THE BREEDING O F TIIF, NORTH ATLANrIC FRESHWATER-EELS
157
TABLE 111. Average numbers of vertebrae in the species of Anguilla.
Fractions disregarded. (After Ege, 1939.)
Average no.
of vertebrae
1 If\
115
I14
113
112
111
110
109
108
107
106
105
104
103
Species or aubspeciee
j(cponicn
angwilln
australis australis, dieffeubachi
australis schmidti, megastoma
nebulosa labiata
bicolor bicolor
nebulosa nebulosa
reinhardti
rostrata, bicolor paeijca
bornemis, marmorata
interioris
obscura
mossambica, ancestralis, celebesensis
that Zoarces viviparus (order Percomorphi) is an example showing that
this is not the case. I n Danish waters it has been shown (Schmidt, 1917 ;
Ege, 1942) that Zoarces viviparus cannot be divided into well-defined
geographical subspecies ; there is a great variation even within the
Danish waters. even so great that they represent tho highest and
lowest values found within the wholc gc!ographical range of this
spccies, West a n d North 1Siiropxtti consts. 'Tho lowa~t numlwr foiml iH
100 and the highcst 126 (ISgc:, 1!)42, pp. 281- 282). ThiH meann t l ~ t
the
species 2oarce.q vivipur"s h a g R jyc:atr:r vnriittiort t h t IL~J npr:i:ic?w
t o p t h r (Jf thr: g:c:n IIH An,!yuillri.
If any conclusion mtty bc drawn from this it would be that number
of vertebrae in tho spccics of the gcnus A?ipilla are less affected by
vnristions of tlit: (vivironiiiciit than in thc: single sl)ccics of Zonrccs.
A fcw oxrtmplos of t,hc vdriation in thc numl)cr of vertebrae may
show this quitc: clearly. A . marmoruto (Quoy :tnd Gnimard) has a
goographicnl tlistributioti right from S. 15. Africa and Madagascar
across the Indian Ocean to Indonesia arid 'J'niwan, arid farther in the
Pacific to the Marquesas Is. fiot thc total variation in the numbcr of
vertebrae in this huge area is only between 100 and 110, the average
extremes being 104.6 (136 specimens, Celelm) and 106.4 (162 specimens, Tahiti). These figures are given by Ege (1939, p. 73). Other
large samples from RBunion and New Guinoa are in between, a8 alRo
smaller samples from many places, except cight specimeits from t h
157
TABLE 111. Average numbers of vertebrae in the species of Anguilla.
Fractions disregarded. (After Ege, 1939.)
Average no.
of vertebrae
1 If\
115
I14
113
112
111
110
109
108
107
106
105
104
103
Species or aubspeciee
j(cponicn
angwilln
australis australis, dieffeubachi
australis schmidti, megastoma
nebulosa labiata
bicolor bicolor
nebulosa nebulosa
reinhardti
rostrata, bicolor paeijca
bornemis, marmorata
interioris
obscura
mossambica, ancestralis, celebesensis
that Zoarces viviparus (order Percomorphi) is an example showing that
this is not the case. I n Danish waters it has been shown (Schmidt, 1917 ;
Ege, 1942) that Zoarces viviparus cannot be divided into well-defined
geographical subspecies ; there is a great variation even within the
Danish waters. even so great that they represent tho highest and
lowest values found within the wholc gc!ographical range of this
spccies, West a n d North 1Siiropxtti consts. 'Tho lowa~t numlwr foiml iH
100 and the highcst 126 (ISgc:, 1!)42, pp. 281- 282). ThiH meann t l ~ t
the
species 2oarce.q vivipur"s h a g R jyc:atr:r vnriittiort t h t IL~J npr:i:ic?w
t o p t h r (Jf thr: g:c:n IIH An,!yuillri.
If any conclusion mtty bc drawn from this it would be that number
of vertebrae in tho spccics of the gcnus A?ipilla are less affected by
vnristions of tlit: (vivironiiiciit than in thc: single sl)ccics of Zonrccs.
A fcw oxrtmplos of t,hc vdriation in thc numl)cr of vertebrae may
show this quitc: clearly. A . marmoruto (Quoy :tnd Gnimard) has a
goographicnl tlistributioti right from S. 15. Africa and Madagascar
across the Indian Ocean to Indonesia arid 'J'niwan, arid farther in the
Pacific to the Marquesas Is. fiot thc total variation in the numbcr of
vertebrae in this huge area is only between 100 and 110, the average
extremes being 104.6 (136 specimens, Celelm) and 106.4 (162 specimens, Tahiti). These figures are given by Ege (1939, p. 73). Other
large samples from RBunion and New Guinoa are in between, a8 alRo
smaller samples from many places, except cight specimeits from t h