bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sea-Temperature, Breeding and Distribution in Marine Animals
Authors: Orton J. H.
Published: May 2009

Breedingin marine animals has long been recognised in a vague way as being in some degree dependent upon sea-temperature. This attitude is well shown in Lo Bianco's last valuable contribution to our knowledge of the breeding periods of practically the whole fauna of the Gulf of Naples. In the Introduction to this work Lo Bianco (1, p. 531) gives tables of temperature observations for a number of years, but does not attempt to correlate them with the breeding periods observed. There are in the literature some observations of reproduction in particular animals being dependent upon particular temperatures, notably by Schmidt (2); but no attempt has been made, so far as I know, to show in a general way the connexion between breeding and temperature in marine animals. It is clear, however, from the writings of Appellöf that this naturalist had anticipated in his mind some of the results obtained from the experimental observations described briefly in the following pages and of the deductions made therefrom. It is believed that these experimental observations have afforded a clue which gives an insight into the way in which breeding may be correlated with temperature in a large number of marine animals, but owing to the inadequacies of breeding records and of observations on physical conditions in the sea only a brief survey has been attempted here, and a fuller discussion of the phenomena is reserved for a later work. In the following pages the extrusion of ripe ova, or the fertilisability of eggs with subsequent development, is taken as the criterion of breeding.
The Scientific Work of the Fishery Board for Scotland
Authors: Fulton T. Wemyss
Published: May 2009

Up to 1882 the control of the Scottish Fisheries was vested in the Commissioners of British White Herring Fishery. This body, which was instituted in 1808, had for its functions the general superintendence of the herring fishery, the branding of herring barrels, the collection of trade statistics, and the administration of an annual grant from the Government for th construction and repair of fishery harbours. Later on, the cod and ling fisheries were also brought under its care. But the duties of the Commissioners were strictly limited to the fish cured, no cognisance being taken of the fish landed and used in a fresh state.
An automatic opening-closing device for large plankton nets and mid-water trawls
Authors: Foxton P.
Published: May 2009

One of the most fundamental problems of oceanic ecology is the study of spatial and temporal changes in plankton distribution and the elucidation of the factors that govern them. A prerequisite of such work is that the tech- niques of sampling should be of sufficient accuracy to allow real changes in distribution to be detected and expressed in quantitative terms. The difficul- ties of fulfilling these sampling requirements are formidable even for the smaller plankton organisms, but a number of reliable and accurate quantitative samplers do exist for animals in this size range. For the larger zooplankton and smaller nekton, however, the lack of suitable sampling gear and methods has to a great extent restricted our knowledge. While the use of large conical nets and trawls at all depths over a wide geographic range has produced a vast body of data on the systematics of the major groups of macroplankton, there is little precise data on the depth distribution of even the commonest forms and only the vaguest estimates are available as to their relative abundance. The lack of more precise data can be attributed to two major technical deficiencies, first, the absence of efficient and reliable methods by which large nets can be opened and closed at depth, and secondly, the lack of accurate depth monitoring equipment. This paper describes the preliminary results of work aimed at meeting the first of these requirements but reference will also be made to the use of an instrument that represents a major advance towards serving the second.
Variations in plaice fecundity in the clyde area
Authors: Bagenal T. B.
Published: May 2009

The fecundity of Clyde plaice, which has been studied from 1956 to 1961, has not been found to change as the breeding season approaches. However, there was a marked fecundity change from about 137 thousand eggs to around 161 thousand after 1957. The fecundity of all age groups increased and this appears to be associated with the fishing intensity and so the population density. Heavy fishing leads to fewer fish with the same food supply which in turn allows higher fecundity. The changes in fecundity therefore seem to be part of a density dependent population regulating mechanism.
A study in populations of Pylaiella littoralis
Authors: Russell G.
Published: May 2009

On British shores Pylaiella littoralis occurs in a large number of local populations which usually fall into one or other of four population groups. These populations often differ in habit, form, seasonal distribution, etc.

Two populations of P. littoralis from different environments have been studied experimentally and it seems from this that the morphological differences between the plants from the two populations are accompanied by physiological and genetical differences. Similar results have been obtained from experiments on other populations.

It is suggested that the numerous populations arise through the selective effect of all the prevailing environmental factors and are adapted to them.

