316 TRAWLING IX BAYS ON THE SOUTH COAST OF DEVON. 



Table VI. 



Numbers and Percentages of Fish at given sizes at different 

 seasons in Teignmouth Bay. 



PLAICE. 



Season — January. March. May, June. Oct. Dec. 



Hauls — ix., X. xi. xii.-xv. i., ii., v.-viii. iii., iv. 



Hours — 4 hrs. 55 nms. 2 hrs. 50 mns. 5 lirs. 55 mns. ? ? 



DAB. 



Unsaleable . . 148 56 39 230 212 



Under 8 inches . 96% 92% 72% 46% 66% 



Gross number . . 154 61 54 503* 321 



* The record of dabs in Haul 5 has been mislaid. 



Fish of species not entered in Table V. were in no way important. 

 Throughout the year it would appear that the plaice are for the most 

 part immature, while the percentage of unsaleable is very high in spring 

 and summer, and considerable even in January. In October and in 

 December it is comparatively low. Dabs are evidently less abundant 

 than plaice, and, except in October, most of them appear to be unsale- 

 able. Merry soles, though not taken in large numbers, were saleable, 

 and probably for the most part mature. Soles do not appear to be 

 numerous, though a fair catch might perhaps be made at night, but 

 would consist, as I infer, largely of immature " slips." The few turbot 

 recorded are small, and probably all immature. Two mature brill were 

 taken, but the rest were mostly unsaleable as well as immature. Cod 

 are only represented by a few codling. Whiting may, perhaps, be 

 taken in remunerative numbers by night, and appear to be mostly sale- 

 able (if rather small), except in October and December. Large grey 

 gurnard appear to be scarce, while tub gurnard are much too small to 

 be legitimately fished. Thornbacks seem to be an important item of 

 the catch. Many are so small as to be comparatively worthless, while 

 a fair number are quite unsaleable, but I cannot say that the proportion 

 of the latter, having regard to the usual distribution of vounjj and old 

 in this species, is unusually high. 



