336 THE FLOUNDER FAMILY. 



Many years ago, a young turbot 25 mm. long, with both 

 sides of its body coloured and an eye on each, was captured at 

 the surface as it disported itself on edge amongst the Salpw 

 of the Western Isles in August 1 . It had a dull flesh-colour 

 spotted with black chromatophores, which also appeared on the 

 fins. The dorsal fin had about five dark bars. The right eye 

 was slightly higher than the left, and the direction of the axes 

 of the eyes was different. The opercular bones of both sides 

 were armed with spines, and a prominent spine occurred at the 

 angle of the mandible in a line with the posterior part of the 

 orbit. The dorsal fin commenced rather behind the posterior 

 part of the orbit, and a distinct crown of the head was observed 

 between the eyes on looking from above. The ventral fins were 

 minute, and behind them a deep notch, after which the anal 

 fin commenced. The tail was inclined somewhat downwards 

 and thus affected the symmetry of the fish. 



After reaching a length of about 10 inches the turbot seeks 

 the offshore waters, the deeper parts of which form its home 

 and its breeding-grounds. 



The smallest mature turbot seen by Fulton was 18 inches, 

 and the largest 28 inches long. Cunningham conjectures the 

 latter to be at least four years old. 



To summarise, the eggs of the turbot are as a rule 

 shed in the offshore waters where the larval and post-larval 

 stages are spent. The young turbot then, in many cases, seek 

 the margin, or disport themselves at the surface, of the inshore 

 waters ; their youth is mostly spent in this area, but as they 

 reach 10 or 11 inches they seek the deeper waters offshore. 



This large and active fish presents certain difficulties in 

 regard to voluntary spawning in confined areas, as for instance 

 in the ponds at Dunbar. Hitherto it has refused either to shed 

 milt or eggs without artificial aid, so that it is a much less 

 successful form to experiment with than the plaice, which 

 spawns freely. Moreover, in confinement the turbot is liable to 

 ulcerations of the white surface, on the opercular region of the 

 right side, and on each side at the tail. Such injuries are 



1 Proceed. R. S. Edin. 1865-66, p. 15 ; and Figures 5 and 6, Plate VI, 

 Marine Invert, and Fishes, St Andrews. 



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