2. A comparison of the specifically Neotropical with the specifically North American types shows that no two regions can be more dissimilar. It is only in the intervening borderland, and in the large West Indian Islands, that the two faunæ mix with each other. We need not enter into the details of the physical features of Central America and Mexico—the broken ground, the variety of climate (produced by different altitudes) within limited districts, the hot and moist alluvial plains surrounding the Mexican Gulf, offer a diversity of conditions most favourable to the intermixture of the types from the north and the south. But yet the exchange of peculiar forms appears to be only beginning; none have yet penetrated beyond the debatable ground, and it is evident that the land-connection between the two continents is of comparatively recent date: a view which is confirmed by the identity of the marine fishes on both sides of Central America.
Cuba—and this is the only island in the West Indies which has a number of freshwater fishes sufficient for the determination of its zoo-geographical relations—is inhabited by several kinds of a perch (Centropomus), freshwater mullets, Cyprinodonts, one species of Chromid (an Acara), and Symbranchus marmoratus. All these fishes are found in Central America, and as they belong to forms known to enter brackish water more or less freely, it is evident that they have crossed from the mainland of South America or from Central America. But with them there came a remarkable North American type, Lepidosteus. Lepidosteus viridis, which is found in the United States, has penetrated on the mainland to the Pacific coast of Guatemala, where it is common at the mouth of the rivers and in brack-water lakes along the coast; it probably crossed into Cuba from Florida. A perfectly isolated type of fishes inhabits the subterranean waters of the caves of Cuba (two species of Lucifuga). The eyes are absent or quite rudimentary, as in most other cave animals. Singularly, it belongs to a family (Ophidiidæ), the members of which are strictly marine; and its nearest ally is a genus, Brotula, the species of which are distributed over the Indo-Pacific Ocean, one only occurring in the Caribbean Sea. This type must have witnessed all the geological changes which have taken place since Cuba rose above the surface of the sea.
A similar mixture of forms of the Tropical and Temperate types of Freshwater fishes takes place in the south of South America; its details have not yet been so well studied as in the north; but this much is evident that, whilst in the East Tropical forms follow the Plate river far into the Temperate region, in the West the Temperate Fauna finds still a congenial climate in ranges of the Andes, situated close to, or even north of, the Tropic.
Like the Indian region, the Tropical American has a peculiar Alpine Fauna, the Freshwater fishes of which, however, belong to the Siluroids and Cyprinodonts. The former are small, dwarfed forms (Arges, Stygogenes, Brontes, Astroblepus, Trichomycterus, Eremophilus), and have a perfectly naked body, whilst the representatives in the lowlands of, at least, the first four genera are mailed. The Alpine Cyprinodonts, on the other hand, (Orestias) exceed the usual small size of the other members of this family, are covered with thick scales, but have lost their ventral fins. Some of these Alpine forms, like Trichomycterus, follow the range of the Andes far into the southern temperate region. The majority reach to a height of 15,000 feet above the level of the sea, and a few are found still higher.
D. The Tropical Pacific Region includes all the islands east of Wallace’s Line, New Guinea, Australia—with the exception of its south-eastern portion,—and all the islands of the Tropical Pacific to the Sandwich group. Comparing the area of this region with that of the others, we find it to be not only the poorest in point of the number of its species generally, but also in that of the possession of peculiar forms, as will appear from the following list:—
| Dipnoi [Neotrop., Africa.] | ||
| Ceratodus | 2 | species. |
| Percidæ [Cosmopol.]— | ||
| Lates (calcarifer) [India] | 1 | „ |
| Nannoperca | 1 | „ |
| Oligorus [New Zealand] | 1 | „ |
| Dules [India] | 8 | „ |
| (Macquaria) | 1 | „ |
| Labyrinthici— | ||
| Anabas (scandens) [India] | 1 | „ |
| Ophiocephalidæ— | ||
| Ophiocephalus (striatus) [India] | 1 | „ |
| Atherinidæ [Brack-water]— | ||
| Atherinichthys | 2 | „ |
| Osteoglossidæ [India, Africa, Neotrop.] | 1 | „ |
| Siluridæ— | ||
| Plotosina [India] | 9 | „ |
| Ariina [India, Africa, Neotrop.] | 7 | „ |
| Symbranchidæ— | ||
| Monopterus (javanicus) [India] | 1 | „ |
| Total | 36 | species. |
The paucity of freshwater fishes is due, in the first place, to the arid climate and the deficiency of water in the Australian continent, as well as to the insignificant size of the freshwater courses in the smaller islands. Still this cannot be the only cause: the large island of Celebes, which, by its mountainous portions, as well as by its extensive plains and lowlands, would seem to offer a favourable variety of conditions for the development of a freshwater Fauna is, as far as has been ascertained, tenanted by seven Freshwater fishes only, viz. 2 Arius, 2 Plotosus, 1 Andbas, 1 Ophiocephalus, 1 Monopterus, all of which are the commonest species of the Indian region. New Guinea has not yet been explored, but, from the faunæ nearest to this island, we expect its freshwater fishes will prove to be equally few in number, and identical with those of Celebes and North Australia; a supposition confirmed by the few small collections which have reached Europe. Finding, then, that even those parts of this region, which are favourable to the development of Freshwater fishes, have not produced any distinct forms, and that the few species which inhabit them, are unchanged, or but slightly modified Indian species, we must conclude that the whole of this area has remained geologically isolated from the other regions of this zone since the commencement of the existence of Teleostei; and that, with the exception of Ceratodus and Osteoglossum, the immigration of the other species is of very recent date.
Fossil remains of Ceratodus have been found in Liassic and Triassic formations of North America, England, Germany, and India; and it is, therefore, a type which was widely spread in the Mesozoic epoch. Although it would be rash to conclude that its occupation of Australia dates equally far back, for it may have reached that continent long afterwards; yet it is evident that, as it is one of the most ancient of the existing types, so it is certainly the first of the Freshwater fishes which appeared in Australia. Osteoglossum, of which no fossil remains yet have been found, is proved by its distribution to be one of the oldest Teleosteous types. There must have been a long gap of time before these ancient types were joined by the other Teleostei. All of them migrated through the intervening parts of the ocean from India. Most of the Plotosina, some of the Arii, Dules, and the Atherinichthys, also Nannoperca (allied to Apogon), were among the earliest arrivals, being sufficiently differentiated to be specifically or even generically (Cnidoglanis, Nannoperca) distinguished; but some others, like Anabas scandens, Lates calcarifer, Dules marginatus, must have reached the Australian continent quite recently, for they are indistinguishable from Indian specimens.
In South-western Australia a mingling of the scanty fauna with that of the southern temperate parts takes place. Oligorus macquariensis (The Murray Cod), which has a congener on the coast of New Zealand, ascends high up the Murray river, so that we cannot decide whether this Percoid should be located in the Tropical or Temperate part of Australia. Several Galaxias also extend to the confines of Queensland, and will probably some day be found members of this region.
In the smaller Pacific islands the Freshwater fishes exhibit a remarkable sameness: two or three species of Dules, several Eels, an Atherine, or some Gobies, Mullets, and other fishes which with equal readiness exchange fresh for salt water, and which would at once reach and occupy any streams or freshwater lakes that may be formed on an island.