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Art History Volume 1 6th Edition

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CHAPTER EIGHT

BYZANTINE ART

8
Multiple Choice

1. Near the end of the first century, what replaced the scroll as the primary form of recording
texts?
A. codex
B. manuscript
C. miniature
D. vellum
Answer: A
Learning Objective: 8.c Relate Byzantine artists and art to their cultural, economic, and political
contexts.
Topic: Luxury Objects
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts

2. What religious theme unites the mosaics in the Church of San Vitale (Figs. 8-5, 8-6, 8-7, 8-8,
and 8-9)?
A. the martyrdom of St. Vitalis
B. the marriage sacrament of Justinian and Theodora
C. Christ’s role as King of Heaven
D. the celebration of the Eucharist
Answer: D
Learning Objective: 8.b Interpret the meaning of works of Byzantine art based on their themes,
subjects, and symbols.
Topic: The Golden Age of Justinian
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It

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93
3. What pictorial element indicates an otherworldly space in Empress Theodora and her
Attendants in the Church of St. Vitale (Fig. 8-9)?
A. the emphasis on illusionistic space
B. three-dimensional modeling of the figures
C. the silhouetting of the figures against a gold background
D. the open doorway to the women’s gallery
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 8.a Identify the visual hallmarks of Byzantine art for formal, technical, and
expressive qualities.
Topic: The Golden Age of Justinian
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It

4. Before the iconoclasm of the eighth century, icons were accepted as


A. illustrations of key biblical events.
B. intermediaries between worshipers and holy figures.
C. didactic images that reinforced Christian moral values.
D. images to be worshiped in churches and private settings.
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 8.d Apply the vocabulary and concepts relevant to Byzantine art, artists, and
art history.
Topic: Iconoclasm
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It

5. The Archangel Michael (Fig. 8-12) is an example of carved ivory diptychs that served what
function in Christian worship?
A. They were used to send messages to friends and colleagues.
B. They were portable objects of veneration, similar to painted icons.
C. They were used to record names of people who were to be remembered in prayers.
D. They were used as book covers for manuscripts.
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 8.e Interpret a work of Byzantine art using the art historical methods of
observation, comparison, and inductive reasoning.
Topic: Luxury Objects
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

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94
6. The extensive use of marble, colored glass, and gold mosaics to decorate the interior of the
Church of San Vitale (Fig. 8-6) had what effect on the structure?
A. It served to reinforce the underlying supports.
B. It made the structure appear to dissolve into shimmering light and color.
C. It called attention to the architectural complexity seen throughout the building.
D. It disguised structural irregularities that were originally visible inside the church.
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 8.f Select visual and textual evidence in various media to support an
argument or an interpretation of a work of Byzantine art.
Topic: The Golden Age of Justinian
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

7. The use of purple vellum in the production of the Vienna Genesis (Fig. 8-13) indicates it was
probably made for
A. a bishop.
B. a woman.
C. an imperial patron.
D. public display
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 8.b Interpret the meaning of works of Byzantine art based on their themes,
subjects, and symbols.
Topic: Luxury Objects
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

8. The nobility and suffering of the figures of the Crucifixion (Fig. 8-22) were meant to
A. provoke fear in travelers and pilgrims.
B. move monks and visitors to meditation.
C. express knowledge of Greek artistic tradition.
D. emphasize the power of the royal patron.
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 8.c Relate Byzantine artists and art to their cultural, economic, and political
contexts.
Topic: Architecture and Wall Painting in Mosaic and Fresco
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts

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95
9. Which medium, which the poet and philosopher Theodore Metochites was responsible for,
cover(s) every inch of the funerary chapel at the church of the monastery of Christ in Chora?
A. mosaics
B. frescoes
C. tapestries
D. stonework
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 8.a Identify the visual hallmarks of Byzantine art for formal, technical, and
expressive qualities.
Topic: Constantinople: The Chora Church
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts

10. In both its subject matter and artistic style, the Paris Psalter (Fig. 8-27) reflects
A. the continuation of pagan artistic traditions in the Christian art of Constantinople.
B. the Byzantine interest in representing an otherworldly space of the mystical.
C. the preference for two-dimensional surface patterns in the Middle Byzantine period.
D. the spread of Christianity among the masses through the production of manuscripts .
Answer: A
Learning Objective: 8.e Interpret a work of Byzantine art using the art historical methods of
observation, comparison, and inductive reasoning.
Topic: Precious Objects of Commemoration, Veneration, and Devotion
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It

