82 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XIV, 



inhabitants of the sea, which our inshore men with their inefficient 

 gear are quite uneciual to do. 



TANK No. 9. 



This tank is the usual home of Pomfrets, Grey Mullets, 

 Cat-fishes, Soles and other Flat-fishes and of various species of 

 the larger sea-perches for which room cannot be found elsewhere. 



The Pcmfiets, better known on the Bombay side than here, are 

 represented by three species in these waters, the White Pomfret 

 {Stroiuatcus sinensis), the Silver Pcmfret (5. cinciriis) known as the 

 Grey Pomfret when adult, and the Black Pcmfret, which is really 

 not a Pomfret {Stromateus) at all, being more nearly related to the 

 Horse-mackerels {Carangida'). All are deservedly among our most 

 highly esteemed Indian focd-fishes, taking the place on our tables 

 of the sole and plaice of home waters. Unlike the latter fishes, they 

 swim upright in the water, but as they are compressed greatly from 

 side to side and are deep from back to belly, they have much the 

 same appearance as the plaice when we see them in the cooked 

 condition. Though common here they never reach the incredible 

 shoals met with on the Bombay coast, where they share with 

 Jew-fishes and Bombay-ducks the credit of being among the three 

 most valuable classes of food-fishes of that coast. 



Of extremely compressed form are the true Flat fishes, the Plciiro- 

 ncctidcc of science. Though not often seen in our markets, they are 

 common enough, as for example the Indian Sole, Plagusia marmorata, 

 known to Tamils as the Ndk/cuinin or Tongue-fish, and the Indian 

 Turhot {Psettodes enunei, 'Tarn. Ernmei ndkku). All these fishes are 

 much flattened and have the habit of habitually lying upon one 

 side — the so-called " blind side." This side, besides being bereft 

 of an eye, is normally white or colourless, whereas the upper 

 surface is usually speckled and marbled to harmonize with the 

 colour of the sea bottom. But the underside has not been always 

 eyeless. The little flat-fishes when hatched from the egg are very 

 much like other fishes, with a "round " or nearly cylindrical body, 

 with both sides alike, and with an eye on each side of the head. 

 For sometime the larva swims freely in the sea but as it grows 

 older it heads towards the land ; when it reaches shallow water 

 it takes to the bottom and lies on one side, sometimes the right, 

 sometimes the left. It is obvious that an eye on the under side 

 in contact with the sand is useless and reduces materially the 