The potentially large number of plant forms resulting from this process should not be described in terms of ‘orthodox’ taxonomy though they may possibly merit definition in terms of ‘experimental’ taxonomy in so far as some of the populations may constitute ecotypes as recognized in higher plants. Because it is possible for a single ecotype to be represented by more than one morphological type, however, the value of the ‘experimental’ system is regarded as doubtful.
Additional Observations On Larval Growth and Settlement of Sabellaria Alveolata
Authors: Wilson Douglas P.
Published: May 2009

Two earlier papers (Wilson, 1968 a, b) have described the rearing of Sabellaria alveolata (L.) and the settlement behaviour of the larvae. It was thought that some of the questions remaining unanswered might be resolved for the cost of one more rearing to obtain the crawling stages needed. With this end in view adult worms were collected at Duckpool on 12 July 1968 during the lowest day-time spring tide of that month. The worms were found to be spawning and had already shed about half of their genital products. On returning to the laboratory a fertilization was made immediately, using a mixture of ova from many females and a mixture of sperms from several males. This fertilization, made at 8 p.m. a few hours after leaving the shore, is the basis of most of the work described in this paper.
Reproduction in Rhizosolenia Hebetata and its Linkage with Rhizosolenia Styliformis
Authors: Seaton D. D.
Published: May 2009

A net sample of phytoplankton taken in the outer Moray Firth in which there were many cells of R. hebetata forma semispina and several cells of R. hebetata forma hiemalis (Fig. 1 a, b) was also found to contain cells either with one forma semispina calyptra or one forma hiemalis calyptra, in which the cell wall changed abruptly at the opposite end to a thin weakly silicified, sometimes almost membranous structure, ending in a central, broadly conical apex with a delicate hollow spine (Fig. 2j, k). The perizonium like appearance of one end of these cells suggested that they might be a stage in the development of the auxospore in R. hebetata Bailey (sensu Gran).
Distribution of the Digestive Enzymes in the Gut ofArenicola Marina
Authors: Longbottom M. R.
Published: May 2009

Investigations on the digestive enzymes of polychaetes have, in most cases, been limited to the presence or absence of protein (gelatin) digesting and starch digesting enzymes. These enzymes have been shown to be present in all the polychaetes that have been studied (Mansour-Bek, 1954; Dales, 1955; Marsden, 1963). The results for the lugworm,Arenicola marina(L.) have been varied. Recent work has indicated the presence of enzymes capable of digesting starch and gelatin in the oesophagus, oesophageal pouches and the stomach of the lugworm (Kermack, 1955). However, Brasil (1903) found that no digestion took place when secreted fluids of the oesophageal pouches were incubated with starch, though fibrin was digested both by these fluids and a water extract of the ‘caeca’. Nicol (1930) records the work of Krukenberg, who found that proteolytic enzymes were present in the gut ofA. marina.Kermack (1955) noted that the stomach was slightly acidic, though Nicol (1930) records the work of Wirèn, who found that the contents of the ‘intestine’ and the ‘intestinal caeca’ ofA. marinawere alkaline. As there have been no detailed analyses of the digestive enzymes of the lugworm, a survey of the distribution of carbohydrases, proteases and lipases in the gut ofA. marinawas carried out, and the optimal range of the carbohydrases investigated.
Relationships between Development Rate of Eggs and Older Stages of Copepods
Authors: Corkett C. J. , McLaren I. A.
Published: May 2009

It has been argued (McLaren, 1963, 1965) that reproduction and development of copepods may be physiologically (rather than trophically) determined when food is sufficiently abundant: thus, under these conditions the rates of development and egg production, and the total number of eggs laid by a female in her lifetime vary only with the physical factors of the environment such as temperature, salinity and pressure, temperature being by far the most important. This paper is part of a continuing study of the physiological controls of growth and development as part of a general investigation on productivity of marine zooplankton.
The Biology of Schistomysis Ornata [Crustacea, Mysidacea]
Authors: Mauchline J.
Published: May 2009

Schistomysis ornata (G. O. Sars) occurs in the deeper regions of the Firth of Clyde and in many of the lochs of the west coast of Scotland. It has been caught in Loch Fyne at depths as great as 175 m but is more common living above a muddy bottom in depths between 50 and 100 m. It is rarely caught in large numbers but as many as 100 individuals have been caught per haul in the western arm of the Kyles of Bute, Firth of Clyde and in Loch Etive, Argyll. It is associated with populations of Erythrops serrata (G. O. Sars) and Leptomysisgracilis (G.O. Sars) in the Clyde (Mauchline, 1968,1969) and with populations of Pareuchaeta norvegica (Boeck) and Sagitta elegans Verrill in Loch Etive.
Amphipods in the Surf Plankton
Authors: Fincham A. A.
Published: May 2009

The study of diurnal vertical movements of macro-plankton (Russell, 1925) showed that many organisms, including amphipods migrated to the surface of the sea at night. Since this work there have been several papers reporting vertical movements in intertidal waters. Elmhirst (1931), demonstrated that certain species of amphipod swam in the surf zone during the night and that they showed seasonal variations in numbers, with a spring maximum. Subsequently, Watkin (1939, 1941) distinguished between those in-faunal species performing nocturnal vertical migrations into the surf and tidal immigrants carried in from sub-littoral habitats by the tide.
A Physiological Comparison of the Symbiotic AlgaPlatymonas Convolutaeand its Free-Living Relatives
Authors: Gooday G. W.
Published: May 2009

