The Cambridge natural history, Vol. 04 (of 10)Warburton, Cecil
Science
The Cambridge natural history, Vol. 04 (of 10)
Warburton, Cecil
Animals
Sars makes a curious observation[39] with regard to the distribution of
certain Calanidae. He reports that along the whole route of the “Fram,”
species such as _Calanus hyperboreus_ and _Euchaeta norwegica_ were
taken at the surface, which, in the Norwegian fjords, only occur at
depths of over 100 fathoms. He suggests that the Norwegian individuals,
instead of migrating northwards as the warmer climate supervened, have
sought boreal conditions of temperature by sinking into the deeper
waters.
TRIBE II.
HETERARTHRANDRIA.
The first antennae of the male are asymmetrical, one, usually the right,
being used as a clasping organ.
The males of the Centropagidae, Candacidae and Pontellidae, besides
possessing the asymmetrically modified thoracic limbs of the fifth pair
also exhibit a modification of one of the first antennae, which is
generally thickened in the middle, and has a peculiar joint in it, or
geniculation, which enables it to be flexed and so used as a clasping
organ for holding the female.
=Fam. 1.—Centropagidae.=—These Copepods are very common in the pelagic
plankton, and some of the species vie with the Calanidae in plumed
ornaments, e.g. _Augaptilus filigerus_, figured by Giesbrecht in his
monograph. The use of these ornaments, which are possessed by so many
pelagic Copepods, is entirely obscure.[40] Certain of the Centropagidae
live in fresh water. Thus _Diaptomus_ is an exclusively fresh-water
genus, and forms a most important constituent of lake-plankton; various
species of _Heterocope_ occur in the great continental lakes, and
certain _Eurytemora_ go up the estuaries of rivers into brackish water.
An excellent work on the fresh-water Copepods of Germany has been
written by Schmeil,[41] who gives analytical tables for distinguishing
various genera and species. The three fresh-water families are the
Centropagidae, Cyclopidae, and Harpacticidae (see p. 62). The
Centropagidae may be sharply distinguished from the other fresh-water
families by the following characters:—The cephalothorax is distinctly
separated from the abdomen; the first antennae are long and composed of
24–25 segments, in the male only a single antenna (generally the right)
being geniculated and used as a clasping organ. The fifth pair of limbs
are not rudimentary; a heart is present, and only one egg-sac is found
in the female. The second antennae are distinctly biramous.
_Diaptomus._—The furcal processes are short, at most three times as
long as broad; endopodite of the first swimming appendage 2–jointed,
endopodites of succeeding legs 3–jointed.
_Heterocope._—The furcal processes are short, at most twice as long as
broad; endopodites of all swimming legs 1–jointed.
_Eurytemora._—The furcal processes are long, at least three and a half
times as long as broad; the endopodite of the first pair of legs
1–jointed, those of the other pairs 2–jointed.
[Illustration:
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