPORT OF HERRING SPAWN TO 

 THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. 



By H. CHAS. WILJJAMSON, M.A., D.Sc, 



Marine Lahorntorii of the Fisher;/ Board. Aberdeen. 



Two unsuccessful attempts have been made to transport the ova of tlic 

 herring to New Zealand. The first was, I believe, made in the eighties. 



As a preliminary to a second attempt certain experiments were 

 made at this laboratory, and in 1913 Mr Anderton, of the Marine Fish 

 Hatchery, Portobello, Dunedin, conveyed some spawn along with small 

 turbot, and adult crabs and lobsters, which were secured for him through 

 the very efficient assistance of the staff of the Plymouth Biological 

 Laboratory. Mr Anderton's labours resulted in 191 turbot, 43 crabs-, 

 and 41 lobsters being landed alive in New Zealand — an achievement 

 reflecting the greatest credit upon him. The late Mr H. C. Dannevig 

 had previously transported a number of plaice alive to Australia. 



The herring ova survived till the steamer reached Cape Town. The 

 water supply was on more than one occasion dirty with rust, and other 

 sediment. The ova became coated with this matter, and although the 

 plates were cleaned more than once, the eggs all died off. 



The method adopted for the conveyance of the spawn, which is 

 adhesive, was to cause the eggs to adhere to glass plates. The plates 

 were put into a frame which slowly revolved, submerged in water. A 

 current of water flowed through a series of boxes in each of which a 

 frame carrying four glass plates rotated. 



During incubation the current flowing over the eggs must be strong. 

 It is not very easy to cool down a large quantity of water continuously, 

 and the arrangement of rotating the plates was adopted in order to 

 change the water in contact with the eggs. Mr Anderton reported that 

 this apparatus worked well. New water was being steadily added, and 

 none of the water was used a second time. This was possible because 

 Mr Anderton had his tanks in a cold storage compartment, and brine- 

 cooled coils reduced the tempeiature of the water which was ,su]^])li("(l 

 from an overhead tank. 



Ann. Biol, v 7 



