AND THEIB DISTEIBUTION AT DIFFERENT AGES. 

 Arnoglossus laterna, tJie Scald-hach. 



107 



I do not know exactly tlie spawning period of this species, but 

 believe it occurs in summer, in May and June ; the ages in the 

 above table have been reckoned from June. I have only obtained 

 the very small specimens, less than one year old, in Cawsand Bay, 

 at 3 to 5 fathoms depth, in the small shrimp trawl. In September 

 of the current year I obtained large numbers of the species, 

 7 to 14 cm. long, in an otter trawl, both inside and outside the 

 Eddystone, at depths varying from 20 to 38 fathoms. I think it is 

 impossible that these should be derived from this year's spawning, 

 since small specimens, less than 4 cm. long, and evidently a few 

 months old, were taken in Cawsand Bay in October. It follows, there- 

 fore, that the specimens taken in September, 7 to 14 cm. long, are in 

 their second year. The adult condition in this species is distinctly 

 marked in the male sex by the sudden elongation of the anterior 

 dorsal fin-rays which occurs when sexual maturity is reached, and 

 which I have observed only in specimens over 14 cm. in length. 

 The largest specimens I have seen were 20*4 cm. long. I have only 

 obtained the adults from the deep sea trawlers, and they were taken 

 at some distance from the coast. There seems, therefore, to be a 

 regular distribution of the different stages, those of the first year 

 occurring in shallow sandy bays, of 3 to 5 fathoms in depth ; those of 

 the second year occurring from shallow water to a depth of 36 

 fathoms, but being especially abundant between 20 and 30 fathoms ; 



