§3.8Τὸν αὐτὸν δὲ τρόπον καὶ τὰ μαλάκια ποιεῖται τὸν τόκον, οἷον σηπίαι καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, καὶ τὰ μαλακόστρακα, οἷον κάραβοι καὶ τὰ συγγενῆ τούτοις· τίκτει γὰρ ἐξ ὀχείας καὶ ταῦτα, καὶ συνδυαζόμενον τὸ ἄρρεν τῷ θήλει πολλάκις ὦπται.
In the same manner also the molluscs produce their offspring, such as cuttlefish and the like, and the crustaceans, such as crayfish and those related to them; for these too bring forth from copulation, and the male has often been seen conjoining with the female.
διόπερ οὐδ᾽ ἱστορικῶς οὐδὲ ταύτῃ φαίνονται λέγοντες οἱ φάσκοντες τοὺς ἰχθῦς πάντας εἶναι θήλεις καὶ τίκτειν οὐκ ἐξ ὀχείας.
Therefore, those who assert that all fish are female and bring forth without copulation do not appear to speak correctly, neither from the point of view of observation nor in this respect.
τὸ γὰρ ταῦτα μὲν ἐξ ὀχείας οἴεσθαι, ἐκεῖνα δὲ μή, θαυμαστόν· εἴ τε τοῦτ᾽ ἐλελήθει, σημεῖον ἀ πειρίας.
For to think that these do so from copulation, but those do not, is surprising; and if this had escaped their notice, it is a sign of inexperience.
γίνεται δὲ ὁ συνδυασμὸς τούτων χρονιώτερος πάντων, ὥσπερ τῶν ἐντόμων, εὐλόγως ἄναιμα γάρ ἐστι, διόπερ ψυχρὰ τὴν φύσιν.
And the copulation of these is the most long-lasting of all, just as with insects, and reasonably so; for they are bloodless, and therefore cold in nature.
ταῖς μὲν οὗν σηπίαις καὶ ταῖς τευθίσι δύο τὰ ᾠὰ φαίνεται διὰ τὸ διηρθρῶσθαι τὴν ὑστέραν καὶ φαίνεσθαι δικρόαν, τὸ δὲ τῶν πολυπόδων ἓν ᾠόν.
Now, in cuttlefish and squids, the eggs appear to be two because the uterus is distinctly formed and appears bifurcated, but that of octopuses appears to be one egg.
αἴτιον δ᾽ ἡ μορφὴ στρογγύλη τὴν ἰδέαν οὖσα καὶ σφαιροειδής· ἡ γὰρ σχίσις ἄδηλος πληρωθείσης ἐστίν.
The cause is that the shape is round in appearance and spherical; for the division is indistinct when it is full.
δικρόα δὲ καὶ ἡ τῶν καράβων ἐστὶν ὑστέρα.
The uterus of crayfish is also bifurcated.
ἀποτίκτουσι δὲ τὸ κύημα ἀτελὲς καὶ ταῦτα πάντα διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν αἰτίαν.
And all these also discharge the embryo in an imperfect state for the same cause.
τὰ μὲν οὖν καραβώδη τὰ θήλεα πρὸς αὑτὰ ποιεῖται τὸν τόκον (διόπερ μείζους ἔχει τὰς πλάκας τὰ θήλεα αὐτῶν ἢ τὰ ἄρρενα, φυλακῆς χάριν τῶν ᾠῶν), τὰ δὲ μαλάκια ἔξω.
Now, the females of the crayfish class produce their offspring towards themselves (wherefore their females have larger plates than the males, for the sake of protecting the eggs), but the molluscs produce them outside.
καὶ τοῖς μὲν θήλεσι τῶν μαλακίων ἐπιρραίνει ὁ ἄρρην, καθάπερ οἱ ἄρρενες ἰχθύες τοῖς ᾠοῖς, καὶ γίγνεται συνεχὲς καὶ κολλῶδες· τοῖς δὲ καραβώδεσιν οὔτ᾽ ὦπται τοιοῦτον οὔτ᾽ εὔλογον.
And upon the females of the molluscs the male sprinkles, just as male fish do upon the eggs, and it becomes continuous and glutinous; but in the crayfish class, no such thing has been seen, nor is it reasonable.
ὑπό τε γὰρ τῇ θηλείᾳ τὸ κύημα καὶ σκληρόδερμόν ἐστι, καὶ λαμβάνει αὔξησιν καὶ ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τῶν μαλακίων ἔξω, καθάπερ καὶ τὰ τῶν ἰχθύων, προσπέφυκε δ᾽ ἡ γιγνομένη σηπία τοῖς ᾠοῖς κατὰ τὸ πρόσθιον·
For the embryo is under the female and is hard-skinned, and these and those of the molluscs take on growth outside, just as those of fish do.
ταύτῃ γὰρ ἐνδέχεται μόνον· ἔχει γὰρ μόνον ἐπὶ ταὐτὸ τὸ ὀπίσθιον μέρος καὶ τὸ πρόσθιον.
And the developing cuttlefish is attached to the eggs by its anterior part; for only in this way is it possible, since it alone has its posterior part and its anterior part directed to the same place.
τὸ δὲ σχῆμα τῆς θέσεως ὃν ἔχει γιγνόμενα τρόπον, δεῖ θεωρεῖν ἐκ τῶν ἱστοριῶν.
But the shape of their position, in what manner they are when developing, must be observed from the inquiries.