Chapter I: Preface

The scope of the present work is to give in a concise form an account of the principal facts relating to the structure, classification, and life-history of Fishes. It is intended to meet the requirements of those who are desirous of studying the elements of Ichthyology; to serve as a book of reference to zoologists generally; and, finally, to supply those who, like travellers, have frequent opportunities of observing fishes, with a ready means of obtaining information. The article on “Ichthyology,” prepared by the late Sir J. Richardson for the eighth edition of the “Encyclopædia Britannica,” is the only publication which has hitherto partly satisfied such requirements; and when I undertook, some years ago, to revise, or rather rewrite that article for the new edition of that work, it occurred to me that I might at the same time prepare a Handbook of Ichthyology, whilst reserving for the article an abstract so condensed as to be adapted for the wants of the general reader.

From the general plan of the work I have only departed in those chapters which deal with the Geographical Distribution of Fishes. This is a subject which has never before been treated in a general and comprehensive manner, and seemed to demand particular attention. I have, therefore, thought it right to give nominal lists of the Faunæ, and the other details of fact on which I have based my conclusions, although all the necessary materials may be found in my “Catalogue of Fishes.”

A few references only to the numerous sources which were consulted on the subjects of Chapters 1–12, are inserted in the text; more not required by the beginner; he is introduced to a merely elementary knowledge of facts well known to the advanced student.

With regard to the illustrations, about twenty have been prepared after originals published by Cuvier, J. Müller, Owen, Traquair, Duméril, Cunningham, Hasse, Poey, Siebold, and Gegenbaur. A similar number, representing extinct fishes, have been taken, with the kind permission of the author, from Owen’s “Palæontology.” My best thanks are due also to the Committee of Publications of the Zoological Society, and to the Editors of the “Annals and Magazine of Natural History,” and of the “Journal des Museum Godeffroy,” for the loan of woodcuts illustrating some of my papers on South American fishes and on larval forms. The remainder of the illustrations (about three-fourths) are either original figures, or formed part of the article on ‘Ichthyology’ in the former edition of the “Encyclopædia Britannica.”

LONDON, _3d October 1880_.

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

PAGE

FISH DEFINED--ICHTHYOLOGY DEFINED 1

CHAPTER I.

HISTORY AND LITERATURE 2

Aristotle, 2--Belon, 4--Salviani, 6--Rondelet, 6--Faunists and
Anatomists of the Seventeenth Century, 7--Ray and Willughby,
8--Artedi, 9--Linnæus, 10--Gronow and Klein, 12--Pupils
and Successors of Linnæus, 12--Bloch, 13--Lacépède, 15--Anatomists
and Faunists preceding Cuvier, 16--Cuvier, 17--Agassiz,
20--J. Müller, 22--Discovery of Ceratodus, 25--Recent
publications on Fishes, 26--Latest systematic works, 33.

CHAPTER II.

TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE EXTERNAL PARTS OF
FISHES 35

Form of the body, 35--External parts of the head, 36--Trunk and
Tail, 39--Fins; their structure, position, and function, 40--Skin
and Scales, 45.

CHAPTER III.

TERMINOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY OF THE SKELETON 51

Axial portion, 51--Vertebra and its parts; terms defined,
51--Skull; bones topographically enumerated, 53--Bones of the
limbs, 59--Synonymic list of bones, 59.

CHAPTER IV.

MODIFICATIONS OF THE SKELETON 63

Branchiostoma, 63--Cyclostomes, 64--Chondropterygians,
66--Holocephali, 70--Ganoids, 71--Dipnoi, 71--Chondrostei,
74--Polypteroidei, 77--Lepidosteoidei, 80--Amioidei,
82--Teleostei, 83--Classification of the bones of the
Teleosteous skull according to the vertebral doctrine,
85--their morphological classification, 86--Limb-bones of
Teleosteans, 92.

CHAPTER V.

MYOLOGY 93

General arrangement of the Muscles, 93--Electric organs, 94.

CHAPTER VI.

NEUROLOGY 96

Of Branchiostoma, 96--Spinal chord, 96--Brain, its size, 97--Brain
of Osseous fishes, 97--of Ganoids, 98--of Chondropterygians,
100--of Cyclostomes, 101--Spino-cerebral nerves, 103--Spinal
nerves, 107--Sympathic system, 108.

CHAPTER VII.

THE ORGANS OF SENSE 109

Smell, 109--Sight, 111--Hearing; connection of the ear with the
air-bladder, 116--Taste, 119--Touch, 120.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE ORGANS OF NUTRITION AND DIGESTION 121

Food and mode of feeding, 121--Buccal and abdominal cavities and
their openings, 123--Mouth and tongue, 123--Forms, texture,
and arrangement of teeth, 124--Intestinal tract, 127--Liver,
132--Pancreas, 133--Spleen, 133.

CHAPTER IX.

ORGANS OF RESPIRATION 135

Respiration, 135--Structure and arrangement of the gills,
136--Pseudobranchiæ, 140--Accessory respiratory organs,
142--Air-bladder; its varieties, structure, and functions, 142.

CHAPTER X.

ORGANS OF CIRCULATION 150

CHAPTER XI.

URINARY ORGANS 155

CHAPTER XII.

ORGANS OF REPRODUCTION 157

Fishes are dioecious, 157--Hermaphroditism, 157--Oviparous and
viviparous fishes, 157--Generative organs of Branchiostoma,
157--of Cyclostomes; their ova, 158--Female organs of
Teleosteans and their ova, 158--Instances of females taking
care of their progeny, 160--Male organs of Teleosteans,
162--Instances of males taking care of their progeny,
163--Generative organs of Ganoids, 163--of Chondropterygians
and their ova, 166.

CHAPTER XIII.

GROWTH AND VARIATION OF FISHES 170

Changes of form of the body or certain parts, normally accompanying
growth, 170--Changes dependent on sexual development,
176--Secondary sexual differences, 176--Mixogamous, polygamous,
and monogamous fishes, 177--Hybridism as a cause
of variation, 178--Regular and irregular growth of fishes,
178--Leptocephali not a normal state of development, 179--Changes
of colour of the muscles and external parts; chromatophors,
182--Albinism, 183.

CHAPTER XIV.

DOMESTICATED AND ACCLIMATISED FISHES, ETC. 185

Domesticated fishes, 185--Acclimatisation of fishes,
185--Artificial impregnation of ova, 186--Tenacity of life,
186--Reproduction of lost parts, 188--Hybernation, 188--Useful
fishes, 189--Poisonous fishes, 189--Poison-organs, 190.

CHAPTER XV.

DISTRIBUTION OF FISHES IN TIME 193

Oldest fish-remains, 193--Devonian fishes, 194--Carboniferous,
196--Permian, 197--Triassic, 197--Liassic, 198--Oolitic,
199--Cretaceous, 199--Tertiary, 200--Post-pliocene, 201.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE DISTRIBUTION OF EXISTING FISHES OVER THE EARTH’S
SURFACE.--GENERAL REMARKS 202

Freshwater-, Marine-, and Brackish-water Fishes, 202--Changes of
the habitat of numerous fishes, active, 203--or dependent on
geological changes, 204--Agencies operating upon the distribution
of Freshwater and Marine fishes, 205.