48 



Baltic. In May we took u few in tlie western Ballic, none in the true Baltic. Of 

 pelagic plaice yonng the Gerraan investigators found 2 in February in the western 

 Baltic, one of which "sogar schon in Metamorphose begriffen zu sein schien (sie 

 war stark beschadigt)''. In May they found pelagic plaice young in the western 

 Baltic and a single specimen in the true Baltic between Sassnitz and Trelleborg. 

 They were all "jugeudliclie Formen'' except one from Station II (between Als and 

 Ærø), which was "im Stadium der Flossenstrahlenbildung''. After discussing these 

 catches of plaice young Ehrenbaum aud Strodtmann remark (1. c. p. 87): "Es er- 

 scheint demnach wiinsehenswert, in der zvveiten Halfte des Miirz oder in April 

 nach Schollenlarven in der Ostsee zu fischeu, um mehr Klarheit iiber dereu Ver- 

 breitung zu gewinneu. Fiir die Zeit ihrer grossten Haufigkeit ist der Februar wohl 

 zu friih, der Mai wohl zu spat gewesen." 



In this I can by no means agree with the German investigators. It a]i- 

 pears from Tab. I, that we have only taken one pelagic plaice young in the 

 western Baltic in March 1904 witli the young-fish trawl*, though we made not a 

 few hauls with this apparatus at the end of March. Ou the other hånd we found 

 the plaice young in rich quantities in the western Baltic in May, and they were 

 very small in the beginning of the month, as I have remarked above in my ex- 

 tracts from the journal. 



We also investigated the true Baltic at the end of March : 



D. 18 — 3 — 04. Hestehoved in W. N. W., 4 miles, 12 fm., yoimg-fish trawl on biooks on 

 the bottom, 10 minnte.s: no plaice young, 21 other fish young. 



D. 19—3—04. Møen Cliff in W. N. W., 20 miles, 23 fm. Young-fish trawl ca. 2 fm. 

 under the surface, 10 minutee ; no plaice young, 40 other fish young. Young-flsh trawl — 10 fm., 

 10 minutes: no plaice young, 25 other flsh young. Young-flsh trawl on blocks on the bottom, 

 20 minutes: no plaice young, 7 other tish young. 



etc. etc. 



At the end of March 1904 therefore we found no plaice young in the true 

 Baltic at Møen, and to judge from our results in the other regions in 1904, May 

 should certainly be the best month in the southeru Danish waters to search for 

 the pelagic plaice young. If the German investigators found but 1 plaice young 

 in the true Bal tic in May 1903, this ineans, that the pelagic plaice young were 

 very scarce there in 1903. 



Resumé. Plaice ec/gs occur in the Danish waters in the months November 

 — May; they are found in all Danish waters. Pelagic plaice young are taken from 

 February — June. Tliey are always extremely few in number in the true Baltic 

 and in 1904, apart from the North Sea, were only abuudant in the Skager Rak aud 

 the western part of the western Baltic. The hottom-stnges appear in April. They 

 have a south and east boundary to their distribution. This boundary changes 

 from year to year, but always excludes the true Baltic and a greater or less part 

 of the Belt Sea. Exceptions from the rule can indeed occur, and the liottom- 

 stages of the plaice may be found in the true Baltic, but usually in deep water, 

 ca. 10 falhoms. In the Lim Fjord the bottom-stages are only found at the openings 

 to the North Sea and Kattegat. 



* On 23—3 — 04, Skjoldnæs iu N. K., 19 fm., we took a small plaice young in a haul 

 with the pelagic net. 



