A Civic Biology, Presented in ProblemsHunter, George W. (George William)
Science
A Civic Biology, Presented in Problems
Hunter, George W. (George William)
Biology; Sanitation
Migration of Fishes.--Some fishes change their habitat at different times
during the year, moving in vast schools northward in summer and southward
in the winter. In a general way such migrations follow the coast lines.
Examples of such migratory fish are the cod, menhaden, herring, and
bluefish. The migrations are due to temperature changes, to the seeking
after food, and to the spawning instinct. Some fish migrate to shallower
water in the summer and to deeper water in the winter; here the reason for
the migration is doubtless the change in temperature.
[Illustration: Development of a trout. 1, the embryo within the egg; 2, the
young fish just hatched with the yoke sac still attached; 3, the young
fish.]
The Egg-laying Habits of the Bony Fishes.--The eggs of most bony fishes are
laid in great numbers, varying from a few thousand in the trout to many
hundreds of thousands in the shad and several millions in the cod. The time
of egg-laying is usually spring or early summer. At the time of spawning
the male usually deposits milt, consisting of millions of sperm cells, in
the water just over the eggs, thus accomplishing fertilization. Some
fishes, as sticklebacks, sunfish, toadfish, etc., make nests, but usually
the eggs are left to develop by themselves, sometimes attached to some
submerged object, but more frequently free in the water. In some eggs a
tiny oil drop buoys up the egg to the surface, where the heat of the sun
aids development. They are exposed to many dangers, and both eggs and
developing fish are eaten, not only by birds, fish of other species, and
other water inhabitants, but also by their own relatives, and even parents.
Consequently a very small percentage of eggs ever produce mature fish.
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