172 FLAT, OR TRAWL-FISHES — PLEUROXECTID.^. 



contrivance, witli which the hippocampus moors itself 

 to any floating object. 



" "Whilst swimming, the bod}- is maintained in a 

 vertical i)osition, and the grotesque-looking creatures 

 seem to be walking upon their tails rather than rowing 

 themselves througli the water. The jn-ehensile tail 

 twists and turns about, ready at the shortest notice to 

 coil round the drifting sea plants or a piece of floating 

 wood ; and thus, as it were, lashing itself to a spar, the 

 sea-horse floats idly along as the breeze or the current 

 directs its course. 



"The hippocampus possesses the power of moving 

 either of its yellow-coloured eyes independently of the 

 other. When watching their comic faces as they drift 

 about, one can hardl}^ help thinking that they are 

 * making eyes ' at you, so strangely do they roll and 

 twist them about in opposite directions. The male, as 

 in all the marsupial pipe-fishes, is provided with an egg 

 pouch, which is sitaated underneath the tail, and 

 formed by a doubling in of the thick skin." 



PLEURONECTID/E. 



PLEURONECTiDiE, of coursc. Signifies side swimmers ; in 

 common ^^ai'l^i^ce, Flat-fish ; in my language, as In- 

 spector of Fisheries, Trawl-fish. There are so many of 

 these fishes that I can only mention some of them. 



The following is the catalogue of the Flat-fishes found 

 along the British coasts. 



Brill {Pleiironectes rJiomhits). 



Dab, common [Pleiironectes limauda, Platessa limanda). 



Dab, long rough {Platessa Uinandoidcs). 



Dab, smooth [Platessa microcepJiaJus). 



Flounder, common [Platessa jlesus). 