Platymonas convolutaeParke et Manton is the natural algal partner of the symbiotic wormConvoluta roscoffensisGraff (Parke & Manton 1967). Recent work by Provasoli, Yamasu & Manton (1968) has shown that although several algae can form a symbiotic relationship with the worm if supplied in unialgal culture, the natural symbiont is the most effective and is able to eliminate competitors. The alga can be cultured in a denned medium away from its partner, and this paper presents some physiological characteristics of the alga in pure culture in comparison with some of its free-living relatives, in particular the type species of the genusPlatymonas, P. tetratheleG. S. West. The present investigation has been concerned mainly with the uptake of carbohydrates and the utilization of organic nitrogen. Other aspects that are included are the excretion of metabolites into the medium and the soluble carbohydrates found within the algae. In addition, culturing the algae has revealed a difference in behaviour of possible relevance to the symbiotic relationship.
Seasonal Changes in Feeding Rate in Balanus Balanoides
Authors: Ritz D. A. , Crisp D. J.
Published: May 2009

In Balanus balanoides (L.) several abrupt physiological changes occur after the breeding season in November. They include loss of gonads and associated organs, the acquisition of a high degree of cold tolerance (Crisp & Ritz, 1967), interruption of the regular sequence of moulting cycles (Crisp & Patel, 1960) and the reduction in feeding activity.
On the behaviour of barnacles. IV: The influence of temperature On cirral activity and survival of some warm-water species
Authors: Southward A. J.
Published: May 2009

The range of temperatures over which the cirri were active and the frequency of beating at different temperatures were measured in four species of barnacles collected on the southern and south-western coasts of France. The extremes of high temperature at which the animal remained irritable or could survive were assessed in these species and in a further group of species from Trinidad, West Indies.

The results are discussed in comparison with previous evidence for species of more northern distribution, and related to the geographical range of the species and the ecological niche occupied. For example, the brackish water species, Balanus eburneus and B. improvisus, have similar patterns of cirral activity, but the greater tolerance of high temperatures shown by the former is obviously connected with its more tropical distribution. Differences in temperature tolerances of varieties of JB. amphitrite from Europe and Trinidad, possibly related to differences in the tide levels at which they live, tend to reinforce their separation on morphological grounds. More pronounced differences between Chthamalus depressus and C. stellatus confirm the separation of these two species which were formerly regarded as varieties. The relatively lower rate of beating of C. depressus which is not found north of the Mediterranean and its greater tolerance of high temperatures compared with C. stellatus, may be related to its more southern distribution and its ability to live at very high levels on the shore. These two species and C. fragilis from Trinidad all show greater tolerance of high temperatures than the species of Balanus and Tetraclita, which are found at lower levels on the shore

It is concluded that in the North Atlantic area there may be only two main distributional groups of species of acorn barnacles, Arctic and Tropical, overlapping in the Temperate regions, with few or no intermediate forms, and that there is as yet no evidence for the existence of physiological races in these species.
The nature of the pigments in the crowns of sabellid and serpulid polychaetes
Authors: Dales R. Phillips
Published: May 2009

The pigments in the crowns of a number of sabellids and serpulids have been examined. The main pigments of sabellid crowns are ommochromes, but these pigments have not been found in serpulids. Both sabellids and serpulids also possess astaxanthin, and in Serpula, Protula and the sabellid Chone infundibuliformis it is to this pigment or an ester that the colour of the crown is due. The main carotenoids have been identified and the presence of a possible intermediate ketocarotenoid in amounts varying from one species to another suggests that the astaxanthin or astaxanthin ester is synthesized by the worms from carotene derived from the food. Pomatoceros has pink and blue pigments, and Galeolaria a similar grey-blue pigment which could not be identified with any known class of pigment. Neither these nor ommochromes have previously been found in annelids.
On the scyphomedusa poralia rufescens Vanhöffen
Authors: Russell F. S.
Published: May 2009

A number of damaged specimens of the scyphomedusa Poralia rufescens Vanhoffen from the north Atlantic have been examined. This has added to our knowledge of this rare medusa, of which only eleven damaged specimens had previously been recorded.

Most of the specimens were caught deeper than 1500 m.
The Long Rough Dabs of the Clyde Sea Area
Authors: Bagenal T. B.
Published: May 2009

The biometry of the Clyde population of long rough dabs has been studied and compared with the descriptions of the European race given by Norman in his monograph of the flat-fishes. The data consist of various body measurements together with the results of scale counts, fin ray counts and vertebral counts. The fin ray numbers fit into a pattern of increasing number with high latitudes when compared with other published data. There is a correlation between the number of anal and dorsal fin rays, and between these and the number of vertebrae. The variations that were found in the vertebrae of fifty-one fish are described. Only one sinistral long rough dab has been found out of 2357 specimens examined. From the British fishing statistics it is shown that the long rough dab is of little, and declining, commercial importance. In Canada, however, the American subspecies is becoming more important commercially.
A Pressurizing Device for a Camera Case Designed for Use in Shallow Water
Authors: Scarratt D. J.
Published: May 2009

