28 Fisher 1/ Board for >S cot land. 



A iew post-larvae were found in an ovary in June. One which was 

 drawn in the fresh condition is shown in Fig. 78. It measured 

 7 mm. in length. No j^olk remained. The upper jaw was short, the 

 lower jaw long. The eyes «'ere large, black, and silvery. Fin-rays 

 were present in the caudal and pectoral fins. The pigment, wliich 

 was black, with perhaps some brown, was present on the top of the 

 head, over the rectum, and along the dorsal and ventral edges of the 

 long post-anal body. The latter pigment reaches to the beginning of 

 the tail fin. The row on the ventral edge extends further forward 

 and a little further posteriorly than the dorsal. 



A preserved post-larva, which was one of eleven found in an ovary, 

 is seen in Fig. 76. It meas^ired 6*25 mm. in length. The marginal 

 fin is drawn as it was, but it should no doubt be similar to that fin in 

 Fig. 78. The pigmentation is similiar. In another larva, however, 

 there were nine spots on the head. Two other post-larvse measured 

 5"4 and 6"5 mm. in length ; neither was quite straight. 



This is the condition to which the larva is reared before it is liberated 

 from the ovary. 



Accordino- to Collett* " the length of Sehastcs marimis at birth is 

 about 6 mm. ; they are, however, immediately able to swim and 

 provide for themselves. On the Norwegian coasts the spawning- 

 season generally extends from the middle of April to the middle of 

 May. Sehastes vivijiarus, on the contrary, does not as a rule produce 

 its 3^oung earlier than July or August. Examples of Sehastes marimis, 

 with fully-developed ova, are, however, occasionally met with late in 

 summer." The same author 'states that the fty appears to rise towards 

 the surface shortly, or perhaps immediately, after they are produced. 



On June 9, 1910, a large number of small Sebastes, 17'7-24-4< cm, 

 in total length, was obtained. Fifty-four were examined, and they 

 were found, with two exceptions, to be pregnant females. This would 

 indicate a tendency of the pregnant females to shoal together. 



MTntosh and Mastermant describe the larvse found in the ovary of 

 a specimen obtained in the Moray Firth. Comparing the old follicles 

 in this form with the similar organs in the ovarj^ of Zoarces vivifariLS, 

 they suggest that the follicles supply amongst other things a nutritive 

 pabulum for the larvae. 



Stuhlmannt has given a description of the histology of the ovaiy of 

 Zoarces. 



Wallace§ has more recently described the early development of the 

 ovary, and also the histology of the villi of the pregnant ovary. He 

 also discusses the egg-membranes, and the mode of absorption of ova 

 that have been retained in the follicle. 



Spent Ovaries. 



A portion of a spent ovary in April is shown in Fig. 87. The old 

 follicles (/.) are dull granular in appearance ; they project from among 

 the young eggs. The eggs are clear. The nucleus has not been shown 



t "British Marine Food-Fishes." London, 1897. 



* Op. cit. 

 "ZurKenntnis des Ovariums des A-dhnutter (Zoarces vivijfarus, Cuv.)." 4 

 taf. Abh. aus d. Gebiete des Naturwissenchaften. Bd. x., Hamburg, 1887. 



§ "Observations on Ovarian Ova and Follicles in certain Teleostean and 

 Elosmobranch Fishes. " Quart. Juur. Micro. Science, Vol. 47, Pt. 2, N.S., p. 160, 

 3 plates. 



