The Bastard Halibuts 



20 inches in length, and a weight of 5 pounds. Examples more 

 than 12 or 15 inches long are not common. 



The winter flounder is very prolific, the number of eggs 

 produced by a large fish being more than a million. The spawn- 

 ing season on our coast is from February to April, and by August 

 the young fish are I to 2 inches in length. 



The flounder fishery is carried on chiefly during the winter 

 and spring months, large quantities being taken. As a food-fish 

 the winter flounder holds a very high rank; the flesh is white, 

 firm, and of excellent flavour. Next to the halibut it is the most 

 important flatfish of our Atlantic Coast. This species has been 

 more extensively propagated than any other member of the family. 

 The United States Fish Commission obtains the eggs at Woods 

 Hole where its propagation fills in the time between the taking 

 of the cod on the one hand and the lobster on the other. The 

 number of fry hatched in 1900, at Woods Hole, exceeded 

 87,000,000, which were planted at various points along the New 

 England coast. 



The body of this flounder is regularly elliptical, the colour 

 and eyes are on the right side and the upper side of the head 

 is covered with imbricated ctenoid scales similar to those of the 

 body; blind side of head nearly naked. The colour above is dark 

 rusty-brown, either plain or mottled with darker. The young are 

 olive-brown, spotted with reddish; the under parts are white. 



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