74 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



pass back again to the deep water in their adult condition. In color, 

 the young forms mentioned above are dull olive marbled with darker 

 blotches, and also with reddish spots and touches on the body and 

 fins. In America none of the young stages have been recorded. 



Nothing is known of the rate of growth of the halibut. The 

 smallest known specimen from our coast was about five inches long; 

 this was dredged by Prof. Verril in the Strait of Canso. 



IV. Food. The halibut is, like the cod, a voracious and om- 

 nivorous feeder. The most important portion of their diet probably 

 consists of crustaceans like crabs, lobsters, etc., and molluscs, such 

 as clams, muscles, snails, etc. They also feed largely upon fishes, 

 particularly flat-fish and flounders. Young cod, haddock, and cusk, 

 are also very commonly eaten by them. Young halibut feed upon 

 shrimp and young flat-fishes. 



V. Size. The halibut is among the largest of the bony fishes; 

 it is surpassed in size only by the swordfish, the horse mackerel and 

 tarpon. The male is said to be seldom over fifty pounds in weight, 

 ■while the average sized female is probably between 100 and 150 

 pounds. A number of exceptionally large individuals are authen- 

 tically recorded. In July, 1879, two individuals were taken near 

 Race Point, one of which weighed 359 pounds, the other 401 pounds. 

 Goode states that he has record of ten or twelve taken on the New 

 England coast between 1870 and 1880, each of which weighed be- 

 tween 300 and 400 pounds. Nilsson, the Swedish ichthyologist, 

 mentions a halibut taken on that coast which weighed 720 pounds. 



THE ROUGH DAB. 



(Hippoglossoides platessoides.) 

 Plate II. 



1. Distribution and Habitat. In its range and distribution this 

 species is much like the halibut. It is found on both' coasts of the 

 Atlantic, and from the arctic regions ranges south to Long Island 