With the exception of a few specially designed models, most under-water cameras today employ no means of pressurizing, or at best merely have a Schrader valve fitted to the case which can then be pressurized, prior to each dive, with a few strokes of a bicycle pump. This method has one severe drawback in that the majority of camera cases are better able to withstand external rather than internal pressure. The chances of a case exploding or blowing a gasket while pressurized prior to a dive are far greater than those of implosion of a non-pressurized case in a comparable depth of water.
Observations on the Mortality ofOstrea Edulis
Authors: Walne P. R.
Published: May 2009

An account is given of the mortality ofOstrea edulisat the Tal-y-foel oysterage from 14 days to 11½ years after metamorphosis. In the first year after settlement most of the deaths occur in the late summer, autumn and spring, and few during November-February. A survival curve has been drawn up and shown to correspond with Pearl's ‘positive skew rectangular type’. On the average, from 1000 14-day-old spat, 78 survive for 6 months, 18 for 18 months and 7 for 11 ½ years. At this oysterage the major predators are rare or absent, and the cause of most of the mortality is unknown.
A Note on the Intertidal Lichen Lichina Pygmaea Ag.
Authors: Boney A. D.
Published: May 2009

Lichina pygmaea failed to recolonize areas cleared from within the lichen ‘mats’ after four years. A retrogression of the lichen was observed in some instances over periods of 5–7 years. A complex of factors governs the size reached by a lichen tuft; more rapid growth occurs in regions where there is some moisture retention during tidal periods. Although changes occurred with individual ‘patches’ of lichen, the total Lichina cover on a rocky surface remained much the same over a 7-year period.
Further Observations on the Fine Structure of Chrysochromulina Ericina Parke & Manton
Authors: Manton I. , Leedale G. F.
Published: May 2009

C. ericina Parke & Manton has been re-investigated to add salient features of micro-anatomy from the electron microscopy of thin sections and also to add photographs of living cells taken with anoptral contrast light microscopy.

The most important new observations concern the scales which are shown to be essentially two-layered plates in which the layers in the very large spined scales have become separated except at their edges, with the outer layer greatly hypertrophied to produce a hollow spine with a flared base closed at the bottom by a flat plate. The patterns of external marking on the two layers are very similar in both plate-scales and spines in this species and the orientation of both with respect to the cell surface has been demonstrated by a section of the scales in situ.
The Breeding and Development of Styela Mammiculata Carlisle
Authors: Wallace H.
Published: May 2009

Styela mammiculata breeds during the summer, probably in August and September. Some eggs are self-sterile. Embryos show a yellow crescent of presumptive muscle cells. The larvae hatch by means of an enzyme. The larval sensory apparatus includes a large unicellular otolith and a small ocellus, which is composed of a single pigmented retinal cell and a single lens cell.
How do Starfishes open Oysters?
Authors: Schiemenz Paulus
Published: May 2009

Many inhabitants of the sea know as well as men do that oysters are good to eat, and the destruction which they suffer on this account can scarcely be less than that brought about by human agency. Starfishes especially extirpate them in great numbers, and Möbius† maintains that they are the most pernicious enemies which the oyster possesses, although, on the other hand, people have not been wanting who held the destruction of oysters by starfishes to be a fable.
Director's Report.
Authors: Allen E. J.
Published: May 2009

As I was able to announce in a postscript to my Report in the last number of the Journal, the Association has secured a small steam fishing yacht, which has already proved exceedingly useful in carrying on the work of the Laboratory. Towards the £600 which was paid for the vessel, a little over £500 has now been subscribed. It is important that the remainder of the sum should be forthcoming, so that it may not be necessary to draw upon our small reserve fund for this purpose.
The effects of wave-action on the distribution and numbers of the commoner plants and animals living on the Plymouth breakwater
Authors: Southward A. J. , Orton J. H.
Published: May 2009

The breakwater in Plymouth Sound offers a simple case of two adjacent populations ofintertidal organisms subjected to quite different degrees of exposure to wave-action. The other environmental factors, with a few exceptions, are approximately the same each side, and the effects of the wave-action should be clearly demonstrable.
Notes on the Didemnidae (Ascidiacea): I. The presence of Didemnum (Leptoclinides) faeröense (Bjerkan) in the Plymouth area
Authors: Carlisle D. B. , Carlisle A. I.
Published: May 2009

Leptoclinides faeröensis Bjerkan (1905) is a little-known boreal species which has been found only in the Atlantic Ocean (Fig. I). The most northerly record is from a little south of Spitzbergen, the most southerly from 37° 08' N., off the North American coast. It occurs on the coast of Norway and in the Faeroe Islands, but it has not been reported nearer to Plymouth than these two localities. Most records are from deepish waters, though it occurs in the sublittoral zone along the Norwegian coast. It was in this zone, at Looe Island (50' 20' 24“ N., 4 °26' 53” W.) near Plymouth, that we found a specimen of this species growing on a rock about 80 cm. below O.D.—just sufficiently low for it to remain covered by a few centimetres of water at the lowest tide of the year, the equinoctial spring tide.
The annual growth and reproductive cycle of the ascidian Dendrodoa grossularia (van Beneden)
Authors: Millar R. H.
Published: May 2009

This paper is the second of a series dealing with the annual cycle of growth andreproduction in British ascidians; a previous paper (Millar, 1952) dealt with the speciesDiplosoma listerianum (Milne Edwards), Ciona intestinalis (Linnaeus),Ascidiella aspersa (Muller), andBotryllus schlosseri (Pallas)

The present investigation is concerned with the growth, the course of sexual reproduction and establishment of new generations, and the histological changes in the gonad throughout the year, in the ascidianDendrodoa grossularia (family Styelidae).