11. Architects of the Cathedral of St. Mark in Venice relied on a Greek-cross plan, marking each
square unit with a separate
A. altar.
B. apse.
C. chapel.
D. dome.
Answer: D
Learning Objective: 8.a Identify the visual hallmarks of Byzantine art for formal, technical, and
expressive qualities.
Topic: Architecture and Wall Painting in Mosaic and Fresco
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Copyright © 2018, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

96
12. During the Byzantine era, to separate the congregation from the sanctuary, the celebration of
the Mass took place behind a(n)
A. ciborium.
B. screen.
C. ambulatory.
D. aisle.
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 8.d Apply the vocabulary and concepts relevant to Byzantine art, artists, and
art history.
Topic: Architecture and Wall Painting in Mosaic and Fresco
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts

13. During the Late Byzantine period, the territory of the Byzantine Empire decreased to
A. small areas of the Balkans and Greece.
B. Constantinople and Russia.
C. Greece and eastern Europe.
D. Greece and Macedonia.
Answer: A
Learning Objective: 8.c Relate Byzantine artists and art to their cultural, economic, and political
contexts.
Topic: Late Byzantine Art
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts

14. Justinian provided the monastery at St. Catherine at Mount Sinai with
A. vaults.
B. minarets.
C. fortifications.
D. a chapel.
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 8.a Identify the visual hallmarks of Byzantine art for formal, technical, and
expressive qualities.
Topic: The Golden Age of Justinian
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts

Copyright © 2018, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

97
15. What originated in the third century, when devout Christians retired to the desert?
A. iconoclasm
B. monasticism
C. orthodoxy
D. pilgrimage
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 8.d Apply the vocabulary and concepts relevant to Byzantine art, artists, and
art history.
Topic: The Golden Age of Justinian
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

16. Which notion was emphasized in The Transfiguration of Christ (Fig. 8-11) in the apse at St.
Catherine?
A. theophany
B. parakklesion
C. anastasis
D. symbolism
Answer: A
Learning Objective: 8.f Select visual and textual evidence in various media to support an
argument or an interpretation of a work of Byzantine art.
Topic: The Golden Age of Justinian
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

17. Which refers to an intensified interest in the styles and themes of Classical art during the
Middle Byzantine period?
A. Chora Revival
B. Palaeologue Renaissance
C. Macedonian Renaissance
D. Venetian Period
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 8.b Interpret the meaning of works of Byzantine art based on their themes,
subjects, and symbols.
Topic: Middle Byzantine Art
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts

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98
18. The inscription accompanying the image of the Virgin and Child in the Apse of Hagia Sophia
(Fig. 8-16) credited emperors with
A. reviving the use of images.
B. being great patrons of the arts.
C. saving the city from its enemies.
D. following religious decrees.
Answer: A
Learning Objective: 8.e Interpret a work of Byzantine art using the art historical methods of
observation, comparison, and inductive reasoning.
Topic: Architecture and Wall Painting in Mosaic and Fresco
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

19. The monastery church of St. Panteleimon at Nerezi was built under the patronage of
A. Basil I.
B. Prince Vladimir.
C. Alexios Komnenos.
D. Romanos II.
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 8.c Relate Byzantine artists and art to their cultural, economic, and political
contexts.
Topic: Architecture and Wall Painting in Mosaic and Fresco
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts

20. Which description of the image of the Lamentation with Standing Monastic Saints Below
(Fig. 8-23) at Nerezi reflects art under the Komnenians?
A. short, squatty figures
B. aloof and emotionless quality
C. flat, two-dimensionality
D. painterly spontaneity
Answer: D
Learning Objective: 8.f Select visual and textual evidence in various media to support an
argument or an interpretation of a work of Byzantine art.
Topic: Architecture and Wall Painting in Mosaic and Fresco
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It

