On the Development of the Californian Hag-fish, Bdellostoma Stouti, Lockington

Abstract

ABSTRACT Dr. Howard Ayers, in a lecture before the Wood’s Holl Biological Laboratory,1 has given a detailed account of the occurrence of the Pacific Hag-fish, Bdellostoma Dombeyi (= Stouti), in the Bay of Monterey. Its great abundance in this region gave promise of material for the study of the development of a Myxinoid ; or, at all events, the chances to obtain these valuable stages seemed far more favorable here than in the European localities, mainly in the North Sea, where the eggs of Myxine had long been sought. Among the zoologists who endeavoured to secure hag-fish embryos in California Professor G. C. Price, of the Leland Stanford, Junior, University, was the first to succeed, and he has already published two accounts of his studies.2 During the past summer additional developmental stages, including a number of the earlier ones, were collected by the present writer during a visit (July, August, September) at the Hopkins Marine Laboratory.