§5.15#2Ἔχουσι δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐπικαλύμματα κατὰ ταὐτὰ ἀμφότερα, καὶ τἆλλα τὰ στρομβώδη, ἐκ γενετῆς ἅπαντα· νέμονται δ’ ἐξαίροντα τὴν καλουμένην γλῶτταν ὑπὸ τὸ κάλυμμα.
Both have also their opercula in the same manner, and all the other turbinated shell-fish, from their birth; and they feed by protruding what is called their tongue under the operculum.
Τὸ δὲ μέγεθος τῆς γλώττης ἔχει ἡ πορφύρα μεῖζον δακτύλου, ᾧ νέμεται καὶ διατρυπᾷ τὰ κογχύλια καὶ τὸ αὐτῆς ὄστρακον.
The purple-fish has the size of its tongue larger than a finger, with which it feeds and pierces both small bivalves and its own shell.
Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἡ πορφύρα καὶ ὁ κῆρυξ ἀμφότερα μακρόβια· ζῇ γὰρ ἡ πορφύρα περὶ ἔτη ἕξ, καὶ καθ’ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν φανερά ἐστιν ἡ αὔξησις τοῖς διαστήμασι τοῖς ἐν τῷ ὀστράκῳ τῆς ἕλικος.
Both the purple-fish and the whelk are long-lived; for the purple-fish lives about six years, and each year its growth is manifest by the intervals in the spiral of its shell.
Κηριάζουσι δὲ καὶ οἱ μύες.
Mussels also make honey-combs.
Τὰ δὲ λιμνόστρεα καλούμενα, ὅπου ἂν βόρβορος ᾖ, ἐνταῦθα συνίσταται πρῶτον αὐτῶν ἡ ἀρχή.
As for the so-called limnostrea, wherever there is mud, there is the first origin of them formed.
Αἱ δὲ κόγχαι καὶ αἱ χῆμαι καὶ οἱ σωλῆνες καὶ οἱ κτένες ἐν τοῖς ἀμμώδεσι λαμβάνουσι τὴν σύστασιν.
On the other hand, cockles, clams, razor-fish, and scallops receive their formation in sandy places.
Αἱ δὲ πίνναι ὀρθαὶ φύονται ἐκ τοῦ βυσσοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἀμμώδεσι καὶ βορβορώδεσιν.
Pinnae grow erect from the bottom in sandy and muddy places.
Ἔχουσι δ’ ἐν αὑταῖς πιννοφύλακα, αἱ μὲν καρίδιον αἱ δὲ καρκίνιον· οὗ στερισκόμεναι διαφθείρονται θᾶττον.
And they have in themselves a pinnophylax, some a small shrimp and others a small crab; and if they are deprived of this, they perish more quickly.
Ὅλως δὲ πάντα τὰ ὀστρακώδη γίνεται καὶ αὐτόματα ἐν τῇ ἰλύϊ, κατὰ τὴν διαφορὰν τῆς ἰλύος ἕτερα, ἐν μὲν τῇ βορβορώδει τὰ ὄστρεα, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀμμώδει κόγχαι καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα, περὶ δὲ τὰς σήραγγας τῶν πετριδίων τήθυα καὶ βάλανοι καὶ τὰ ἐπιπολάζοντα, οἷον αἱ λεπάδες καὶ οἱ νηρεῖται.
Generally indeed, all testaceans are also generated spontaneously in mud, different kinds according to the difference of the mud: oysters in muddy places, cockles and the aforementioned in sandy places, and in the cavities of small stones, tethya, balani, and those that live on the surface, such as limpets and nerites.
Ἅπαντα μὲν οὖν τὰ τοιαῦτα τὴν αὔξησιν ἔχει ταχεῖαν, μάλιστα δ’ αἵ τε πορφύραι καὶ οἱ κτένες· ταῦτα γὰρ ἐν ἐνιαυτῷ γίνεται τέλεια.
Now all such things have a rapid growth, especially the purple-fish and the scallops; for these become mature in a year.
Ἐμφύονται δ’ ἐν ἐνίοις τῶν ὀστρακοδέρμων καρκίνοι λευκοί, τὸ μέγεθος μικροὶ πάμπαν, πλεῖστοι μὲν ἐν τοῖς μυσὶ τοῖς πυελώδεσιν, ἔπειτα καὶ ἐν ταῖς πίνναις οἱ καλούμενοι πιννοτῆραι.
There grow also in some of the testaceans white crabs, very small in size, most of all in the tub-shaped mussels, and next also in the pinnae, those called pinnoteres.