Copyright © 2018, 2014, 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

99
21. The Lamentation with Standing Monastic Saints Below (Fig. 8-23) at Nerezi focuses on
A. the Virgin’s anguish.
B. the activities of the onlookers.
C. the background landscape.
D. the moment of the Crucifixion.
Answer: A
Learning Objective: 8.b Interpret the meaning of works of Byzantine art based on their themes,
subjects, and symbols.
Topic: Architecture and Wall Painting in Mosaic and Fresco
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

22. Small, portable luxury items created in the Middle Byzantine period combine exceptional
beauty and technical skill with
A. altruistic flair.
B. philosophical virtues.
C. religious meaning.
D. pagan motifs.
Answer: C
Learning Objective: 8.a Identify the visual hallmarks of Byzantine art for formal, technical, and
expressive qualities.
Topic: Precious Objects of Commemoration, Veneration, and Devotion
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts

23. On the back of the central panel of the Harbaville Triptych (Fig. 8-25B), what symbolized
paradise?
A. bust-length portraits of saints
B. vegetation inhabited by animals
C. the archangel Michael
D. portraits of monks
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 8.b Interpret the meaning of works of Byzantine art based on their themes,
subjects, and symbols.
Topic: Precious Objects of Commemoration, Veneration, and Devotion
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It

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100
24. Which work of art is related to the Harbaville Triptych (Fig. 8-25) in figure style and
composition?
A. Crucifixion and Iconoclasts
B. The Hospitality of Abraham
C. Christ Pantokrator with Scenes from the Life of Christ
D. Christ Crowning Emperor Romanos II and Empress Eudokia
Answer: D
Learning Objective: 8.e Interpret a work of Byzantine art using the art historical methods of
observation, comparison, and inductive reasoning.
Topic: Precious Objects of Commemoration, Veneration, and Devotion
Difficulty Level: Easy
Skill Level: Remember the Facts

25. In the Icon of Saint Michael the Archangel (Fig. 8-29) from the Middle Byzantine period, the
archangel is depicted as
A. a messenger.
B. a military commander.
C. a Roman deity.
D. a disciple.
Answer: B
Learning Objective: 8.f Select visual and textual evidence in various media to support an
argument or an interpretation of a work of Byzantine art.
Topic: Precious Objects of Commemoration, Veneration, and Devotion
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

Short Answer

1. What are the “three golden ages” of Byzantine art, and when did each occur?
Answer: The Early Byzantine period lasted from the fifth century to the eighth century. The
Middle Byzantine period began in 843 and continued until 1204. The late Byzantine period
lasted from 1261 to 1453.
Learning Objective: 8.c Relate Byzantine artists and art to their cultural, economic, and political
contexts.
Topic: Early Byzantine Art
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

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101
2. What does the term “Byzantine” mean, and what is the significance of the location?
Answer: Byzantine refers to the art and architecture of Constantinople, which is at the crossroads
of Europe and Asia. The city was known as the “New Rome.”
Learning Objective: 8.a Identify the visual hallmarks of Byzantine art for formal, technical, and
expressive qualities.
Topic: Early Byzantine Art
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

3. How is the main dome of Hagia Sophia (Fig. 8-4) supported?


Answer: The main dome rests on four pendentives that connect the base with supporting piers at
the four corners of the area beneath it.
Learning Objective: 8.a Identify the visual hallmarks of Byzantine art for formal, technical, and
expressive qualities.
Topic: The Golden Age of Justinian
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

4. How does the dome of Hagia Sophia (Fig. 8-4) differ from the dome of the Pantheon (Figs. 6-
48 and 6-49)?
Answer: The Pantheon dome contains an oculus. The Hagia Sophia dome includes squinches.
The Pantheon includes a ring of masonry underneath the dome.
Learning Objective: 8.a Identify the visual hallmarks of Byzantine art for formal, technical, and
expressive qualities.
Topic: The Golden Age of Justinian
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It

5. What were the purposes of Byzantine manuscripts?


Answer: All books were handwritten. Manuscripts took the form of Bibles, personal prayer
books, and secular books. They showed wealth and status.
Learning Objective: 8.c Relate Byzantine artists and art to their cultural, economic, and political
contexts.
Topic: Luxury Objects
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It

6. What caused the iconoclasm of 726 CE, and what was the result?
Answer: Emperor Leo III imposed iconoclasm because of mounting discomfort with the place of
icons in Christian devotion.
Learning Objective: 8.d Apply the vocabulary and concepts relevant to Byzantine art, artists, and
art history.
Topic: Iconoclasm
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

