REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 89 



Season in R. I. : Comes in about May 1 and is very common through May 

 and June, but absent through the summer. Comes in again about Octo- 

 ber 1 and is abundant until December. 



Habitat: Bottom fish. 



Reproduction: They are said by the fishermen to be full of spawn when 

 they first arrive, breeding season lasting through June and July. 



Food: Crustacea and small fry. 



Size : Two to 5 pounds. 



166. Brosme brosme (Miiller) . Cusk; Ling. 



Geog. Dist. : North Atlantic, south to Long Island and Denmark, north to 



Iceland and Spitzbergen. Rare south of Cape Cod. 

 Season in R. I.: Specimen taken off Newport November, 1898. 

 Habitat: Deep water, inhabiting rocky ledges. 

 Reproduction: Said to spawn during April and May. 



PLEURONECTID^. The Flounders. 



167. Hippoglossus hippoglossus (Linnseus). 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. 



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

 from the southeast 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 Newport; 

 it was taken with others off Block Island by a cod fisherman. It was 

 formerly quite common around Block Island and Vineyard Sound. 



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

 water down to 250 fathoms or more. 



Reproduction: Spawning season probably lasts from the latter part of the 

 summer through the fall. (Goode.) 



Food: Molluscs and crustacea, and fishes of aU sorts. 



Size: Up to 400 pounds. 



168. Hippoglossoides 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. 



