BRILI.. 



443 



side, which in tlie Tuvbot is in ;i liiu; with the first ray 

 of this fin, liere lies in a line with the tliird ray. The 

 structure of tlie anal tin is, as usual, essentially tlie 

 same as that of the dorsal tin; hat the above remarks 

 as to the ramification of the raAS are \alid here only 

 in exceptional cases and even then apply only to the 

 very first ray, Avhich is also not elongated. The anal 

 fin is highest between the 21st and 29th rays. Both 

 the dorsal and tiie anal fins kee]) to the dorsal edge 

 posteriorh', but end distinctly nearer the blind side. 



The coloration of the eye side is also very variable 

 in the Brill. It is generally grayish brown or greenish, 

 with dark, undefined spots on a lighter or darker ground, 

 and with dark, smaller spots and dots or ocellated spots 

 or plain, lighter, whitish yellow ones, arranged as in 

 most specimens of the Plaice, in one row along the 

 base of the dorsal hn, in another along that of the anal 

 fin, and scattered over tlie body and fins, especially 

 the caudal. Sometimes the eye side is entirely black, 

 witli a few white spots on the anal fin (Couch). The 

 spots on the fin-rays are especially distinct on the 

 anterior rays of the dorsal fin. There they form hand- 

 some, narrow, transverse bands on the rays, giving 

 them the appearance of fine, small blades of seaweed, 



111 Scandinavia at least, the Brill never attains even 

 the ordinary size of the Turbot. A Brill 60 cm. long 

 is exceptionally large. According to Kroyee, however, 

 it is sometimes about 30 Danish inches (78 cm.) in 

 length. Bearing in mind that a Brill 575 mm. long 

 weighs 8 Danish pounds (4 kgin.), we must conclude 

 that this species attains a much larger size in the 

 Mediterranean, whei-e, according to Risso", specimens 

 8 kgm. in weight are taken. 



In its manner of life and geographical range the 

 Brill resembles the preceding species, but probably 

 does not go so far north'' and also does not penetrate 

 so far into the Baltic, being hardly found east of Scania 

 and Mecklenliurg. Off Bornholm it is unknown'"; Benecke 

 does not include it among the fishes of the Prussian 

 coast, nor Seidlitz among those of the Baltic Provinces 



of Russia; and a statement made long ago by Fischer 

 (1777), to the effect that it occurs in the Gulf of Fin- 

 land, thus seems very dubious. In the south of the 

 Sound it is fairly rare, but further nortli, in the Catte- 

 gat and Skagcr Rack, it is about as common as the 

 Turbot. Ill the North Sea and further south in the 

 Atlantic it is still more common'', as well as in the 

 Mediterranean and the Adriatic; Init tlu-re is no record 

 of its occurrence in the Black Sea. It is no less vora- 

 cious than tlic Turbot, and lives chiefly on fish and 

 crustaceans, Init does not take a hook so readily. In 

 Scandinavia it is taken principally in Flounder-nets, and 

 in the Nortli Sea by trawling. On the coast of Bo- 

 huslan, on the 20tii of May, 1857, Malm found a 

 female \vith running roe. Hence it seems that it spawns 

 at the same time of year as the Turbot. It should 

 thus hi' best for table in winter, but then it is gener- 

 ally scarcer, probable because at this season it seeks 

 deeper water; and in summer, when it is most plentiful, 

 the flesh is naturally more flabby after the spawning, 

 and often infested with worms. This is the cause of 

 its ill-repute, and not even in its best condition can it 

 rank with the Turbot; but it is by no means to be 

 despised, being at least as good as the Plaice. On his 

 travels in Spain and Portugal Steindachner observed 

 that on the Spanish Peninsula the Brill is not inferior 

 to the Turbot either in size or in delicacy of flavour. 

 In England, on the other hand, it is so little esteemed 

 that its price is not separately Cjuotcd in the London 

 fish-market, an honour of which both the Plaice and 

 the Dory are considered Avorthy. 



Sldfhrarf or Slathvarfvel (Smooth Fluke) is the 

 ordiiiarv name of the Brill in Bohuslan, though on 

 Sydkoster, according to Malm, it is called Sandhvarf. 

 "At Abekas," says Nilsson, "it is believed to be a 

 hybrid between the Turbot, \vhicli it resembles in shape, 

 and the Plaice, from which it is supposed to derive 

 its smooth skin. Hence it is usually called Horunge 

 (Bastard), and is known to every fisherman by this 

 name. Some call it Sidffrar." 



" Ichthyoloyie de Nice, p. ,S16. 



* Kroyer assumes that tlie iiorlhem limit of the range of the Brill lies between Lat. 61' ami 62% i. e. in the neighbourhood of Bergen. 

 '' See WiNTHER, I. c. 



'' The Brill, like many other FlatBshes, sometimes ascends rivers. "Because it enters the Elbe more often than other Flatfishes," says 

 Block (Fische Deutschlands, II, p. 38), "the inhabitants of Hamburg have conferred upon it the name of Elbbutt." 