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102
7. What was established by the Kievan mosaics (Fig. 8-20)?
Answer: A standard iconographical system was established in Russian Orthodox churches. It
made a powerful political statement.
Learning Objective: 8.c Relate Byzantine artists and art to their cultural, economic, and political
contexts.
Topic: Architecture and Wall Painting in Mosaic and Fresco
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

8. How do the mosaics in the monastery church of the Dormition at Daphni (Figs. 8-21 and 8-22)
convey a mood and message?
Answer: Fewer figures with more curves and an illuminated background make the mosaics
exude emotion.
Learning Objective: 8.b Interpret the meaning of works of Byzantine art based on their themes,
subjects, and symbols.
Topic: Architecture and Wall Painting in Mosaic and Fresco
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It

9. What inspired the doge of Venice to commission the Cathedral of Saint Mark (Fig. 8-24)?
Answer: The doge wanted to replace the palace chapel that housed the relics of St. Mark; the
relics had been brought to Venice from Alexandria.
Learning Objective: 8.c Relate Byzantine artists and art to their cultural, economic, and political
contexts.
Topic: Architecture and Wall Painting in Mosaic and Fresco
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

10. How does math play a role in Late Byzantine works, such as The Hospitality of Abraham
(Fig. 8-36)?
Answer: The circle is the basic underlying form of the composition and the artist relied on
mathematical conventions to create ideal figures and symmetry.
Learning Objective: 8.f Select visual and textual evidence in various media to support an
argument or an interpretation of a work of Byzantine art.
Topic: Late Byzantine Art, Icons
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

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103
Essay

1. Discuss the iconographic motifs that developed during Byzantine periods for representing
events from the Life of Christ.
Answer:
1. The iconography of color and Christian narratives continued from the Early Christian
period.
2. The Transfiguration of Christ became a popular theme to inspire meditation and prayer.
3. The Virgin Mary emerged as a prominent figure, and icons with the child figure of Jesus
were numerous.
4. The number of figures represented in the Crucifixion, Lamentation, and other scenes put the
focus on the divine.
Learning Objective: 8.b Interpret the meaning of works of Byzantine art based on their themes,
subjects, and symbols.
Topic: Early Byzantine Art; Middle Byzantine Art
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It

2. Compare and contrast the image of Christ in Figure 8-11 and in Figure 8-32. What
developments can be described from sixth century to the fourteenth century in Byzantine art?
Answer:
1. Both works are semicircular in the apse.
2. Anastasis is a fresco and, therefore, the colors are less brilliant than in the mosaic.
3. The Transfiguration of Christ shows the main figure as large, surrounded by a few smaller
figures and with many boarder medallions.
4. In Anastasis the figure of Christ is closer in scale to the many surrounding figures. It shows
some implied motion and is a clear narrative.
Learning Objective: 8.e Interpret a work of Byzantine art using the art historical methods of
observation, comparison, and inductive reasoning.
Topic: Early Byzantine Art; Late Byzantine Art
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It

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104
3. Discuss the floor plan of the monastery at Hosios Loukas. What role did it play in the life of
the monks?
Answer:
1. Monks lived in cells that were situated around the walls of the complex.
2. The refectory mimicked the nave of the church next to it and acted as a dining hall.
3. Warm rooms were situated along the exterior walls for writers who wrote the word of God.
4. Scenes of Christ’s life decorated the church to encourage meditation.
Learning Objective: 8.f Select visual and textual evidence in various media to support an
argument or an interpretation of a work of Byzantine art.
Topic: Architecture and Wall Painting in Mosaic and Fresco
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

4. Compare and contrast the representation of the Virgin Mary throughout the Byzantine era.
Answer:
1. Mary became one of the most prominent figures in Christian art.
2. Mary is shown in blue, with hints of red to symbolize sacrifice, and gold, to symbolize
divinity and spiritual knowledge.
3. Stock images were used to represent her facial details, including an elongated face and
nose, a small mouth, and large, high-set eyes.
4. She typically sits on a throne but also physically acts as the throne of Heaven for the figure
of Jesus.
Learning Objective: 8.e Interpret a work of Byzantine art using the art historical methods of
observation, comparison, and inductive reasoning.
Topic: Middle Byzantine Art; Late Byzantine Art
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Skill Level: Apply What You Know and Analyze It

