144 LEMON SOLES 



the northward of the Tees-Skaw hne. The most proHfic areas 

 seem to be the D 1 area between the 30 and 40-fathom Hnes to 

 the north-west of the Dogger all along the coast up to the 

 ' Long Forties ', and the B 1 area, which includes the Leman, 

 Swarte, and Well Banks, and other grounds from 10 to 20 

 fathoms between the base of the Dogger and the EngUsh coast. 

 The following are the chief ports landing lemon soles in 

 England : 



Tons. Tons. 



Total (7 ports) : 2,772 out of 2,976 tons. 



The true lemon sole (Pleuronedes microcephalus) is easily 

 distinguishable from all other flat-fish by the very small head 

 which gives it its specific name. Unfortunately, the species is 

 also known locally as Lemon Dab, Smear Dab, Merry Sole, 

 Smooth Dab, and Sand Fluke ; and other species Hke the 

 Long Eough Dab {Hippoglossoides limandoides) and the French 

 Sole are sometimes retailed as ' lemon soles '. Thus confusion 

 arises. 



Hjort tells us that 32 per cent, of the fish landed come from 

 between the 30 and 40-fathom line, 31 per cent, from between 

 10 and 20 fathoms, 18 per cent, from between 20 and 30 fathoms, 

 and 12 per cent, from between 40 and 50 fathoms. And he 

 classifies it along with turbot, young halibut, hake, gurnards, 

 and monks as an inhabitant of the medium depths.^ Herubel 

 gives its habitat as the ' Deep Banks ', and its distribution as 

 North Sea (Great Fisher Bank, Shetlands), Atlantic. 



Meek gives the distribution as follows : ' North-east Atlantic, 

 Murman Sea, and Iceland to the Bay of Biscay, extending into 

 the Skagerrak. Common in the north-west part of the North 

 Sea, west of the British Isles, at the Faeroes, and Iceland 

 (20-100 fathoms).' 



Life-Historif 

 The Spawning Period and Gronndr, 



Clark says that the lemon sole spawns from February to July 

 off Plymouth ; Meek, from May to September in the North Sea ; 

 Herubel from April to July. Clark notes tliat he catches the 

 baby fish while they are still at the surface off Plymouth, 

 * later than any of the other species of Plenronecfes. This 



• Depths of Ocean, pp. 451, 452. 