Samples were examined from two widely separated localities: Fambridge in the River Crouch, Essex; and Farland Point, Isle of Cumbrae, in the Firth of Clyde. The specimens from Essex were dredged from a depth of about 2 m. (below L.W.O.S.T.), and were attached to the empty shells of the European oyster,Ostrea edulis L. and to the shells ofCrepidula fornicata L. The speci-mens from the Firth of Clydewere attached to stones on sheltered parts of the shore. The animals here extended over a zone of the shore from about Chart Datum+ 2.5 ft. (0.76 m.) to about Chart Datum+ 7.5 ft. (2.29 m.): Only in very sheltered positions, such as under large boulders, did Dendrodoa occur in abundance. The two habitats were thus very different in nature, one being sublittoral on the south-east coast of Britain and the other being littoral on the north-west coast. The value of comparisons is limited by the different nature of the conditions to which the sublittoral and the littoral populations were exposed.

The observations on growth in the Clyde extended over most of 1951 and 1952, and nineteen samples were taken.
The effect of mammalian lactogenic hormone on lower chordates
Authors: Carlisle D. B.
Published: May 2009

If a male dogfish is held in the hand and its belly stroked firmly backwards with the ball of the thumb a fluid can be expressed from the cloaca. In my experience this fluid in a fresh animal invariably contains sperm, whatever the season of the year. After a period of inanition, however, sperm eventually disappears from the cloacal fluid. Such an animal is a convenient test object for gonadotropic activity by a method which closely parallels the toad-pregnancy test of Galli Mainini (1947).
Variations in chemical composition during the development of Himanthalia elongata (L.) S. F. Gray
Authors: Betty Moss
Published: May 2009

Himanthalia elongata (=H. lorea (L.) Lyngb.), although a common brown seaweed on parts of the British coast, does not occur in sufficient quantities to render it of commercial importance. As a result, the work of Colin & Ricard (1930) appears to be the only investigation on the chemical composition of this species. Their material was collected in August 1929, but they give no indication of the size or condition of the plants which were analysed.
The annual growth and reproductive cycle in four ascidians
Authors: Millar R. H.
Published: May 2009

This study was undertaken to increase our very incomplete knowledge of the annual cycle inascidians.

Berrill (1950) states that ‘the age of ascidians, with one exception, is practically impossible to estimate, unless a certain inhabited area is followed closely through seasons and years’. In the present work the method has been to follow certain aspects of the ascidian population of a chosen area for a period of nearly two years. The area was the Old Dock in Ardrossan Harbour, Ayrshire, and the ascidian population contained four species: Diplosoma listerianum (Milne Edwards), Ciona intestinalis (Linnacus), Ascidiella aspersa (Müller) and Botryllus schlosseri (Pallas). Diplosoma belongs to the order Enterogona, suborder Aplousobranchiata; Ciona and Ascidiella to the order Enterogona, suborder Phlebobranchiata; and Botryllus to the order Pleurogona, suborder Stolidobranchiata. Thus each of the three main suborders is represented, and the four ascidians studied are amongst the commonest British species.
Innervation of the heart of Ligia oceanica
Authors: Alexandrowicz J. S.
Published: May 2009

During my stay at the Plymouth Laboratory in 1931 I had an opportunity of investigating the innervation of the heart of Ligia oceanica, and of making some experiments on the function of the ganglionic trunk which constitutes the main element of its innervation. In a short note describing these experiments (Alexandrowicz, 1931) it was stated that a description of the arrangement of the nerve elements would appear in a short time. However, on later examination of the preparations it seemed to be desirable to verify some of the findings, but the same animal was no longer available. Another isopod, Mesidotea entomon, with which I tried to continue the work during my visit to the Marine Biological Laboratory in Hel, proved to be much less suitable for this kind of investigation despite its larger size. Later events, unfavourable for scientific work, caused the loss of all my preparations and a further delay. It is only now, thanks to the chance of working again at the Plymouth Laboratory, that I have been able to resume my investigations.
The Egg and Larva of Callionymus lyra
Authors: Cunningham J. T.
Published: May 2009

