University of South Florida Scholar Commons Integrative Biology Books Integrative Biology 1883 Investigations on the Echinoids of the Coasts of Provence: A Translation of Recherches sur les Echinides des Cotes de Provence René Kœhler John M. Lawrence University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/bin_books Recommended Citation Koehler, R. (2008). Investigations on the Echinoids of the Coasts of Provence: A Translation of Recherches sur les Echinides des Cotes de Provence (J. M. Lawrence, Trans.). Herizos Press, Tampa. This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Integrative Biology at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Integrative Biology Books by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ANN ALES DU MUSEE D'HISTOIRE NATURE LLE DE MARSEILLE . - ZOOLOGIE Tome Ju MEMOIRE N° 8 RECHERCHES SUR LE S J ECHINIDES DES COTES DE PROVENCE M. RENE KIBHLER I Pn.!p:tratcur de Zoo logie :'1 la Facul te des Sciences de t\ :incy . PAHIS Lllll\AIRIE J.-B. BAILLii::l\EET FILS J!I, Rue Ifautcrcuillc, pres du boulevard SainL-Ocrmain. 1883 ANNALES DU MUSÉE D’HISTOIRE NATURELLE DE MARSEILLE. — ZOOLOGIE Volume 1 Memoir No. 3 ____ INVESTIGATIONS ON THE ECHINOIDS OF THE COASTS OF PROVENCE BY RÉNE KŒHLER PRÉPARATUER OF ZOOLOGY, FACULTY OF SCIENCES, NANCY MARSEILLE TYPOGRAPHIE ET LITHOGRAPHIE CAYER ET Cie Rue Saint-Ferréol, 57. __ 1883 Herizos Press, Tampa Translation copyright © 2008 by John M. Lawrence 4 This translation is dedicated to my good friend and colleague for many years, Professor Michel Jangoux of the Universite Libre de Bruxelles John Lawre nce, Michel Jangoux Bruxelles, 1989 5 Réne Koehler Jean Baptiste François René Kœhler was born 7 March 1860 in Saint-Dié and died 19 April 1931 in Lyon. He defended theses in both natural sciences and in medicine at Nancy in 1883. He entered the faculty of sciences at Nancy a préparateur in zoology and then at Lyon in 1889. He was named to the chair of zoology at Lyon in 1894. Koehler partiacipated in curises of the Princesse Alice with Prince Albert of Monaco. Koehler was a specialist in echinoderms but also worked with isopods. He was president of the Zoological Society of France in 1911. He became an Officer of the Legion of Honor in 1923. His extensive collection of echinoderms and his library are in the Collections de Zoologie, part of the Collections Patrimoniales Universitaires of the Université Claude Bernard (Lyon). Much of the work for his thesis in natural sciences was done at the Station Endoume in Marseille. The station was still new, having been founded in 1869. Antoine-Fortuné Marion, director of the station, founded the Annales du Musée d’Histoires Naturelles de Marseille in 1883. Koehler’s memoir appeared in the series that year. The memoir is in three parts. The first part concerns the anatomy of echinoids and considers all the major systems. The second part concerns the echinoid species found on the coast of Provence, with a description of their anatomy, habitat and distribution. The third part is a short addendum with limited observations on early development of hybrids. 6 Translator’s note: I have been consistent with following Koehler’s memoir, including whether or not a species name is italicized or diacritical marks are given or misspelled. I have retained the species names and authors used by Koehler. Because some of the names have changed, the present names of all species are given here. He still spelled his last name as Kœhler in 1883. Species’ names used by Koehler Species’ names at present Dorocidaris papillata A. Ag. Cidaris cidaris (Linnaeus) Arbacia pustulosa Leske Arbacia lixula (Linnaeus) Centrostephanus longispinus Peters Centrostephanus longispinus (Philippi) Echinus melo Lam. Echinus melo Lamarck Echinus acutus Lam. Gracilechinus acutus (Lamarck) Psammechinus microtuberculatus Ag. Psammechinus microtuberculatus (Blainville) Strongylocentrotus lividus Brandt Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck) Sphærechinus granularis A. Ag. Sphaerechinus granularis (Lamarck) Echinocyamus pusillus Gray Echinocyamus pusillus (O.F. Müller) Spatangus purpureus Muller Spatangus purpureus O.F. Müller Echinocardium flavescens Echinocardium flavescens (O.F. Müller) Echinocardiium cordatum Gray Echinocardium cordatum (Pennant) Echinocardium mediterraneum Gray Echinocardium mediterraneum (Forbes) Schizaster canaliferus L. Ag. and Desor Ova canliferus (Lamarck) Brissopsis lyrifera Ag. and Desor Brissus lyrifera (Forbes) Brissus unicolor Klein Brissus unicolor (Leske) Pagination in the memoir is given in bold, e.g. 12. 