252
THE SEAS
.»
production of the coral, growing out of it, and they call it
"
Nmatar‘nata ”
or the " Glistener”; it appears
in that
locality in June ‘and July.
.
There is also a closely allied form; the Atlantic Palolo
.
(Eum‘ce fucæta) (Plate 93), whose habits are very similar.
The swarms of this worm have been studied for nine years
at Tortugas and they always appeared within three days_
of the time of the moon’s last quarter between June 29th
and July 28th. ‘The sexual portions begin to rise to the
surface at least two hours before sunrise ; by sunrise they
are present in countless numbers and when the rst rays
of_ the sun strike the water they break up and discharge
the eggs.
The dying bodies sink to the bottom where they
are
eagerly devoured by waiting sh and by three hours
after sunrise none are to be seen.
_
.
'
At Amboina in the Malay Archipelago there is a
similar
worm, the “ Wawo;” which swarms on the second and third
_,
nights after the full moon of March and April.
'
.
The japanese can also boast a Palolo ; they call it
“
Bachi ”
(Cemtocephale osawai).
In this case it is the
-_
iront end of the worm which becomes modied and breaks
o.
The swarming occurs during the nights immediately
_
after new and full moon °in October 'and November and the
shermen catch them by means of lights to which the
'
worms are attracted ; they use them then as hait.
It is hard to understand What can…be the cause of these
curious phenomena. It has been thought that the stimulus
for spawning might -be found in the state Of the tides;
.
Experiments have shownhowever, that probably the tide
can have no inuence, for worms placed in oating tanks
spawn naturally at the usual times, and in this” case the
-
worms
could have had no means of telling the state of
.
'
tide either by the pressure oi the water orthe speed of its
_
’
movement.
.
-
1
'
î
_
THE SEAS
.»
production of the coral, growing out of it, and they call it
"
Nmatar‘nata ”
or the " Glistener”; it appears
in that
locality in June ‘and July.
.
There is also a closely allied form; the Atlantic Palolo
.
(Eum‘ce fucæta) (Plate 93), whose habits are very similar.
The swarms of this worm have been studied for nine years
at Tortugas and they always appeared within three days_
of the time of the moon’s last quarter between June 29th
and July 28th. ‘The sexual portions begin to rise to the
surface at least two hours before sunrise ; by sunrise they
are present in countless numbers and when the rst rays
of_ the sun strike the water they break up and discharge
the eggs.
The dying bodies sink to the bottom where they
are
eagerly devoured by waiting sh and by three hours
after sunrise none are to be seen.
_
.
'
At Amboina in the Malay Archipelago there is a
similar
worm, the “ Wawo;” which swarms on the second and third
_,
nights after the full moon of March and April.
'
.
The japanese can also boast a Palolo ; they call it
“
Bachi ”
(Cemtocephale osawai).
In this case it is the
-_
iront end of the worm which becomes modied and breaks
o.
The swarming occurs during the nights immediately
_
after new and full moon °in October 'and November and the
shermen catch them by means of lights to which the
'
worms are attracted ; they use them then as hait.
It is hard to understand What can…be the cause of these
curious phenomena. It has been thought that the stimulus
for spawning might -be found in the state Of the tides;
.
Experiments have shownhowever, that probably the tide
can have no inuence, for worms placed in oating tanks
spawn naturally at the usual times, and in this” case the
-
worms
could have had no means of telling the state of
.
'
tide either by the pressure oi the water orthe speed of its
_
’
movement.
.
-
1
'
î
_