TIIK CALIFOKNIA "SOLES." 189 



In respect to food, breeding' habits, and localities, il agrees entirely with (I. i>nciji,-ux so tar as 

 we know. Its skin is not slimy, and its ilesh is very firm and white-, and said to be of very superior 

 flavor, similar to that of the European Sole. 



" I'p to the present time," says Lockington, "this species is only known from the markets of 

 San Francisco, to which it is brought from deep water near Point Ixeyes, some thirty miles north 

 of the city. It is comparatively rare; seldom more than three or four are ollcred for sale on any 

 one day, and it is not brought in at all in the winter. It attains a length of eighteen inches, and 

 a weight of about two pounds, and is held in high esteem. Hitherto it is only known to occur in 

 Monterey Bay and in the vicinity of San Francisco. As its mouth is too small for the hook, and 

 its habitat too deep for the gill-nets, it is takeu chiefly in sweep-nets." 



The three following species are very similar in size, appearance, habits, and value, and the same 

 remarks, except in regard to distribution, will apply to them all: 



PLEUKONICHTIIYS VERTICALIS Jordan and Gilbert. 

 PLEUEONICHTHYS QUADRITUBERCTTLATUS (Pallas) Lockington. 

 PLEURONICHTHYS CCENOSUS Girard. 



These three species have no distinctive popular names, the fishermen confounding them with 

 various other species under the name of Turbot and Sole. 



As usually seen in the markets, these species average about ten inches in length, P. vertical 

 being usually the smallest of the three, and P. quadritiiberculatus the largest; all, however, reach 

 sometimes a length of fifteen inches and a weight of two or three pounds. 



P. quadrituberculatus and P. verticals have been thus far noticed only in Monterey Bay and 

 about Point Reyes and the Farallones. P. ccenosus is found from San Diego to the Aleutian Islands, 

 and is especially abundant in rocky coves about Puget Sound. All three of them are now 

 migratory and live in considerable depths of water, being rarely taken near shore except in the 

 spawning time. 



Compared with other Flounders, none of these are ever abundant. Fifteen individuals of tin- 

 three species together would be a large proportion in one haul of the gill-net in Monterey Bay. 

 in the season of their spawning. At other times they rarely come near enough to shore to enter 

 a gill- net. 



Unlike the other Flounders, these three species feed chiefly or entirely on plants; the stomach 

 and intestines are always full of algae, and, although they occasionally take the hook, animal food 

 makes a small portion of their diet. 



These species spawn in the spring, chiefly in May and June. Nothing is known of their 

 breeding habits, further than that they are taken in the gill-nets and in the sweep-nets of the 

 paranzelle in greater numbers at that season than earlier in the year, and they probably spawn in 

 sandy places, and otherwise liv among the rocks. 



No special enemies are known, other than predatory fish, and no diseases have been observed. 

 As food-fish, they are not distinguished from related species. 



60. THE HALIBUT HIPPOGLOSSUS VULGAEIS. 



The Halibut, Hippofflosgus vidyaria, is widely distributed through the North Atlantic and 

 North Pacific, both near the shores, in shallow water, and upon the off-shore banks and the edges 

 of the continental slope down to a depth of two hundred to two hundred and lifty fathoms or more. 

 In the Western Atlantic the species has 7iot been observed south of the fortieth parallel, stragglers 



