326 Gray Sole 



Distribution: Labrador to Virginia. 

 Size: Reaches a length of about 2 feet. 

 General Information: The Yellowtail Flounder occurs com- 

 monly on the bottom in depths of 30-300 feet. Spawning 

 takes place in spring and summer. The eggs are buoyant 

 and hatch in 5 days at a water temperature of 50-52 de- 

 grees. The principal foods of this species are small crusta- 

 ceans, small shellfish, and worms. 



Economic Importance: A good food fish and one of the 

 most valuable of the flatfishes in the commercial catch from 

 southern New England north. 



Gray Sole, Witch Flounder 

 Glyptocephalus cynoglossus (Linnaeus) 



Color: Eyed side: brown-gray. Blind side: white. 

 Distribution: Occurs on both sides of the North Atlantic. 

 In the American Atlantic it is found from Newfoundland 

 to Virginia but" is most abundant north of Cape Cod. 

 Size: Reaches a length of about 2 feet and a weight of 

 about 4 pounds. 



General Information: The Gray Sole is a bottom species 

 seldom found in waters shoaler than 60 feet and most 

 common in depths between 360 and 900 feet. It has been 

 taken in depths down to more than 5,000 feet. Spawning 

 occurs in late spring and summer. The eggs are buoyant 

 and hatch in about one week at a water temperature of 

 46-49 degrees. The Gray Sole feeds on a wide variety of 

 small invertebrates. 



Economic Importance: A good food fish common in the 

 catch of otter trawlers particularly north of Cape Cod. 



