REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 75 



and the coast of England. It is common in forty fathoms of water 

 off the coast of Icehmd. Its habitat is, however, more hmited than 

 that of the halibut, since it occurs only in rather deep w^ater; it is 

 rarely taken from water less than twenty fathoms, but on the other 

 hand it does not descend to such great depths, since it is not known 

 to be present beyond eighty fathoms. It is a rather common food- 

 fish in northern waters, particularly in England and Scandinavia, 

 though it is never very abundant anywhere. In summer it is found 

 only in deep water, but in winter it approaches nearer the coast. It 

 is not abundant enough in Rhode Island waters to make it of any 

 importance in this locality as a food fish. It has doubtless been 

 taken in winter many times without being discriminated by the 

 fishermen from other species; it is not unusual in deep water off 

 southern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It is not common at 

 Woods Hole, though it has been taken in winter in shallow water.* 



II. Reproduction. For practically all our knowledge regarding 

 the habits of this fish we are indebted to European observers. The 

 following account of its eggs and spawning habits is on the authority 

 of Mcintosh and Masterman,t and of course refers to observations 

 on the European variety {limandoides) . In British waters specimens 

 of this species with ripe eggs are found from February to May, and 

 are most numerous in March. On the Scandinavian coast the 

 spawning season is apparently during February and March. 



The eggs of this species had been known since 1884, but were not 

 definitely identified until 1895. The egg is buoyant and translucent, 

 and when first extruded from the oviduct measures about 1.2 mm. 

 (1-20 inch). After being in sea water for about twelve hours, a 

 considerable amount of water is taken up inside the outer capsule 

 so that the diameter of the egg increases and becomes about 1.8 mm. 

 (1-14 inch). The eggs hatch in about fourteen days. 



III. Food. In the tenth Report of the Scottish Board of Fisheries 

 are given the results of examination of the contents of 569 stomachs 



* Proc. U. S. Mus., 1880, 471. 



t Smith, Fishes of Woods Hole, Bull. U. S. Fish Com., 1897, 108. 



