FISHES FROM THE SEA-BOTTOM 



451 



recording the catches of trawlers in the North Sea contain the 

 most ample details on the vertical distribution of certain northern 

 species. Within this area information has been gathered Fishes taken 

 separately for certain smaller areas, the limits of which coincide depthJ'in"the 

 with isobaths of the North Sea. Thus one area comprises all North Sea. 

 the banks between the coast and the 20 metres line, i.e. all the 

 coast banks and the Dogger Bank ; another area occupies the 

 space between the 20 and the 40 metres lines, etc. In the 

 following table we have reproduced a record of the occurrence 

 of the principal food fishes at different depths compiled from 

 these statistics, the figures indicating the percentage of each 

 kind of fish landed from each of the seven areas : — 



Percentages of Fish taken at Different Depths in the North Sea 



On the shallow banks between the shore and a depth 

 of 40 metres (about 20 fathoms) the flat-fish — sole, brill, plaice, 