5. Describe the formal and stylistic elements of David Battling Goliath (Fig. 8-1). How does this
exemplify the Byzantine aesthetic?
Answer:
1. The figures on the plate show three signature scenes from David’s battle with Goliath.
2. Implied motion is seen in all three registers and the composition is crowded.
3. The proportion and scale of the figures reflects a Classical influence.
4. Goliath can be identified by iconography, such as a helmet, spear, sword, and shield.
Learning Objective: 8.a Identify the visual hallmarks of Byzantine art for formal, technical, and
expressive qualities.
Topic: Chapter Introduction
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts

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CHAPTER XII.

ORGANS OF REPRODUCTION.

All fishes are dioecious, or of distinct sex. Instances of so-called


hermaphroditism are, with the exception of Serranus, abnormal
individual peculiarities, and have been observed in the Cod-fish,
some Pleuronectidæ, and in the Herring. Either the generative organ
of one side was found to be male, that of the other female; or the
organ of one or both sides was observed to have been developed
partly into an ovary partly into a testicle. In the European species of
Serranus a testicle-like body is attached to the lower part of the
ovary; but many specimens of this genus are undoubtedly males,
having normally developed testicles only.
The majority of fishes are oviparous, comparatively few
viviparous; the embryos being developed either in the ovarium or in
some dilated portion of the oviduct. In viviparous fishes actual
copulation takes place, and the males of most of them are provided
with copulatory or intromittent organs. In oviparous fishes the
generative products are, during sexual excitement, discharged into
the water, a very small quantity of semen being sufficient for effectual
impregnation of a number of ova dispersed in a considerable
quantity of water; circumstances which render artificial impregnation
more practicable than in any other class of animals.
In Branchiostoma the generative organs occupy the ventral side
of the abdominal cavity, into which they discharge their contents. No
ducts are developed in either sex.
In the Cyclostomes the generative organ is single, and fixed to or
suspended from the median line of the back of the visceral cavity by
a duplicature of the peritoneum (mesoarium); the testicle and ovary
being distinguishable by their contents only. These escape by
dehiscence of the cells or capsules and rupture of the peritoneal
covering into the abdominal cavity, and are expelled by reciprocal
pressure of the intertwined sexes through the porus genitalis, which
is sunk between two labia of the skin in Myxine, and produced into a
long papilla in Petromyzon.
69.—Ovum of Myxine
glutinosa, enlarged.
The ova of the Lampreys are small, globular, like those of
Teleosteans. Those of Myxine have a very peculiar shape when
mature; they are of an oval form, about 15 millimetres long and 8
millimetres broad, enveloped in a horny case, which at each end is
provided with a bundle of short threads, each thread ending in a
triple hook. Whilst in the mesoarial fold the eggs are attached to one
another by means of these hooks, and after being expelled they
probably fix themselves by the same means to other objects. As in
all fishes producing ova of large size, the number of ova matured in
one season is but small.
In Teleosteans the generative organs are comparatively large. In
some families the ovaries are without closed covering and without
oviducts, as in Salmonidæ, Galaxiidæ, Notopteridæ, Murænidæ, and
others. The surface of such an open ovary—as, for instance, that of
the Salmon—is transversely plaited, the ova being developed in
capsules in the stroma of the laminæ; after rupture of the capsules
the mature ova drop into the abdominal cavity, and are expelled by
the porus genitalis. The ovaries of the other Teleosteans are closed
sacs, continued into oviducts. Frequently such ovaries coalesce into
a single body, or one in which the division is effected internally only
by a more or less complete septum. Fixed by a mesoarium, the
ovaries occupy generally a position outwards of the intestine or air-
bladder; their form varies as well as the thickness and firmness of
their covering, which frequently is an extremely thin transparent
membrane. The inner surface of the ovarian sac is transversely or
longitudinally plaited or covered with fringes, on which the ova are
developed, as in the open ovaries. In the viviparous Teleosteans the
embryons are likewise developed within the ovary, notably in the
Embiotocidæ, many Blenniidæ, and Cyprinodontidæ, Sebastes
viviparus, etc. Among the Cyprinodonts the end of the oviduct is
attached to the anterior anal rays, which are modified into supports
of its termination. In Rhodeus the oviduct is periodically prolonged
into a long oviferous tube, by means of which the female deposits
her ova into the shells of living Bivalves.

