On the relative growth of the organs and parts of the embryonic and young dogfish (Mustelis canis)

Text from Introduction section of this thesis: In general, but little attention has been paid to the relative growth of the various organs in fishes. Some scattering observations are included. in the work of Welcker and Brandt ('03). The most complete data are those of Kellicott ( '08) on the dogfish. These, however, deal only with the relations from birth onward. A knowledge of the earlier embryonic conditions is very desirable in order to trace more completely the growth process and to give a more extended basis for comparison with higher vertebrates. Therefore the purpose of the present paper is to present and discuss some original observations on the relative growth of the viscera and parts of the embryonic dogfish. Some original data on the postnatal relative growth of the young dogfish are included for comparison with embryonic growth and with postnatal data already in the literature. Also observations on fourteen specimens of Amiurus are included for comparison with the teleost. The relative growth of the dogfish is briefly compared in a general way with the data in the literature on the relative growth of higher vertebrates, especially mammals.