7 INVESTIGATIONS ON THE ECHINOIDS OF THE COASTS OF PROVENCE ------------------------------ INTRODUCTION AND HISTORY --------------- The goal that I proposed to myself in beginning this work was to make as complete a study as possible of the different systems that constitute the internal anatomy of the irregular urchins living on the coast of Provence. The works published on this subject are, in fact, very few and the two most recent studies by Hoffmann and Teuscher address, moreover, only the single genus Spatangus. They also are contradictory regarding a large number of points, particularly on all that was reported about the circulatory system. For that reason it appeared necessary to return to this study anew. The internal anatomy of the regular urchins, which had been the object of more extensive and much more numerous works, seemed to me more advanced and known in a satisfactory fashion, especially after the research of Perrier on the circulatory system. Until then it was described in a very incomplete and vague fashion and often the subject of debate. After having finished the study of the spatangoids, I was led to occupy myself with the anatomy of regular urchins by the difficulty that I encountered in comparing the circulatory system of spatangoids with that of urchins. Moreover, the research of Teuscher published in 1876 did not agree in certain points with those of 6 Perrier. The histology of certain organs, the digestive tube and the tube feet, for example, required new investigations. The coasts of Provence offered me in addition very rich material for study that I was fully able to take advantage of thanks to the generous hospitality I received at the Laboratory of Higher Studies of the Faculty of Sciences of Marseille. The regular urchins are, in fact, represented in the Gulf of Marseille by seven species, of which four are always found in very great abundance (Echinus acutus, Strongylocentrotus lividus, Sphærechinus granularis and Psammechinus microtuberculatus). The three other species (Echinus melo, Dorocidaris papillata and Arbacia pustulosa) are much rarer. The spatangoids are represented there by seven species belonging to the five genera Spatangus, Echinocardium, Schizaster, Brissus and Brissopsis. Spatangus and Ech. flavescens are very common; the other species are in contrast very rare. But, thanks to those specimens preserved in alcohol placed at my disposition by M. Marion, I have been able to study the anatomy of these latter three genera. As to the class of clypeasteroids, they are represented in the Gulf only 8 by Echinocyamus pusillus. The very small size of this species does not lend itself to anatomical investigations and I have completely set aside its study. The most important knowledge we have on the anatomy of echinoids, especially on spatangoids, is not very old. Until 1870 there was still little information about this group although we had the old works of Monro, Tiedemann, Delle Chiaje, and the more recent works of Milne Edwards, Krohn, Valentin and J. Muller. The most important works on echinoids were particularly those of zoology and paleontological zoology. The paleontologists are presented, in fact, with fossil echinoids that abound in the earth and whose remains are in a quite remarkable state of preservation. The result of these investigations, accompanied most frequently with analogous observations on living animals, has been to make the external morphology of these beings known in a very detailed manner. One has a very complete knowledge of the studied types about the test, but in reality the internal anatomy of various echinoids still remains very obscure. Nevertheless these investigations of paleontological zoology have given very important information on the path that this type has followed in its differentiation. They show us the ancient echinoids of the primitive earth (Palæchini) that by their obscure characters that approach the cystoids, acquire little by little the characters of echinoid types that begin with cidaroid forms. They differentiate then in a manner to offer a multiplicity of types unknown in the present. Several are very interesting because 7 they fill the gaps that seem to exist if we examine only living forms. It is thus that we know all the intermediary types between the regulars and irregulars that are so different in our time. We can follow step by step the irregularity of the echinoid organism that began by this curious migration of the anus and which, in fossil genera, is shown in all its phases. It is possible to suppose that, according to the measure of irregularity attained, the various anatomical systems whose equilibrium was strongly disturbed have shown considerable modifications made necessary by the great changes related to the arrangement of the plates of the test. We can recognize traces of these in living spatangoids. A comparative and very detailed study on the plates of the tests of living and fossil echinoids allowed Lovén1 (1872-1874) to establish their morphology in a definitive fashion, to find numerous points of relation of the various plates between regulars and irregulars, and to show, in living urchins, evident traces, although transitory, of the relationship of echinoids with crinoids. Important discoveries since Lovén’s work resulted from dredges in the deep sea. They have allowed the study of certain interesting types, sometimes with a strange and supposedly extinct form. They were able to be used by Lovén, and thus complete the beautiful series of studies of the Swedish scholar.