Fig. 70.—Ditrema argenteum, with fully developed young, ready for expulsion
by the genital orifice, o; a, folds of the ovarian sac; v, vent.

The ova of Teleosteous Fishes are extremely variable in size,


quite independently of the size of the parent species. The ova of
large and small individuals of the same species, of course, do not
differ in size; but, on the whole larger individuals produce a greater
number of ova than smaller ones of the same species. The larger the
size of the ova is in a species, the smaller is the number produced
during one season. The ova of the Eel are almost microscopic. The
small sized roe in the Herring, Lump-fish, Halibut, and Cod-fish, have
been estimated at respectively 25,000, 155,000, 3,500,000, and
9,344,000. Larger in size and fewer in number are those of
Antennarius, Salmo, Aspredo, Lophobranchs, etc. Comparatively
largest are those of Gastrosteus; and the Siluroid genus Arius, the
males of which take care of their progeny, produces ova from 5 to 10
millimeters in diameter. The ova of all Teleosteans are perfectly
globular and soft-shelled. Teleosteans without oviduct, deposit them
separated from one another; whilst in many Teleosteans with an
oviduct the ova are enveloped in a glutinous substance, secreted by
its glands, swelling in the water and forming lumps or cords, in which
the ova are aggregated.

Fig. 71. Ovum of Arius


boakii (Ceylon), showing
embryo. Nat. size.
Fig. 72.—Abdomen of
Aspredo batrachus, with the ova
attached; at a, the ova are
removed, to show the spongy
structure of the skin, and the
processes filling the interspaces
between the ova. (Natural size.)
Instances of the female taking care of her progeny are extremely
scarce in fishes. At present only two examples are known, that of the
Siluroid genus Aspredo, and of Solenostoma. In the former, during
the time of propagation, the integuments of the lower side of the flat
trunk of the female assume a soft and spongy texture. After having
deposited the eggs, the female attaches them to, and presses them
into, the spongy integument, by merely lying over them. She carries
them on her belly, as the Surinam Toad (Pipa) carries her ova on the
back. When the eggs are hatched the excrescence on the skin
disappears, and the abdomen becomes as smooth as before. In
Solenostoma the inner side of the long and broad ventral fins
coalesces with the integuments of the body, a large pouch being
formed for the reception of the eggs. There is a peculiar provision for
the retention of the eggs in the sac, and probably for the attachment
of the embryo. The inner walls of the sac are lined with long
filaments, arranged in series along the ventral rays, and more
numerous and longer at the base of the rays than in the middle of
their length, behind which they disappear entirely. They are also
more developed in examples in which eggs are deposited in the sac
than in those which have the sac empty. The filaments most
developed have a length of half an inch, and are beset with
mamilliform appendages. A slightly undulated canal runs along the
interior of the filament.

Fig. 73.—Solenostoma cyanopterum ♂ (Indian Ocean).


Fig. 74.—Pouch with ova, formed by
the ventral fins of Solenostoma. Lower
aspect; the edges of the fins have been
pushed aside to allow of a view of the
inside of the pouch. (Natural size.)
The Testicles of the Teleosteans are always paired, and occupy
the same position as the ovaries. Their size varies extraordinarily at
the different seasons of the year. Vasa deferentia are constant. In
the males of viviparous Teleosteans the urogenital papilla is
frequently enlarged, and clearly serves as an intromittent organ. In
Clinus despicillatus the vas deferens widens within the abdomen into
a cavity occupied by a complex network of loose fasciculi, rising from
the mucous membrane. The cavity can be compressed by a special
powerful muscle, the accumulated semen being thus expelled with
considerable force through the narrow aperture of the penis. In many
Cyprinodonts the vas deferens runs along the anterior anal rays,
which may be thickened, and prolonged into a long slender organ.
Many Teleostei take care of their progeny, but with the exception
of Aspredo and Solenostoma, mentioned above (p. 160), it is the
male on which this duty devolves. In some, as in Cottus,
Gastrosteus, Cyclopterus, Antennarius, Ophiocephalus, Callichthys,
the male constructs with more or less skill a nest, and jealously
guards the ova deposited in it by the female. The male of some
species of Arius carries the ova (Fig. 71) about with him in his
capacious pharynx. The species of Chromis, inhabiting the sea of
Galilee, are said to take care of their ova in the same manner. And,
finally, in the Lophobranchs, nature has aided this instinct by the
development of a pouch on the abdomen or lower side of the tail. In
the Syngnathidæ this pouch is formed by a fold of the skin
developed from each side of the trunk and tail, the free margins of
the fold being firmly united in the median line, whilst the eggs are
being hatched in the inside of the pouch. In Hippocampus the pouch
is completely closed, with a narrow anterior opening.

