14 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



near it. Thus it is easily explained why it is that the principal 

 food of this hot torn fish is not such objects as WQuld be obtained 

 by rooting or grubbing in the sand and mud, but crustaceans and 

 annelids, the capture of which requires consideral^le agility. 



The presence of the siphons of pelecypod mollusks, which are 

 occasionally found in the stomachs of flounders, is accounted for 

 when it is recalled that flounders often })ite off the extended siphons 

 of mollusks. The appearance of such siphons as I have found in 

 the stomachs of flounders would indicate this origin rather than that 

 they represent the least digestible parts of the mollusk. 



Vinal Edwards's record shows that ()28 adult winter flounders were 

 examined on 82 dates. The following data from his unpublished 

 food notes are appended: vinnelids are recorded on dates, in 50 

 fish; Crustacea, on 10 dates, in G7 fish; ascidians, on 26 dates, in 126 

 fish; and mollusks, on 11 days, in 56 fish. The ascidian which Mr. 

 Edwards records is Botryllus goiildii, which occurs abundantly on eel- 

 grass, where it forms translucent, fleshy incrustations. The small 

 flounders which the author has examined did not contain any 

 tunicate material. 



An increase in the ratio of annelids to Crustacea witli the size of 

 the fish is observable in fishes under 200 mm. in length. Thus the 

 percentages arc: In 150 fish, 50 mm. and under, Crustacea 51.45, 

 annelids 18.10; m 148 fish, 51 to 100 mm. in length, Crustacea 41.21, 

 annelids 34.47; in 75 fish, 101 to 150 mm. in length, Crustacea 34.74, 

 annelids 32.10; in 23 fish, 151 to 200 mm. in length, Crustacea 14.17, 

 annelids 36.91. 



O 



