160 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



PLEURONECTID^. The Flounders. 



188. Hippoglossus hlppoglossus (Linnaeus). Halibut. 



Geog. Dist.: In all northern seas. In water of moderate depth in North 

 Atlantic, North Pacific, and Behring Sea; south in deep water to 

 France, Sandy Hook, and San Francisco. Occasional on New Eng- 

 land shore north of Cape Cod; was formerly more abundant. This 

 species has been taken in Connecticut at Stonington (Linsley, 1844), 

 and at Fisher's Island (Goode, 1880). 



H.\bitat: Cod banks of northern seas in water 32° to 45° F., from shoal 

 water down to 250 fathoms or more. 



Season. IN R. I.: In February, 1876, a few were taken about eight miles 

 from the southern point of Block Island. On May 1, 1876, off Watch 

 Hill an 80-pound halibut was taken, the first in that vicinity for many 

 years. On April 16, 1900, a 100-pound halibut was brought to New- 

 port; formerly quite common around Block Island and Vineyard 

 Sound . 



Reproduction: Spawning season on the Scandinavian coast is from 

 February to April. The eggs are unknown except as found in the 

 ripe ovary; such eggs are | inch in diameter (3.07 to 3.8 mm.), with no 

 oil globule. 



Food: Molluscs and Crustacea, and fishes of all sorts. 



Rate of Growth: Youngest known larva is ^ inch (13.5 mm.) in length. 

 Larva of this size up to 1 2-5 inches (34 mm.) are taken at the Faroe 

 Island and in Danish waters from the end of May to the beginning of 

 July. The smallest specimen from the American coast was about 

 five inches long, dredged by Prof. Verrill in the Strait of Canso. (See 

 Ehrenbaum, Nordisches Plankton, 10 1909, 177.) 



References: 



1885: Goode, A Brief Biography of the Halibut, Amer', Nat. XIX, 



953. 

 1892: McIntosh, Report, Fishery Board, Scotland, 10, 285. 

 1893: McIntosh, ibid, 11, 244. 

 1896: Cunningham, Marketable Marine Fishes, 243. 

 1897: McIntosh and Masterman, British Marine Food Fishes, 315. 

 1909: Ehrenbaum, Nordisches Plankton, 10, 177. 



189. HippogIos.SOides platessoides (Fabricius). Sand-dab; Rough dab; 



Rusty Flounder. 

 Geog. Dist.: North Atlantic, common in deep water south to southern 

 New England and the coast of England and Scandinavia. 



