MALAYAN FISHES. 



Fishes known to produce demersal eggs on our coasts are the 

 Gar-Kke (Todak) and the Flying-fish (Belalang) and their eggs 

 have viscid threads by which they become attached or entangled 

 with I ..reign objects or eggs of the same species. The eggs of the 

 Todak may be seen entangled in fishing stakes (kelong) in masses, 

 which look rather like cobwebs. 



When the breeding season arrives fishes migrate to the loca- 

 lities most suitable for the deposition of their eggs. At this time 

 our principal food fish which produce pelagic eggs proceed far out 

 to sea against the prevailing monsoonal current. This is known as 

 the contranatan; spawning migration. After spawning, the eggs 

 are brought back by the current towards the coast. This is the 

 denatant drift. 



Though the eggs of many species of fish hitch out fry which 

 arc miniature representations of the adult fish, the eggs of others 

 hatch out larval forms, known as Leptocephali, which bear no re- 

 semblance to their patents. These Leptocephali are transparent, 

 attenuated creatures, often ribbon-like in shape, with very small 

 heads. They appear to be incapable of much effort and to be 

 specially adapted for passive drift: in fact, the Leptoeephalus 

 st aire appear to be a marvellous provision of Nature to enable 

 the voumr of certain fish which spawn far out at sea to reach 

 the shallows near the coasts in a state of suspended animation. 

 We know that the Tarpin ( M,; f( ,lop* ci,pri>,oi<!es) Malav Bulan- 

 bulan and the Giant Herring' ( Elops hamiiiensis) Malav Ban- 



known to naturalists, have been identified as larval 



of the tides 

 current the 

 and flow of 



