The Russellville Democrat., 1884-11-06
The Breeding Habits OF the Common
Catfish.

Although the catfshes, or horned
ports. are tolerably common fishes, their
breeding habits have not been put on
record BY any one until Mr.. j. A. RYDER
observed pair of the species known as
A4nturHs dlbiluS. These fishes, male
and female. We're confined in an aqua
rum One morning q mass of oya.
about eight inches long. four inches
wide and half to three-fourths thick,
was notice at the bottom of the tank,
while over it lowered one of the pair of
fishes, keeping pectoral, anal and VEN
trail fins in rapid vibration, evidently for
the benefit OF the ova beneath. This fish,
as was afterward proved by dissection,
was the male, and this assiduous nurs-
ing-father watched carefully over the
eggs, forcing water through the iuters-
tees between them by the rapid motion
of his fins. until the young escaped from
the egg membranes, which they did
from the sixth to the eight day after
the deposition of the eggs. The female
took no further notice of the ova after
depositing them. Each individual egg
was about a sixth of an inch in diameter
alter it had become distended with water
(as is the case always with eggs laid
In water), and the mass contained
about 1000 eggs. Their surfaces were
adherent, but were not enveloped with
gelatlnous material. SO that, lying loose
II II Hike IA pie OF shot, they were con-
veniently placed for aeration by the
effort OF the male. How important
tn 5 continual supply Of fresh water
containing free oxygen is to the de-
velopment of fish oya is shown by the
eNr o. ence Of all those who have Matched
such arti cially, and its Importance
n the present case was emphasized by
the ia that all the ova left in charge
OF the male fish Matched out. while an
attempt TO rear portion Of them artilic-
tally partially failed through the INSULT
cheney Of the supply OF oxygen. On the
fifteenth day after the eggs were laid the
oung were able TO feed, aud were found
to relish greatly pieces of liver that were
thrown 10 them. This they would tug
at in a way that proved their possession
OF teeth. The parent fishes would fire.
quently take into their mouth pieces Of
the liver thrown TO their young, and in
so doing would apparently swallow also
the yonng fish hanging to them, but il
was observed that, though the livcrwas
eaten, the young fishes were elected I'M
injured. showing that by some delicaey
Of touch the parents recognized the
presence of Their offspring previous TO
swallowing the morsel. The bsrbels
appear very early in life; the pair which
proceeds from the angles OF the mouth
commence 10 bud on III, tn rd day OF
Development, and the Two pairs OF chin
barbels on the fifth. On the fourteenth
dag tie rays of the fins We're already
formed. and the young had fairly passed
through the larval state, aad were quite
similar to the adults, the more as al
ready the upper part of the body had
acquired its color. AS soon as they
commenced TO feed they began to dis
perse through the aquarium, and the
male abated his habit OF tanning them
with his fins. II is probable that the
hab Is 81 other cat fshes of the same
genus are similar. II Is now in order
for fishermen, amateurs and others TO
tell the newspapers that they knew all
This before, but did not suppose it was
not generally known. = Esiiadelphia
Record