THE EEL FAMILY 



203 



It is very likely that the reason why female congers do not 

 spawn in aquaria is that the depth of water is not great enough. 

 I tried the experiment of putting down two females in a box 

 in the sea, but one female died in the usual condition, and the 

 box was lost with the other. 



With regard to the condition of the eggs in females which 

 die in the way described, their size has already been mentioned. 

 The yolk is composed of minute globules, and there is no 

 appearance of distinct oil globules. When placed in sea water 

 they sank to the bottom, and after some time a separation 

 took place between the membrane and the yolk. This indicates 

 how near they are to ripeness, but there is nothing to show 

 whether the eggs are of the buoyant kind or not. 



There are two questions of considerable interest arising out of 

 these facts : first, how far is the behaviour of the fish natural 

 and how far due to the confinement ; secondly, what probability 

 is there of obtaining ripe eggs from conger ? My own conclusion 

 concerning the first is that the behaviour of the conger is in all 

 respects natural except that death is somewhat premature. 

 There can be no reasonable doubt that the conger in the sea 

 ceases to feed about six months or more before spawning, and 

 that during that time, as in the aquarium, the roes are develop- 

 ing at the expense of the fat and substance of the rest of the \ 

 body. In the sea, however, we must suppose that the fish lives \ 

 until it has spawned. That it then dies is, I think, certain. In 

 the specimens studied in the aquarium, both males and females, 

 it was found that after death the skeleton was in a remarkably 

 degenerate condition. The bones of the head had lost all their 

 hardness, in consequence of the absorption of the lime from them. 

 They were softer than gristle, and could be cut with a knife 

 like cheese. The teeth had all dropped out except a few 

 which were loose. The flesh was much reduced and the skin 

 often torn, but this happened more in the males than in the 

 females. That a fish which had sunk to such a condition as this 

 could recover its former vigour is impossible to believe. In the 

 sea without teeth and without muscular strength it could not 

 capture prey, and without food it could not recuperate itself. 

 The conclusion is that the conger spawns only once and then 

 dies, and that in the aquarium the female dies a little too soon. 

 The reason for this premature death in the aquarium is probably 



