THE BREEDINQ OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC FRESHWATER-EELS
155
included the numerous A . anguillu leptocephali which Schmidt
collected on his Thor expeditions in the Mediterranean and the adjacent seas in 1908-10 and earlier. Details of the stations of the two
Dana expeditions were given by Schmidt (1929), a paper which is
included in Tucker's references (1959a, p. 501).
In any case the background for Schmidt's considerations about the
breeding of A . rostrata is that he had seen tiny larvae among the more
than 2200 leptocephali examined. So he could write (Schmidt, 1925.
p. 300) : " The early tiny larvae, 7-8 mm long, of Anguilla rostrata were
taken in February. In April the average length was aSout 20-25 mm,
in June about 30-35 mm, in July about 40 mm, and in September 50-55
mm (cf. Fig. 14). Toward the end of the year the larvae have attained
their full length, about 60-66 mm ; metamorphosis hkee place during
the winter months, and in the spring the hosts of elvers move up into
fresh water." And further: " From the data to hand, then, we may
conclude that the American eel spawns earlier, that its larvae grow more
rapidly (cf. Fig. la), and that the full-grown larva is smaller than is the
oase with the European species."
Schmidt's Fig. 14 furthermore shows that a few tiny larvae of
7 mm may still be found in April, while in July the smallest is 25 mm.
The position of Dana station 948, 22"14'N., 67"22'W., is also in good
agreement with Schmidt's conclusion in reference to his Fig. 5 : " From
the position of the curves we can conclude that the breeding area of
the American eel lies along the entire range north of the West Indian
Islands. Its central portion lies west and south of the central breeding
grounds of the European eel; the areas embraced by the two species,
however, are apparently not separated, but seem to overlap." I would,
however, emphasize that Dana station 948 lies well outside, towards
the S.W., of the area where A . anguilla of any size was ever caught.
Tucker repeatedly (1959a, p. 495, p. 500) mentions the alleged
finding of the eggs 'of the American eel by Fish (1927). These were
taken near Bermuda Is. (32*02'N., 65"OO'W.) by the " Arcturus " on
16 July 1925. Fish, herself, was very well aware of the possibility that
she might be wrong about the identification. Happily her description
is very careful, and it gives good reasons for Schmidt (1929, p. 16) and
especially T h i n g (1938, p. 315) to discard her identification. Bigelow
and Schroeder (1953, p. 153) also doubt it. I would like to add that the
'* Arcturus " also caught Anguilla leptocephali from May to September
at the same place as Fish's eggs. The sizes of these leptocephali fit very
well with the picture given by Schmidt; using the figures given by
Thing (1938) it should be kept in mind that the " Arcturus " meterid
W&S preserved in alcohol and therefore was more shrunken than
155
included the numerous A . anguillu leptocephali which Schmidt
collected on his Thor expeditions in the Mediterranean and the adjacent seas in 1908-10 and earlier. Details of the stations of the two
Dana expeditions were given by Schmidt (1929), a paper which is
included in Tucker's references (1959a, p. 501).
In any case the background for Schmidt's considerations about the
breeding of A . rostrata is that he had seen tiny larvae among the more
than 2200 leptocephali examined. So he could write (Schmidt, 1925.
p. 300) : " The early tiny larvae, 7-8 mm long, of Anguilla rostrata were
taken in February. In April the average length was aSout 20-25 mm,
in June about 30-35 mm, in July about 40 mm, and in September 50-55
mm (cf. Fig. 14). Toward the end of the year the larvae have attained
their full length, about 60-66 mm ; metamorphosis hkee place during
the winter months, and in the spring the hosts of elvers move up into
fresh water." And further: " From the data to hand, then, we may
conclude that the American eel spawns earlier, that its larvae grow more
rapidly (cf. Fig. la), and that the full-grown larva is smaller than is the
oase with the European species."
Schmidt's Fig. 14 furthermore shows that a few tiny larvae of
7 mm may still be found in April, while in July the smallest is 25 mm.
The position of Dana station 948, 22"14'N., 67"22'W., is also in good
agreement with Schmidt's conclusion in reference to his Fig. 5 : " From
the position of the curves we can conclude that the breeding area of
the American eel lies along the entire range north of the West Indian
Islands. Its central portion lies west and south of the central breeding
grounds of the European eel; the areas embraced by the two species,
however, are apparently not separated, but seem to overlap." I would,
however, emphasize that Dana station 948 lies well outside, towards
the S.W., of the area where A . anguilla of any size was ever caught.
Tucker repeatedly (1959a, p. 495, p. 500) mentions the alleged
finding of the eggs 'of the American eel by Fish (1927). These were
taken near Bermuda Is. (32*02'N., 65"OO'W.) by the " Arcturus " on
16 July 1925. Fish, herself, was very well aware of the possibility that
she might be wrong about the identification. Happily her description
is very careful, and it gives good reasons for Schmidt (1929, p. 16) and
especially T h i n g (1938, p. 315) to discard her identification. Bigelow
and Schroeder (1953, p. 153) also doubt it. I would like to add that the
'* Arcturus " also caught Anguilla leptocephali from May to September
at the same place as Fish's eggs. The sizes of these leptocephali fit very
well with the picture given by Schmidt; using the figures given by
Thing (1938) it should be kept in mind that the " Arcturus " meterid
W&S preserved in alcohol and therefore was more shrunken than