The egg of this species has been described and discussed by Professors McIntosh and Prince, by Mr. E. W. L. Holt, and by myself. Raffaele, in his paper in the Mittheilungen of the Naples Station, vol. viii, described the yolk in the ovum of Callionymus festivus as having a peripheral layer of yolk-segments, but no reticulated marking on the surface of the vitelline membrane; while all we English observers have agreed in stating that the egg of Callionymus lyra, our common dragonet, has a reticulated marking on the vitelline membrane, but no yolk-segments. I was, therefore, very much surprised, in examining some eggs of this species from the tow-net this year, to find that there actually was a peripheral layer of yolk-segments, which had hitherto been overlooked.
The Rate of Growth of some Sea Fishes and their Distribution at Different Ages
Authors: Cunningham J. T.
Published: May 2009

Dr. Wemyss Fulton has made an extensive investigation of the distribution of immature sea fishes, and has published his results in the Report of the Scottish Fishery Board for the year 1889. He had at his disposal a sea–going vessel specially adapted to fishery investigations, and his data were obtained exclusively by means of this vessel. As scientific Secretary to the Board Dr. Fulton is attached to the Office in Edinburgh, and the observations he required were made and recorded according to his directions by the naturalists on the Board's steamer “Garland.” The conception and the execution of this investigation are both admirable, and it has supplied a great deal of definite knowledge upon subjects of great importance on which previously we knew little or nothing. The enquiry consisted in determining firstly, from the examination of a large number of specimens, the minimum and maximum size of sexually ripe specimens smaller than this minimum size at various depths and various distance from shore. The enquiries described in the present paper are to some extent similar to Dr. Fulton's, but in the main they are different both in object and in method. My first object was as far as possible to ascertain something of the rate of growth of sea–fishes of various species. With this purpose, I have searched for young specimens in all possible ways, and have measured and preserved all I could meet with.
On some Ascidians from the Isle of Wight: a Study in Variation and Nomenclature.
Authors: Garstang Walter
Published: May 2009

Although the Isle of Wight has been a favourite haunt of the geologist and the palæontologist, references to its present marine fauna are exceedingly rare in zoological literature. Early in May of the present year, however, I had an opportunity, at the suggestion and through the kind hospitality of my friend Mr. Poulton, of examining the littoral fauna of the eastern shores of the island, and of making a considerable collection of zoological specimens. A list of the species which I obtained will be published as soon as I have had time to complete the examination of them; but several of the Ascidians throw so much light upon the brief and obscure descriptions of certain species, that I believe it will be serviceable to give a full account of them without further delay, especially since the pressure of other work may prevent an early appearance of the complete list.
Physical Investigations: Preliminary Paper
Authors: Dickson H.N.
Published: May 2009

It may be taken for granted that, apart from its purely scientific value, a knowledge of the physical conditions affecting the waters of the sea has been shown to throw considerable light on many important economical questions. In its bearing on fish and fisheries, the inquiry may be said to have reached a point where it is conclusively shown that there is a problem to solve.

In a report of the Herring Committee of the Scottish Meteoro logical Society we find the following stated as preliminary results:— “If, during the herring season, there be a district where, from any cause, the temperature of the sea is lower than in surrounding districts, the catch of herrings is heavier in that district; and conversely if there be a district where, from any cause, the temperature of the sea is higher than in surrounding districts, in that district the catch of herrings is less. Among the causes which bring about a local increase or decrease of sea temperature, the chief are clouded or clear skies in respective districts, according as these occur during the day or during the night.

“The above refers to local fluctuations of temperature during the fishing season, when the temperature of the sea is high. It appears from the observations of past years that the herring seasons have closed about the time when the temperature of the sea in its annual fall has fallen generally to 54.5° F. It is of importance to ascertain how far this relation exists from year to year and in different districts.
Notes on Meteorological Observations at Plymouth
Authors: Dickson H. N.
Published: May 2009

The meteorological observations at Plymouth Navigation School, carried on for a period of more than twenty-six years by Dr. J. Merrifield, ceased on his death in June last. It seemed desirable that Plymouth should not be without an observing station, and as the Association was undertaking other work of a similar nature it was decided to begin observations on the scale of a station of the second order.
Notes and Memoranda
Authors: Hughes F.
Published: May 2009

On the Occurrence of the Nudibranch Hancockia at Plymouth.—I am glad to be able to record a second English specimen of this interesting form. It was dredged, apparently on Delesseria, in Plymouth Sound, about halfway between Drake's Island and the west end of the Breakwater, on August 20th, 1891.
Photographic records of living oscular tubes ofLeucosolenia variabilisIII. Irregular growth of the oscular tube
Authors: Jones W. Clifford
Published: May 2009

Oscular tubes were photomicrographed at intervals of roughly one or more days. The changes in length and width were determined using radiate spicules as markers. Changes in width were also measured directly using the outlines of the tubes. Several types of growth were thereby observed. The category considered here includes a temporary phase of constriction during the interval between the photographs. Such irregular growth is usual forLeucosoleniasituated in rock pools on the shore.
Observations on the relationship between the food and survival of Pseudocalanus elongatus in the laboratory
Authors: Urry D. L.
Published: May 2009

Adult Pseudocalanus elongatus have been kept in the laboratory, and fed with a variety of algal grazing media. The survival under conditions of starvation has also been determined, and in this respect, the overwintering generation has been found to differ from other generations.

