AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION AT DIFFERENT AGES. 



105 



Number of females 179. — Largest measured 21 "5 cm. long. 

 Middle-sized specimen 19"3 cm. 



Thus the females in this species are both larger and more 

 numerous than the males, as was found to be the case by Dr. Fulton 

 in many other species of flat fishes. The proportion between the 

 sexes is 526 females to 100 males, or one male to five females 

 nearly. The ratio of females to males is even higher than this, accord- 

 ing to Dr. Fulton, in the long rough dab, Hippoglossoides limandoides. 



Bhomhus maximus, the Turhot. 



It will be seen from the above that the young turbot in process 

 of metamorphosis, and swimming horizontally at the surface, occur 

 at Plymouth and the neighbourhood in August and the beginning of 

 September, while the brill at the same stage occur in May and June. 

 It is thus evident that the turbot spawns later than the brill. I 

 have estimated the age of these specimens about an inch long at 

 one month, though they may be a little more. The spawning period, 

 therefore, occurs in June and July. Wenckebach, in Holland, found 

 turbot ripe in July. 



I have no stages between the pelagic stage just mentioned and 

 the small turbot, of 9 to 12 inches, obtained in Whitsand Bay in 

 June, 1889. This year, although I have several times trawled in 

 Whitsand Bay, I have obtained no specimens of this species. At 

 present I see no reason to suppose that the specimens of 9 to 12 

 inches were more than one year old ; it is certain that they were 

 not less, as the spawning takes place in June and July. The 

 largest turbot recorded by Dr. Fulton was 28 inches long, and the 

 smallest mature was 18 inches long. It is probable that a turbot 

 2 feet in length is at least four years old. 