Γίνονται δὲ καὶ ἐν τοῖς κτεσὶ καὶ ἐν τοῖς λιμνοστρέοις· αὔξησιν δ’ οὐδεμίαν οὗτοι ἐπίδηλον λαμβάνουσιν.
They are formed also in scallops and in limnostrea; but these receive no manifest growth.
Φασὶ δ’ αὐτοὺς οἱ ἁλιεῖς ἅμα συγγίνεσθαι γινομένοις.
And the fishermen say that they come into existence at the same time as they are generated.
Ἀφανίζονται δέ τινα χρόνον ἐν τῇ ἄμμῳ καὶ οἱ κτένες, ὥσπερ καὶ αἱ πορφύραι.
Scallops also disappear for some time in the sand, just as the purple-fish do.
Φύεται μὲν οὖν τὰ ὄστρεα καθάπερ εἴρηται, φύεται δ’ αὐτῶν τὰ μὲν ἐν τοῖς τενάγεσι, τὰ δ’ ἐν τοῖς αἰγιαλοῖς, τὰ δ’ ἐν τοῖς σπιλώδεσι τόποις, ἔνια δ’ ἐν τοῖς σκληροῖς καὶ τραχέσι, τὰ δ’ ἐν τοῖς ἀμμώδεσιν.
Now oysters grow as has been said, some of them growing in lagoons, some on sandy shores, some in rocky places, some in hard and rough places, and some in sandy places.
Καὶ τὰ μὲν μεταβάλλει τοὺς τόπους, τὰ δ’ οὔ.
And some change their places, while others do not.
Τῶν δὲ μὴ μεταβαλλόντων αἱ μὲν πίνναι ἐρρίζωνται, οἱ δὲ σωλῆνες καὶ αἱ κόγχαι ἀρρίζωτοι διαμένουσιν· ὅταν δ’ ἀνασπασθῶσιν, οὐκέτι δύνανται ζῆν.
Of those that do not change, the pinnae are rooted, but the razor-fish and cockles remain unrooted; and when they are pulled up, they can no longer live.
Ὁ δὲ καλούμενος ἀστὴρ οὕτω θερμός ἐστι τὴν φύσιν, ὥσθ’ ὅ τι ἂν λάβῃ, παραχρῆμα ἐξαιρούμενον δίεφθον εἶναι.
The so-called starfish is so hot by nature that whatever it takes, when it is immediately taken out, is as if boiled.
Φασὶ δὲ καὶ σίνος μέγιστον εἶναι τοῦτο ἐν τῷ εὐρίπῳ τῷ τῶν Πυρραίων.
And they say that this is also the greatest pest in the euripus of Pyrrha.
Τὴν δὲ μορφὴν ὅμοιόν ἐστι τοῖς γραφομένοις.
In shape it is like the drawings of it.
Γίνονται δὲ καὶ οἱ καλούμενοι πλεύμονες αὐτόματοι.
The so-called sea-lungs are also generated spontaneously.
Ὧι δ’ οἱ γραφεῖς ὀστρέῳ χρῶνται, πάχει τε πολὺ ὑπερβάλλει, καὶ ἔξωθεν τοῦ ὀστράκου τὸ ἄνθος ἐπιγίνεται· εἰσὶ δὲ τὰ τοιαῦτα μάλιστα περὶ τοὺς τόπους τοὺς περὶ Καρίαν.
The shell-fish which painters use is very far superior in thickness, and the dye is produced on the outside of the shell; and such things are found especially in the places around Caria.
Τὸ δὲ καρκίνιον γίνεται μὲν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐκ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἰλύος, εἶτ’ εἰς τὰ κενὰ τῶν ὀστράκων εἰσδύεται, καὶ αὐξανόμενον μετεισδύνει πάλιν εἰς ἄλλο μεῖζον ὄστρακον, οἷον εἴς τε τὸ τοῦ νηρείτου καὶ τὸ τοῦ στρόμβου καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τοιούτων, πολλάκις δ’ εἰς τοὺς κήρυκας τοὺς μικρούς.
The hermit-crab is generated at first from earth and mud, then it creeps into the empty shells, and as it grows, it creeps again into another larger shell, such as into that of the nerite, and that of the strombus, and of other such things, and often into the small whelks.
Ὅταν δ’ εἰσδύσῃ, συμπεριφέρει τοῦτο καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τρέφεται πάλιν· καὶ αὐξανόμενον πάλιν εἰς ἄλλο μετεισδύνει μεῖζον.
And when it creeps in, it carries this about and is nourished in it again; and as it grows, it creeps again into another larger one.