128 NOTES ON TUE REPRODUCTION OF TELEOSTEAN FISHES 



The Topknots. Zeugoptcrus and Phrynorhombus. 



Brook, G., ilh Ann. Rep. S.F.B., 1886, p. 226. Ovarian egg of P. unimaculatus. 

 ^rintosh, AV. C, Jl'Intosli and Prince. See M'In(os?i and MKstcrman. 

 Cunningham, J. T., Journ. M. B. Assoc, N.S., ii., 1892, p. 325. Ovarian egg of 



lih. norrcgicus. 

 Holt, E. AV. L., Sci. Trans. R Dub. Soc., S. II., iv., 1893, pp. 96 to 103. Pis. 



II., VII., VIII. S]). X., xi., and xii., undetermined tow-net eggs, now 



referred indiscriminately to the topknots. 

 Holt, E. W. L., p. 101, PI. XI., Sp. xiii., Jllelamorphosing larvce, now referred 



to P. unimuculutus. 

 Holt, E. W. L., p. Ill, PI. XII, Sp. xiv., .Vctamorjthosing larva; with periotic 



spines, noiu referred to Eh. ptmctatus. 

 Cunningham, J. T., Journ. M. B. Assoc., N.S., iii. , 1894, p. 202. Ph. 2}unctatus, 



advanced metamorphosing larvce with periotic spines. 

 Petersen, C. G. J., Jtep. Dan. Biol. Stat., 1893 (1894), p. 135, PI. II., Fig. IG. 



Late metamorphosing larva of Rh. norvegicus. 

 Ehreubaum, E., JFiss. Meeresuntersuch, Komm. deatsch. Meer. Biol. Anst. 



Helgoland, Ncue Folgc, ii., 1897, i., p. 317. Tow-net egg referred to Sp. 



F. of M'Intosh and Prince. 

 M'Intosh and Masterman, Zi/c-i7/s<. Brit. Mar. Fuod-Fish., 1897. Summary of 



previous observations by M'Intosh and iPIntosh and Prince. Ovarian egg of 



Rh. imnctatus ; tow-net eggs referred by authors to same. Metamorphosing 



larvce ^vith 2>eriotic spines, provisionally referred by authors to Rh. norvegicus. 



Metamorphosing larvce without periotic spines, referred by authors to 



Rh. punctatus. 

 Holt, E. W. L., Journ. M. B. Assoc., N.S., v., 1897, p. 45. Egg and larva of P. 



unimaculatus. 

 Holt, E. W. L., Annates Mus. Nat. Hist. Marseille, v., 1898, Fasc. II. Larva of 



P. iC7iimaculatuSy early larva of Rh. punctatus with periotic spines, figures. 



Under the designation of Topknot, our record includes a number of 

 eggs taken between the 24th February and the 5th April, with, perhaps, 

 another which occurred on the 4th June. It is impossible to decide to 

 how many species these eggs really belong. The three British topknots 

 all occur in the neighbourhood of Plymouth, and one, at least, of them 

 must be very common there, namely lihombus norvegicus. Another, Rh. 

 punctatus, is certainly not rare. The third, riirynorhoinljus unwiaculaius, 

 is less often met with, but as these fish by no means lend themselves to 

 capture by the ordinary methods of fishing, it is impossible to make any 

 exact statement as to their comparative abundance. 



With regard to the spawning period in this district, Cunningham has 

 recorded a ripe female of Hh. norvegicus taken on the 21st March, and I 

 have trawled two Phr. unimaculcUus in similar condition on the 1st 

 June. I do not know of any record of the spawning of Eh. punctatus 

 from the S.W. coast, but M'Intosh and Prince give the IGth May as the 

 date of the capture of a ripe female at St. Andrews. Judging by the 

 analogy of otiier species, tbis topknot should spawn on the S.W. coast 

 at least as early as on the N.E. of Great Britain. 



lilt norvegicus and Ilk. punctatus may therefore be safely regarded as 

 early spawners. F. uniniaculatus may or may not spawn, as a species, 



