THE HERRING FAMILY 



The moored net is like a small drift-net ; it is about four feet in 

 depth, of considerable length, having the ends stretched on 

 poles. The top line is corked and the bottom line leaded, and 

 the net is fixed by small anchors attached to the poles. The 

 second apparatus is used near Bergen-op-Zoom, and consists of 

 fences, constructed of willow and poplar branches, which lead to 

 gaps at which nets are placed. The sweep-net is a large bag-net 

 dragged along by two boats, each towing one end of the mouth. 

 In France, Spain, and Italy both drift-nets and seines are used 

 for the capture of anchovies, in the usual manner, as for 

 mackerel and herrings. 



Breeding. The anchovy spawns 

 regularly every year on the coast of 

 Holland, in the Zuyder Zee and the 

 neighbouring sea, and also in the Medi- 

 terranean. Its eggs and development 

 were first investigated in the Zuyder 

 Zee by a Dutch naturalist. The spawn- 

 ing takes place in June and July. The 

 eggs are buoyant and transparent, but 

 they are unique in shape. Alone among 

 the buoyant marine eggs at present 

 known they are not globular or nearly 

 so, but elongated, sausage-shaped, about 

 yf^ inch long and yf^ inch broad (1*2 

 mm. in length, 7 mm. in breadth) 

 (Fig. 95). Nevertheless, the egg shows 

 its affinity or relationship to those of the 

 pilchard and sprat, having the yolk com- 

 posed of separate masses as in these ; it resembles the eggs of 

 sprat and shads in having no oil globule. The eggs have also 

 been obtained in the Bay of Naples, where the spawning period 

 is from May to September. The development of the eggs lasts 

 two or three days at a temperature of about 60 to 64. The 

 newly-hatched larva (Fig. 96) is a little over 2 mm. long 

 ( Y V inch), very transparent, with scarcely any pigment, but 

 distinguished from those of other members of the family by 

 the elongation of the yolk. The latter extends from the head 

 nearly to the vent, becoming narrower behind. The mouth is 

 as usual unformed. Thirty hours after hatching the larva is 



FIG. 95. Egg of the An- 

 chovy, alive, and magni- 

 fied ; after Wenckebach. 



