

4 Prof. T. Fuchs on the Deep-sea Fauna. 



The ground upon which the Euplectettce are fished near the 

 Philippines does not lie deeper than 100 fathoms. That on 

 the Scandinavian and English coasts, and no less in the 

 Mediterranean, a well-marked deep-sea fauna prevails at a 

 depth of 100 fathoms, has long been known from the re- 

 searches of Sars, M 4 Andrew, Barrett, Forbes, and many 

 others ; and the same phenomenon has been observed 

 wherever such investigations have hitherto been undertaken. 



If we sum up the preceding statements, we find that the great 

 mass of the littoral animals do not descend in the sea much 

 beyond 30 fathoms, and, on the other hand, that at a depth 

 of 90 fathoms the fauna already everywhere shows the marked 

 type of the deep-sea fauna. 



Between these two limits, i. e. between 30 and 90 fathoms, 

 then, the passage from the littoral to the deep-sea fauna must 

 be effected ; and the question now arises whether we are in a 

 position to lay down a more exact boundary within this zone. 

 I believe that this is really possible, and, indeed, that we may ' 

 find data for this purpose in the fact that, almost everywhere 

 on the surface of the earth, the first forerunners of the deep- 

 sea fauna are found at a depth of about 50 fathoms, consisting 

 generally of deep-sea corals and Brachiopods. 



On the coasts of Norway, according to M 'Andrew and 

 Barrett, the Brachiopoda commence in about 30 fathoms, and 

 the deep-sea corals about 60 fathoms. 



On the English coasts Forbes fixes the commencement of 

 the zone of deep-sea corals at 50 fathoms. 



On the French coast, in the Bay of Biscay, the deep-sea 

 corals and Brachiopoda commence, according to Fischer, at 

 about 31 fathoms. 



In the Mediterranean the coral-grounds with the Brachio- 

 poda commence, on the average, at 50 fathoms (according to 

 Forbes at 55 fathoms in the i&gean). 



On the coast of Florida, the first deep-sea corals appear, 

 according to Pourtales and Agassiz, at a depth of about 40 fa- 

 thoms; and from this point they increase rapidly with the depth, 

 so that in about 100 fathoms, on the above-mentioned Four- 

 tales Plateau, they are met with most abundantly developed. 



On the coast of Brazil the ' Massler ' expedition found 

 numerous deep-sea corals at a depth of 30-40 fathoms ; and 



crogaza roteUa ; Verticurdia ornata, acuticosfafa, and Fischeriana ; Poro- 

 mya yranidata ; 2fe&ra granukcta, rostrata, and Tiffmpii \ OreneUa de- 

 cussata; Nvnda crenu/ata; Leda me&sanetms, Carpenter^ and vitrea\ 

 Terebratulina CaUleti ; TerehmtuJa cubetm* ; Eudesia Jtoridana ', Visf.ella 

 Barrettiana ; and Thecidium Barrctti, Dall. 



