Reproduction among deep-sea fishes

摘要: -Known a n d suspected mechanisms used by the various groups o f deep-sea fishes to locate mates and otherwise assure fertilization of gametes, those associated with production, development protection young are reviewed. These in turn related reproductive demands made environment. I N T R O D U C ABYSSAL fishes, like other organisms, must reproduce survive adapt their habits The environment imposes certain problems not encountered shoaler waters. Among them absence solar light, seasonal change, primary organic productivity. We propose explore here ways which accommodate reproductively this review methods they solve biological common all vertebrates. include mate location survival eggs larvae, i.e. part life cycle between gonad maturity time at is ecologically an adult. arbitrarily take species be live as adults below 2000 m, either on bottom or midwater, use our principal list fauna that M~ION GREY (1956). It will become clear information reproduction, eggs, larvae most members fragmentary. consider deepsea have representatives m. In many instances forms lacking, we extrapolated from knowledge living above 2000-m contour. tried separate fact conjecture, both reviewing source material preparing summaries, but unfortunately conjectoral aspects reproduction m predominate. first summarize major close comments more general nature. Class Chondrichthyes sharks, skates, rays chimaeras represented about fifteen species, broad bathymetric distributions centered contour (e.g., Raja bathyphyla, 676-2173 m; Centroscymnus coelolepis, 330 Harriotta raleighana, 530-2603 m). class, *Museum Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. l"Marinbiologisk Laboratorium, Charlottenlund Slot, Denmark. :~U.S. Fish Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C. 569