THE VERTEBRATES IN THE 

 NEW YORK AQUARIUM. 



A List of the Species of Vertebrates Exhibited in This Institution 

 Since its opening on December 10, 1S96. 



By Raymond C. Osburn, Ph.D. 



THE following list of animals that have been on exhibition 

 in the Aquarium at some time during the more than sixteen 

 years since this building was opened to the public, has been 

 compiled chiefly from records made by Mr. W. I. DeNyse. The 

 statements as to length of life in confinement have also been 

 taken from Mr. DeNyse's records in nearly all cases. It must be 

 understood that the period stated in each case does not mean 

 the average length of time in confinement, but the longest time 

 that any individual has lived in our tanks. 



Concerning the length of life in confinement many things 

 must be taken into consideration. The narrow confines of the 

 aquarium tanks are so ill-suited to the nature of many animals, 

 especially fishes of the open sea, that even in the pure sea-water 

 of our storage system, life resolves itself merely into an en- 

 durance test. In other cases the animals seem perfectly at 

 home and probably are as favorably situated as they are in 

 their natural environment. Again, it is impossible in some 

 cases to obtain the natural food and many species do not take 

 readily to any substitutes in this matter, while others readily 

 adapt themselves to the food supply. 



In the case of rarer species only a few, or perhaps a single 

 individual may have been exhibited for a short time, while in 

 the common forms the longer period stated may indicate merely 

 the longevity of some particularly hardy specimen out of the 

 many that have been on exhibition. Not infrequently a 

 single specimen of some uncommon species has been received 

 in poor condition as a result of improper means of transporta- 

 tion and naturally has not survived for any length of time. 



Inability to control temperature conditions also limits the 

 length of life of certain of our fishes. Particularly is this true 



