Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-03-16
Fish With an Ovarium in the Head.
from the London Field.1


In the piscatorial line was fortunate
enough tomake very strange discovery.
Noticing that the back-water of the
River Mangar and an adjacent brook con-
tanned quantities OF fish, I set about
capturing some, and obtained nine diff
ferent species. Among them was one
which, was assured, did not deposit it's
eggs, or even lay them at ALL The ova,
L was told, were contained in the head
of the fish, where they were incubated,
the young finding their exit through the
mouth of the parent. To say that I was
skeptical of this fish with an ovarium in
its head is but to freely express my feel
ings; but noticing strange development
and discoloration of the head in several
specimens had obtained, [ determined
to investigate the matter thoroughly.
Accordingly, [ selected living in
dividual as favorably conditioned as pos
sible, and confined it in glass vessel.
On the second day after the incarceration,
surely enough, to my inexpressible de-
light, three tiny fish made their appear
ance, but from whence it was impossible
to say. The following day three more
made their appearance, and it was easy
to see, from the troubled movement of
the fish and it's continued gasping, that
busy time was at hand On the third
day the young appeared in greatnumbers,
which caused me to institute a watch.
After no great length of time [ was re-
warded by seeing the fish commence
gasping furiously, and l noticed,
through the transparency of the lower
jaw, something that hadth appearance
of membrane; but which might have
been the youngfsh itself, working about
inside. After about 10 convulsive move
ments, out shot the newly born in
dividual from the exact centre OF the
mouth of the parent fish, thus definitely
settling the question. Altogether the
number of young produced was about
one hundred, of which some forty were
dead. After the fourth day no more
made their appearance, and the head of
the fish was a pitiful sight to behold, it
being almost transparent and very much
shrunk. The fish is very small one,
not exceeding two inches in length,
which perhaps accounts for it's being
overlooked by others. It has four OF
five black horizontal bands, which,
while the fish is in what [ presume it is
not incorrect to call the parturient state,
are Illuminated by tiny spots, having
brilliant phosphorescent appearance.
Besides the ovarium, the whole of it's
organs are contained in the fore part of
the body, the posterior portion being
nothing but flesh and bone. The vent
is situated as nearly as possible in the
centre Of the belly. Whether it is the
female that incubates the ova, OF
whether the case is repeated of the Span
ish batrachian, where the female depos-
its the spawn in the mouth of the male,
there to be Matched, [ cannot say
definitely, but, Judging from the change
Of color in the fish during the incubat-
ing period, I should say that the male
had little to do with it. I secured
several specimens of the fish, which will
be forwarded in due course from Billion
to England for thorough investigation,
and I am in hope of being able, at some
later period, of once more observing the
fish in its living state. l shall also
endeavor to bring home some live speci-
mems, as the fish seems to be pretty
hardy.