482 PARENTAL CARE AMONG FRESH-WATER FISHES. 



the to}) of the head and two smaller ones on the front of the head." 

 Just as soon as '' the larva is hatched it rams the upper part of its 

 head against rootlets and, wriggling away again, dra^ys out from the 

 four cement glands four fine threads of viscid mucus, which are har- 

 dened by contact with the water and form a minute rope about the 

 length of the body of the larva. B3' this the larva hangs suspended 

 for four or five days until the yolk Ik absorbed. If the larva is de- 

 tached meanwhile, a fresh rope is fcvrmed by a fresh secretion of mucus. 



While hanging thus, each 

 larva continually oscillates 

 the whole length of its body 

 from side to side. In one 

 nest there are many thou- 

 sands of these larvoe sus- 

 pended in this way, pre- 

 senting the appearance of a 

 shaking mass of jelly, for 

 all the larvae oscillate them- 

 selves in unison." 



Fig. 65. — Larvse supposed to be those of ILipcropisus hcbe Manv of the MomiVrids 



suspended from rootlets in the nest. After Bud?ett. " . i • 'Vi i 



jare esteemed tor their ilesh 

 and one, although a foul feeder, was named Morniyrops deliciosus on 

 account of the great esteem in which it was held. And, by the way, it 

 is the largest of its family, sometimes reaching a length of even 5 feet. 

 Such a fish, we learn from Boulenger, might command a price of 25 

 francs ($5) at Boma. It is fished for chiefly at dawn and sunset. 



Such are the only facts yet known respecting the breeding habits 

 of any of the Mormyrids." In view of the specialized provision for 

 the care of the eggs in the bebe as well as in its distant relative repre- 

 senting the family of Gymnarchids, it is reasonable to asi^ume that 

 care for the eggs may be exercised by most, if not all, the species of the 

 family. 



THE GYMNARCHIDS. 



The Gymnarchids are closely related to the Mormyrids, but the tail 

 tapers to the end and has no fin; the anal fin is also wanting (whence 

 the name), and the vertebrir are very numerous (about 120). A 

 single species — Gymnarcliiis nUoticKs — was long well known as an 

 inhabitant of the White Nile, but in recent times has also been found 

 in the Senegal and Niger, as well as Lake Chad. 



a I am by no means convinced that Bndgett was eorm't in Iiis identification of 

 the larval fish figured as tlic "larva of Hi/itcroiylsiis hchc'' (in pi. 11, fig. 10) 

 with that flsh ; it is too unlike that of Gymnarcliiis. 