Fig. 75.—Syngnathus acus ♂, with sub-caudal pouch.


Fig. 76.—Sub-caudal pouch of
Syngnathus acus, with the young, ready
to leave the pouch. One side of the
membrane of the pouch is pushed aside
to admit of a view of its interior. (Natural
size.)
The genital organs of Ganoids show similar diversity of structure
as those of Teleosteans, but on the whole they approach the
Batrachian type. The ovaries are not closed, except in Lepidosiren;
all Ganoids possess oviducts. In the Sturgeons the oviduct as well
as the vas deferens is represented by a funnel-shaped prolongation
of the peritoneum, which communicates with the wide ureter. The
inner aperture of the funnel is on a level of the middle of the testicle
or ovary, the outer within the ureter; and it is a noteworthy fact that
only at certain periods of the life of the fish this outer aperture is
found to be open,—at other times the peritoneal funnel appears as a
closed blind sac within the ureter. The mode of passage of the
semen into the funnel is not known.
In Polypterus and Amia, proper oviducts, with abdominal
apertures in about the middle of the abdominal cavity, are
developed; they coalesce with the ureters close to the common
urogenital aperture.
In Ceratodus (Fig. 77), a long convoluted oviduct extends to the
foremost limit of the abdominal cavity, where it opens by a slit at a
considerable distance from the front end of the long ovary; this
aperture is closed in sexually immature specimens. The oviducts
unite close to their common opening in the cloaca. During their
passage through the oviduct the ova receive a gelatinous covering
secreted by its mucous membrane. This is probably also the case in
Lepidosiren, which possesses a convoluted oviduct with secretory
glands in the middle of its length. The oviduct begins with a funnel-
shaped dilatation, and terminates in a wide pouch, which posteriorly
communicates with that of the other side, both opening by a common
aperture behind the urinary bladder.
The ova of Ganoids, as far as they are known at present, are
small, but enveloped in a gelatinous substance. In the Sturgeon
have been counted as many as 7,635,200. Those of Lepidosteus
seem to be the largest, measuring 5 millimetres in diameter with their
envelope, and 3 millimetres without it. They are deposited singly, like
those of Newts.
Fig. 77.—Ovaries of Ceratodus.
a, Right ovary shown from the inner
surface, which is covered by the
peritoneum; a’, Left ovary, showing
its outer surface; l, Portion of liver;
o, Oviduct; p, the lower part of the
oviduct is opened to show the folds
of its inner membrane; q, Opening
of the left oviduct into the right; r,
Abdominal orifice of the oviduct.
In Chondropterygians (and Holocephali) the organs of
reproduction assume a more compact form, and are more free from
a lengthened attachment to the back of the abdominal cavity. The
ovaries of the majority are paired, single in the Carchariidæ and
Scylliidæ, one remaining undeveloped. But the oviducts are always
paired, beginning immediately behind the diaphragma with a
common aperture. They consist of two divisions, separated by a
circular valve; the upper is narrow, and provided within its coats with
a gland which secretes the leathery envelope in which most of the
Chondropterygian ova are enclosed; the lower forms the uterine
dilatation, in which the embryoes of the viviparous species are
developed. Generally the vitelline sac of the embryoes is free, and
without connection with the uterus, which in these cases has merely
the function of a protecting pouch; but in Carcharias and Mustelus
lævis a placenta uterina is formed, the vascular walls of the vitelline
sac forming plaits fitting into those of the membrane of the uterus.
The ends of the uteri open by a common aperture behind the ureter
into the cloaca.
Fig. 78.—Ventral fins and claspers of Chiloscyllium trispeculare.
The testicles are always paired, rounded, and situated in the
anterior part of the abdominal cavity, covered by the liver. Vasa
efferentia pass the semen into a much-convoluted epididymis, which
is continued into the vas deferens; this, at the commencement of its
course, is spirally wound, but becomes straight behind, and has its
end dilated into a seminal reservoir. It opens with the urethra in a
papilla within the cloaca.
The so-called claspers of Chondropterygians (Fig. 78) are
characteristic of all male individuals. They are semi-ossified
appendages of the pubic, with which they are movably joined, and
special muscles serve to regulate their movements. Sometimes they
are armed with hook-like osseous excrescences (Selache). They are
irregularly longitudinally convoluted, and, when closely ad-pressed to
each other, form a canal open at their extremity. A gland, abundantly
discharging a secretion during the season of propagation, is situated
at, and opens into, the base of the canal. It is still doubtful whether
the generally-adopted opinion that their function consists in holding
the female during copulation is correct, or whether they are not
rather an intromittent organ, the canal of which not only conducts the
secretion of their proper gland but also the impregnating fluid.