Isochrysis galbana, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Gymnodinium veneficum, G. vitiligo, Chlamydomonas sp. and C. coccoides have been found to be satisfactory foods for Pseudocalanus elongatus

Dicrateria inornata, Nitzschia gotlandica, Amphidinium sp., Chlorella stigmatophora and Dunaliella tertiolecta were found to be unsatisfactory foods for Pseudocalanus elongatus.
Ditrypanocystis cirratuli [Sporozoa, Archigregarinida] parasitic in Cirratulus cirratus from Plymouth
Authors: Cox F. E. G.
Published: May 2009

The polychaete worms Cirratulus cirratus and Cirriformia tentaculata harbour a number of archigregarines which have frequently been confused in the past. An attempt is made to clarify the situation and a new parasite, Ditrypanocystis cirratuli, previously described only from C. tentaculata from St Andrews, is recorded from C. cirratus from Plymouth and described. The nomenclature of the archigregarines from C. cirratus is discussed.
Ionic regulation in the squat lobsterGalathea squamifera, with special reference to the relationship between potassium metabolism and the accumulation of radioactive caesium
Authors: Bryan G. W.
Published: May 2009

The absorption of radioactive Cs from sea water in relation to K metabolism has been examined in the squat lobsterGalathea squamifera. A general study has been made of the ability ofGalatheato carry out osmotic and ionic regulation as a comparison with better known decapod crustaceans which have previously been used for radioactive Cs experiments.

Galatheaappears to be a truly marine decapod in that it is probably unable to osmoregulate and the body surface is very permeable to water and to Cs and Kions. Despite this high permeability,Galatheais able to regulate K and radioactive Cs at blood plasma levels which are 1.3 and 1.1 times those of sea water. The Na and Cl concentrations in the plasma are not regulated and the Ca concentration is variable, but Mg and SO4are maintained at concentrations below those of sea water. Urinary excretion does not assist in the conservation of K or radioactive Cs in the plasma but assists in removing Mg and SO4.
The respiration ofLimnoria[Isopoda] in relation to salinity
Authors: Eltringham S. K.
Published: May 2009

The respiration ofLimnoriawas measured manometrically in sixteen solutions ranging from 6% to full strength sea water (36%). In a second series of experiments, simultaneous measurements were made in full strength sea water and in dilutions of 7, 14, 21 and 28% respectively. No significant correlation was found between the respiratory rate and the degree of dilution of the medium.
Activity rhythms of barnacles in relation to respiration and feeding
Authors: Southward A. J. , Crisp D. J.
Published: May 2009

Records of cirral activity have been made over periods of 24–48 h for individual specimens of eight species of barnacles from three different localities. The effects of movement, gas content, and hydrogen-ion concentration of the water have been studied.

In still water most species eventually settle down to a more or less steady rhythm (activity rhythm) of short bursts of cirral beating interspersed with inactive periods. Two exceptions are the surf- or current-loving speciesBalanus cariosusandTetraclita squamosawhich remain inactive or eventually cease activity. In moving water all species show practically continuous activity, the velocity of the flow needed to produce this response varying according to the species, habitat, and previous history of the specimen. Increased oxygen content has less effect on activity than other factors studied, but eventually appears to reduce activity. A gradual reduction in oxygen content first leads to increased activity and then signs of distress attributable to anoxia.
The distribution of larval sand eels (Ammodytidae) in the southern North Sea
Authors: Macer C. T.
Published: May 2009

The distributions of four species of larval Ammodytidae in the Southern North Sea are described. Two separate broods of Ammodytes lancea larvae were found, in spring and autumn. The spring larvae occurred in the areas of the Thames and Wash, and the autumn type mainly off the French and Dutch coasts.

A description of these larvae is given. Larvae of Gymnamtnodytes semisquamatus were found in the Southern Bight area and in several areas off the Humber. Few larvae of Ammodytes lanceolatus were taken: they occurred in the Southern Bight and Dowsing areas. A. marinus larvae were found in two areas off the Humber and in the Southern Bight. There is evidence for a spawning area some distance to the west of the Dover Strait.
The neurosecretory system of the vena cava in Cephalopoda II. Sepia officinalis and Octopus vulgaris
Authors: Alexandrowicz J. S.
Published: May 2009

A system of nerves (called for short NSV system), described previously in Eledone cirrosa, whose only task appears to be the formation of a fine neuropile in the vena cava, is present also in Sepia officinalis It has a similar disposition to that in Eledone but shows certain special features. It is composed of neurons the cell bodies of which are located in a layer (NSV layer) of the visceral lobe of the brain and in the paired ganglionic trunks, termed the lateral and medial NSV trunks, which emerge from the visceral lobe with the posterior infundibular and visceral nerves respectively. After accompanying these nerves for some distance these trunks take an independent course and give off some tapering branches ending blindly in the loose connective tissue.
Director's Report
Authors: Calderwood W. L.
Published: May 2009

The general condition of the Laboratory since the date of my report in the last number of the Journal calls for little mention. Some slight repointing of the walls and glazing has been necessary to keep out the winter rains, and the overhaul of one of the gas engines deemed desirable for the proper continuation of pumping without loss of gas. In other respects the entire building continues to render every satisfaction.

