440 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



used for it. Tliis must be perfectly fresh, and consist 

 of a bit of Herring, Sand-eel, or Mackerel, or, still better, 

 a Lamprey. The Turbot is often taken on bulters or 

 hand-lines with bait of this description or, at a pinch, 

 with the flesh of a shellfish or an Annelid. In Scandinavia, 

 however, it is caught chiefly in Flounder-nets; and the 

 great fishery in the North Sea is carried on with the trawl. 



In Sweden, according to Nilsson and Malm, the 

 Turbot spawns in May and June. Mr. C. A. Hansson 

 has forwarded to the Royal Museum from Strorastad a 

 young specimen 18 mm. long, with the wandering eye 

 exactly at the bridge of the snout, that was taken on 

 the 20th of June, 1882. This specimen was probably 

 at least a month old. Day mentions a specimen taken 

 on the 20th of August, about 38 mm. long, but at the 

 same point in the course of development, the age of 

 which he supi)oses to have been two raontlis. The 

 Turbot is enormously prolific. Buckland" estimated 

 the number of the eggs in a female 23 lbs. in weight 

 and with ovaries weighing 5 lbs. 9 oz., at 14,311,200. 

 CoLLETT computed their number to be 1,056,000 in a 

 female 775 mm. long, whose ovaries weighed 0'52 kgm. 

 This fecundity is well needed if the species is to sur- 

 vive the war of extermination with which it is threat- 

 ened by the trawl. The Turbot too, has always been 

 sought after more than most other fishes that do not 

 occur in immense shoals, on account of its great value 

 as human food. 



The flesh of the Turbot is white, firm (flaky) and 

 of good flavour. In flavour it is perhaps inferior to 

 the Sole — "de giistibiis noii lUspiiffoidmn" — but the large 

 quantity of flesh which it yields, gives it a much 

 greater value. Its proper place is beside the Salmon, 

 if we may compare these two species -when proi)erlv 

 prepared and eaten with suitable sauces. Like the Sal- 

 mon and the Halibut, the Turbot is best when boiled. 

 In -France, according to Moreau, it is still called Sea- 

 pheasant {faisan d'eaii); and in 1770, according to Day, 

 it was known by this name in Dublin. Even the an- 

 cient Romnns had conceded to the Turbot the same 

 high rank among fish as that occupied by the pheasant 

 among fowl, and this comparison has endured to our 

 time. The Romans, however, set large Turbot highest, 

 wliile we prefer those of average size. Juvenal tells 

 us that the Emperor Domitian called together the Sen- 



ate to deliberate how a Turl)ot of wonderful size 

 should be boiled. 



As appeal's from the statistics given above of the 

 amount and value of the Turbot taken by English 

 fishermen during the year 1888, the average Avholesale 

 price of Turbot per lb. in England is 6^, ^ d. Accord- 

 ing to NiNNi (Catalogue of the Italian Exhibition, Bei'- 

 lin 1880, p. 180), the Turbot in Venice commands a 

 price of al)out l^^ francs per kgrni. (about 6' g d. per 

 II).) for small fish, and as much as 4 francs per kgrm. 

 (17d. per 11).) for large ones. "In Gothenburg," says 

 jMalm, 'it is much in demand among the Avealthy, and 

 during the thirty years I have lived there, the price 

 of a large Turbot, about 2 ft. long'', has gradually 

 risen from 3 — 5 to 18 — 25 crowns (3s. 4d. — 5s. 7d. to 

 4'1 — t'l 8s.)." The value of the Turbot is consider- 

 ably enhanced b-\- the circumstance that it can be kept 

 fresh comparatively long. It is also fairly tenacious of 

 life. Kroyei! states that \vhen tlie Danish fishermen of 

 the Cattegat take a large Tiu'ljot and cannot imme- 

 diately find a purchaser for the valuable catch, they 

 tie a line round its tail or pass one tln-ough its mouth 

 and gill-openings, and fasten it to a stone or stake on 

 the beach. Tims prevented from escaping, the Turbot 

 can live some time in rather shallow water, if the 

 weather is not too warm. "The manner," adds Kkover, 

 "in which tlie Turbot is kept alive in the well-boats, 

 puts its tenacity of life, in n\\ opinion, ro a still harder 

 test. With a cord passed through the mouth and gill- 

 openings it is hung straight up and down in the well- 

 stowage, fiistened to the deck-beams. This is done 

 because it is impossible to let the Turbot lie among 

 the other Flatfishes, for it ^\'ould then damage its com- 

 panions Avitli its sharp spinous tubercles, especially 

 when the boat is beating up against the wind or is 

 in a heavy sea." 



In Scandinavia the Turljot is taken principally in 

 April and ^lay and from August to October inclusive. 

 During the spawning-season itself (Ma-s' and June) most 

 of these fish are of course lean and flabby; but the 

 Turbot is voracious enough soon to regain its former 

 condition. It is considered best from September to 

 April inclusive. According- to Yarkell the English 

 actor QuiN, of epicurean notoriety, Avas the first to 

 discover that the flesh of the Turbot is best on the 



" Nat. Hist. Bi-it. Fish., p 18H. 

 '' About G kirrin. in wcisriit. 



