13 



Öfversigt af Kongl. Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar 1900. N:o 1. 



Stockholm. 



Contributions to the biology of the Caspian Sea. 

 By Dr. Einar Lönnberg. 



(Communicated January. lOth 1899 by Hjalmar Théel.) 



By the Russian Imperial inspector of Fisheries Professor O. 

 A. VON Grimm the author was invited to partake in an expe- 

 dition to the Caspian Sea last spring, in April and May. During 

 this trip I had the opportunity to make coUections of zoological 

 material and dredge in the northern part of the Caspian Sea 

 and at Baku. As very little is printed about the biology of 

 this Sea, except in the Russian literature, I think the following 

 lines may not seem unnecessary, still raore as there are a few 

 new, or very rare forms which will be mentioned, and at the 

 same time there are some additions to the occurence and geographi- 

 cal distribution of animals. I regret very much that I did not 

 have opportunity to extend my investigations över a greater part 

 of the Caspian Sea, especially that I could not dredge in its 

 deep basins. I hope, however, that from the following may be 

 gotten a fairly accurate estimation of the fauna of the shallower 

 part of this Sea as it is developed in the spring. The fishes 

 are not treated of here as they will be described in a separate 

 account. In classifying some of the groups I have enjoyed the 

 kind assistance of some authors, as will be mentioned below. 



In the following I shall first mention the stations where I 

 had opportunity to make any coUections, and the natural con- 

 ditions of the bottora, temperature etc, after which I give the 

 list of animals observed. 



