76 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OP INLAND FISHERIES. 



of this species taken from the Firth of the Fourth. The different 

 kinds of marine animals found occurred in the followina; percentages: 

 Crustacea in 44 per cent, (shrimp of various kinds, hermit crabs, 

 swimming crabs); echinoderms in 22 per cent, (sandstars, brittle 

 stars, common starfish); fishes in 14 per cent, (gobies, whitings, 

 young dabs); marine worms in 9 per cent.; molluscs in 6 per cent.* 



IV. Size. In American waters this fish exceptionally reaches a 

 length of 20 to 24 inches; its weight ranges from 2 to 5 pounds. 

 Dr. Fulton found that off the east coast of Scotland the smallest 

 ripe male was 5 inches long, while the average length of mature 

 males was 6.5. The smallest ripe female was 5 inches long, the 

 largest 16.5 inches, with an average length of 8.8 inches. 



THE SUMMER FLOUNDER. 



(Paralichthys dentatvs.) 

 Plate III. 



I. Distribution and Habitat. This fish is confined to the American 

 coast of the Atlantic, and is more particularly a warm-water fish 

 than most of the common species of the family. It ranges from 

 Cape Cod to Florida, though it is rare south of Charleston. The 

 center of its abundance seems to be in the waters about Rhode Island, 

 Connecticut, and Long Island, where it is taken in very large numbers 

 during the summer. 



The fish of this species begin to appear in inshore waters in May 

 and are taken in water from 2 to 20 fathoms in depth until October. 

 They then move out into deeper water for the winter. Unlike 

 the winter flounder, which has a preference for grassy and muddy 

 bottoms, the fishes of this species are apparently more abundant 

 where the bottom is sandy. They are somewhat gregarious in their 

 habits, but like most of the species of this family, they do not possess 

 this tendency in any marked degree. Their movements are probably 



* Cunningham, op. cit., 244 