Fig. 79.—Egg of a Scyllium


from Magelhan’s Straits (? Sc.
chilense). Natural size.
Fig. 80.—Egg-shell of Cestracion
philippi, half natural size, linear.
I. External view. II. Vertical section.
a, One spiral ridge; b, The other
spiral ridge; c, Cavity for the ovum.

The ova of the oviparous Chondropterygians are large and few in


number; they are successively impregnated, and the impregnation
must take place before they are invested with a tough leathery
envelope which would be impenetrable to the semen, that is, before
they enter the uterus; therefore, copulation must take place in all
these fishes. The form of the egg-shell differs in the various genera;
generally (Fig. 79) they are flattened, quadrangular, with each of the
four corners produced, and frequently prolonged into long filaments
which serve for the attachment of the ova to other fixed objects. In
Notidanus the surfaces are crossed by numerous ridges. In
Cestracion (Fig. 80) the egg is pyriform, with two broad ridges or
plates, wound edgewise round it, the two ridges forming five spires.
The eggs of Callorhynchus (Fig. 81) have received a protective
resemblance to a broad-leaved fucus, forming a long depressed
ellipse, with a plicated and fringed margin.
Fig. 81.—Egg of
Callorhynchus antarcticus. a,
Cavity for the embryo.
CHAPTER XIII.

GROWTH AND VARIATION OF FISHES.

Changes of form normally accompanying growth (after absorption


of the vitelline sac) are observed in all fishes; but in the majority they
affect only the proportional size of the various parts of the body. In
young fishes the eyes are constantly larger than in adult relatively to
the size of the head; and again, the head is larger relatively to that of
the body. Changes amounting to metamorphosis have been hitherto
observed in Petromyzon only. In the larval condition (Ammocætes)
the head is very small, and the toothless buccal cavity is surrounded
by a semicircular upper lip. The eyes are extremely small, hidden in
a shallow groove; and the vertical fins form a continuous fringe. In
the course of three or four years the teeth are developed, and the
mouth changes into a perfect suctorial organ; the eyes grow; and the
dorsal fin is divided into two divisions. In Malacopterygians and
Anacanths the embryonal fringe from which the vertical fins are
developed, is much longer persistent than in Acanthopterygians. A
metamorphosis relating to the respiratory organs, as in Batrachians,
is indicated in the class of Fishes by the external gills with which
fœtal Plagiostomes (Fig. 58, p. 136) and the young of some
Ganoids, viz. the Protopterus and Polypterus, are provided.
Fig. 82.—Mouth of Larva of Petromyzon
branchialis.

Fig. 83.—Mouth of Petromyzon fluviatilis.


mx, Maxillary tooth; md, Mandibulary tooth; l,
Lingual tooth; s, Suctorial teeth.
Fig. 84.—Armature of præoperculum of young Caranx
ferdau. (Magnified.)
I. Of an individual, 1¼ inch long. II. Of an individual, 2
inches long.

Fig. 85.—Tholichthys osseus. Six times the


natural size.

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