380 RECENT REPOKTS OF FISIIEKY AUTHORITIES. 



Report of the Heligoland Biological Station. 



Wisscnschaftliche Mecresuntersuchungen heraiisgegeben von cler Kommission 

 zur loissenschaftlichen Untcrsuchung der deutsclien Mccrc in Kid und 

 dcr Biologischcn Anstalt auf Helgoland. Neue Folge, Zweiter 

 Band. Heft 1, Abt. 1. 1896. 



The Eggs and Larvae of Fishes. — In the present communication, 

 which is to be followed by others on the same subject, the author deals 

 with the eggs and various larval stages of the flat-fishes found in 

 the neiglibourhood of Heligoland, and with the eggs and larvae of the 

 sprat. Excellent figures are given of stages in the larval development 

 of the plaice, dab, flounder, turbot, brill, scald-back, sole, solenette, and 

 of the sprat. Similar larva? of most of these species have already been 

 figured by naturalists, but many intermediate stages are now shown for 

 the first time, and it will be a great convenience to other workers 

 to have such excellent figures of successive larvas thus broucrht toirether. 



The most important additions to our knowledge of the development 

 of fishes which Dr. Ehrenbaum makes are the full accounts which 

 he furnishes of the eggs and various larval stages of the scald-back 

 (Arnogloss'iis laterna) and the solenette (Solea liUea), concerning which 

 little was previously known. He has been able to show that in the case 

 of the former species {Arnoglossus laterna) metamorphosis takes place 

 in a similar way to that described by Steenstrup, Agassiz, and Pfeffer 

 in the genus Flagusia; that is to say, the right eye, during metamorphosis, 

 does not pass round the top of the head, as in the turbot, brill, etc., but 

 appears to come through it. What really happens, however, in these 

 cases is not that the eye actually comes througli the skull of the 

 fish, but that the dorsal fin extends forwards to the snout, whilst the 

 eyes are still on each side, and with the rotation of the head during 

 metamorphosis the eye is carried round and pierces the fleshy portion of 

 the base of this fin. 



