The Cambridge natural history, Vol. 07 (of 10) — John Shaqi
The Cambridge natural history, Vol. 07 (of 10)Boulenger, George Albert
Science
The Cambridge natural history, Vol. 07 (of 10)
Boulenger, George Albert
Animals
_Stereobalanus canadensis_, a species with long slit-like external
gill-pores, is interesting in possessing a well-developed genital wing both
dorsally and ventrally to the series of gill-pores of each side.
Each reproductive gland opens by its own pore or pores directly to the
exterior. Several glands and pores may occur in the same transverse
section.
According to Spengel there is no definite relation between the number of
the reproductive organs and that of either the gill-sacs or the
liver-outgrowths. The only definite segmentation exhibited by Balanoglossus
is thus the division into three regions which is so distinctly shown by the
arrangement of the body-cavities; though the gill-sacs may indicate an
incipient further segmentation of the major part of the body. In this
connexion it is interesting to notice MacBride's statement[22] that the
body-cavity of Amphioxus develops in the embryo as five cavities, just as
in Balanoglossus; the segmented part of the body being formed by a
secondary segmentation of the third body-cavities.
REGENERATION.—Balanoglossus, like _Phoronis_ (p. 30), possesses great
powers of regenerating lost parts. The posterior part of the body is
readily re-formed, while Spengel has shown[23] that even the proboscis,
collar and branchial region can be regenerated, apparently from a fragment
of the body.
GENERA OF ENTEROPNEUSTA.—Spengel, whose Monograph is indispensable to every
student of the Enteropneusta, formerly {17}proposed to divide the old genus
_Balanoglossus_ into four; but he now recognises no less than nine.[24]
Some of the more important characters are given below, but for the
arrangement of the muscles, important from a systematic point of view,
reference must be made to the original sources.
A. Notochord with a vermiform process (Fig. 7, _v_); pericardium
with anterior diverticula more or less developed. GLANDICIPITIDAE
(_a_) Liver-sacs and synapticula present; gill-slits almost equalling
the pharynx in depth, so that the ventral, non-branchial part of
the pharynx is reduced to a mere groove (Fig. 6); nerve-roots
absent; pericardial diverticula long. _Schizocardium_, Speng.
(_b_) Liver-sacs absent;[25] ventral part of pharynx well developed;
pericardial diverticula short.
(i.) Synapticula and nerve-roots absent. _Glandiceps_, Speng.
(ii.) Synapticula present; nerve-roots present or absent;
genital region with dermal pits. _Spengelia_, Willey.
B. Notochord with no vermiform process; pericardium simple; ventral
part of pharynx large, and sometimes more or less separated from
the branchial part (Fig. 4).
(_a_) Liver-sacs,[26] synapticula and nerve-roots present.
PTYCHODERIDAE
(i.) Genital wings well developed.
(α) Gill-sacs opening by long slits. _Ptychodera_, Eschsch.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account