The work done by the various members of the Staff will be most readily estimated by the perusal of the several papers written by the members, and need not be mentioned in detail by me.

In my last report I made mention of the fishery investigations to be carried on by Mr. Holt in the North Sea, stating that in this Journal I would probably be in a position to state upon what lines the observations had been begun.

Since the issue of last number, another Fishery Conference has been held at Fishmongers’ Hall under the auspices of the National Sea Fisheries Protection Association. At this conference the capture and sale of undersized fish was again under discussion, and again a resolution was passed defining, to the satisfaction of most of those present, the sizes below which soles, plaice, turbot, &c., should not be captured and sold. The discussion, as well as the resolution, proved abundantly to anyone at all acquainted with the sizes at which the various food fishes first spawn, that the sizes were arrived at purely with a view to keeping undersized fish out of the market, and without any reference to the maturity or immaturity of these fish.
Further Experiments on the Production of Artificial Baits
Authors: Hughes Frank
Published: May 2009

Since the publication of the last paper a number of experiments have been made in connection with the Bait question. The object aimed at was to obtain some material which would serve as a medium for the application of some or other of the extracts prepared by the methods given in the previous report. A number of common substances were tried without success. The majority were either not sufficiently porous, or, if possessing that qualification, they lacked that strength and toughness which is absolutely necessary in a bait which must lie in the water for some hours.

It is this length of time which renders such materials as sponge, however fine, quite useless, since no extract, even if very much thickened, will remain in a piece of sponge more than a few minutes. Mr. Bateson in his report on this subject suggested the use of China clay; I tried a number of experiments with this, both dried and soft. In the latter case disintegration occurred at once, and the dried clay did not absorb sufficient extract to render it attractive; besides this, fish always reject any hard substance, even if it be made attractive with the smell of a favourite food. A somewhat promising material was obtained by boiling down skate skins until they were quite soft, and pressing them into blocks. The large amount of gelatine in these skins caused the fibres to adhere, forming a compact mass. This was somewhat porous and elastic, and took up a considerable amount of extract, but, like a number of other gelatine preparations, would not withstand the prolonged action of the water.
On some Young Specimens of Centrolophus pompilus (Art.) from the Coast of Cornwall
Authors: Holt Ernest W. L.
Published: May 2009

On the 24th June, 1891, a mackerel boat, which had been fishing off the Runnistone, brought in several fish of the above species. They excited a good deal Of interest among the local fishermen, to whom they were quite unknown. A coastguardsman, who had seen them abroad, I forget where, declared them to be “pilot-fish,” a diagnosis with which some of the fishermen, to whom the true pilot-fish, Naucrates ductor, appeared to be known, could by no means agree. It appears, however, that from a certain similarity of habits the name is occasionally applied to the form before us, usually known to British naturalists as the black-fish.
Observations of the Temperature of the Surface of the Sea off Plymouth
Authors: Dickson H. N.
Published: May 2009

The observations given below are by Mr. William Roach (Series I), Associate Member M. B. A., and by Mr. H. Roach (Series II), the fishennan of the Association. The observations are taken partly in Plymouth Sound and partly on the fishing grounds a few miles to the eastward. A careful comparison of the two sets during the same periods does not show any local differences, and as the observations are true sea temperatures throughout, it is unnecessary to state the positions more definitely.
Monthly Reports on the Fishing in the Neighbourhood of Plymouth
Authors: Calderwood W. L.
Published: May 2009

Iintroductory Statement

In these reports I shall not take into consideration the mMBIr methods of fishing which are practised in the locality, such, for instance, as eel spearing, mullet trapping, shrimp and prawn fishing, but shall confine myself to the most important branches, in which the beam trawl, drift and seine nets, and long lines are employed, and I shall also include crab and lobster fishing.

With reference to the class of boats employed in this neighbourhood, the trawlers, compared to those of the North Sea, are not of large size. The average boat is about forty-three tons. They are usually rigged as ketches (dandy-rig), but the smaller ones sometimes as cutters. The dandy-rig is preferred because with it there is not the very large mainsail and heavy boom of the cutter, and also because, like the yawl, where the mizzen mast is stepped behind instead of before the stern-post, the vessel can be more easily brought under easy canvas in heavy weather. These vessels only carry four men and a boy as crew, and therefore the question of ease in handling becomes one of great importance. Steam trawling is not practised from Plymouth, nor do the sailing trawlers fish in the “fleeting” system common in the North Sea, where many boats belong to one company and remain on the fishing grounds it may be for weeks, while their fish is carried to market by special steamers.

At Plymouth each trawler is worked independently, goes out to the fishing grounds east of the Eddystone, Mounts Bay, or Bristol Channel, and returns with its catch.