398 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



to the liest of our knowledge is also a tnistwortln' 

 character. 



In tlie North Sea the Plaice is taken chiefly in the 

 tivnvl, a huge pocket-net kept open at the to]) of the 

 mouth l)y a. bar between 10 and 15 m. long, which 

 has a heavy frame of iron (the trawl-head) at each 

 end, and at the bottom fastened along a thick rope 

 (the ground-rope) which trails along the l)ottom. In 

 Scandinavian waters it is generally taken in large- 

 meshed nets, known as Flounder-nets. In Norway, at 

 suitable spots, it is also speared, according to Lillje- 



BORG. In the sea it seldom takes a bait; but in the 

 French rivei's, according to Blanchere, the Plaice is 

 taken with hook and line, worms being used as bait. 

 In Bohusliin the species is known as Bodspofta 

 (Red-spot). In the south of Sweden it bears the more 

 Danish name of Rodspdtta or simply Spcitta, or is 

 sometimes called Skdlla (cf. its German name SchoUe). 

 At Kullen it is also known as Sldtta (Smooth); and 

 QvENSEL (1. c.) and EkstrOm" state that in BohusISn 

 it is also called Mareskddda or Marieskadda. 



(Ekstkom, Smitt.) 



THE FLOUNDER (sw. skkubbskaddan). 



PLEURONECTES FLESUS. 



Plate XXI, fig. 1. 



Bodji (>r(d, the greatest depth in fidl-groivn specimens varying between 38 and 48 % (sometimes 44 %) of the 

 length. Dorsal fin with at most ahout 60 (o3 — 0:2) rags, anal irith at most about 40 (37 — 43''). Least depth 

 of the tad asaaUg Jess than S % (G-SS'S %) of the length of the hodg, or about 33 % [28— 3G %) of the length 

 of the head, which is more than 22 % (in adult specimens 22^^ — -^Va ^') of the length of the body. Distance 

 between the anal fin and the tip of the snout as a rule more than 34 % (in adult specimens 34 — 39 %, but some- 

 times 33'3 %) of the length of the body. I'ostabdominal bone ending in an anal spine projecting forward. Bays 

 of the rentnd fns (i. Head without muciferous cavities. Lateral line only slightly curved in the abdominal 

 region. Vertebrce 35 — 37. Jaw-teeth, pharyngeals and piharyngecd teeth like those of the preceding species. The 

 frontal n-all between the eyes continued backwards by a (more or less distinct) raised bar, rough irith a number 

 of small tubercles and at the extreme end (above the operculum) somewhat ividened. Scales of the body imrtly 

 cycloid, hut usually, for the most part changed into spinous warts, the largest of whicli are set in a rou- on the 

 margin of the body, along the bases of the dorsal and anal fns, there being one spinous nrirt on each side of 

 these fins in the interval between each ray and the next one to it. Coloration of the eye side grayish brown with 

 darker, cloudy spots and irregular stripes, and also round, red or yellow, not ocellated, often indistinct, small 



s2')ots; ground-colour sometimes blackish blue. 



R. hi: 7; D. 53—62'^; A. 37—42''; P. 9^—11; V. 6; 

 C. x+\i+!C\ L. lat. por. 72— 85 ( + 24 ad 29 in pinn. caud.); 

 Vert. 35—37. 



St/n. Le Fie:, Belon, La nature et diversite des pois.tons, p. 141. 

 Pleuronectes oculis a dextris, linea laterali aspera, spinulis 

 siipino ad radices pinDarum, denlilius obtusis, Art., Ge7i. 

 p. 17; Syn., p. 31; Spec, p. 50. 

 (?) Pleuronectes oculLs a sinistra, linea laterali utrinque aculeata. 

 Art., Gen., p. 18; Syn., p. 32; ex Willughby, Hist. Pise, 

 p. 93 (lilioinbus acideatus. Rondel.) D. 06, A. 50 (vix 

 flesu.t); liinc vero Pleuronectes passer, Lin., Hyst. Nat., ed. 

 X, p. 271. 



Pleuronectes, 6'krobl/a, Lin., It. Scan., p. 326 et in indice VII. 



Pleuronectes flesus, LiN., Syst. Nat., ed. X, torn. I, p. 270; 

 Fn. Suec, ed. II, p. 110; Retz., Fn. Suec. Lin., p. 331; 

 QvENS., Vet -Akad. Handl. 1806, p. 214; Swartz, *S'i'. ZooL, 

 Bd. 2, No. 40; Hollb., Beskr. Boh. Fish., Gbgs Vet., Vitt. 

 Sarah. N. Handl., IV, p. 38; Nilss., Prodr. Ichth. Scand.. 

 p. 55; Ekste., Vet.-Akad. Handl. 1834, p. 53; Gottsche 

 (Platessa), Arch. f. Natnrg. I (1835), Bd. 2, p. 140; Kr., 

 Damn. Fisk., Bd. 2, p. 276; Lilu., Vet.-Akad. Handl. 1850, 

 p. 306; Nilss. (Pleuronectes), Skand. Fn., Fisk. p. 018; 

 Ekstr., v. Wb., Skand. Fi.ik., ed. 1, p. 215, tab. 55; Gtur, 

 Brit. Mits. Cat., Fish., vol. IV, ]>. 450; Sieb. (Platessa), 

 SiissH'asserf. Mittelenr., ]>. 77; Mgrn, Finl. Fisk. (disp. 



« Gbgs Vet., Vitt. Samh. Handl., Ny tidsfoljd, 1 hiift., p. 3<l. 

 '' Sometimes 45, according to Gottsche. 

 "■ Sometimes 63, according to STEiND.\CHNEn. 



'' Steindachner gives, as rare exceptions, however, 40 — 48 rays in the anal tin. So large a number has never been found in the 

 northern I'l. flesus, but probably occurs in a Mediterranean variety, Bonaparte's and Canestrini's PI. passer. 

 ' Sometimes 8; according to Kroyer. 



