THE FLOUNDER 257 



moderately elongate in form, and when they are 

 about a week old, and one-sixth of an inch long, the 

 yolk is all absorbed, the mouth has formed, and 

 they commence feeding on minute organisms ; after 

 a month or more, when they are less than half an 

 inch long, they are essentially similar in organization 

 to the adult fish, except that they are not so deep 

 in the body, and are still symmetrical ; now they 

 sink to the bottom and lie on one side, and the eye 

 which is underneath moves to the edge of the head 

 and then round on to the upper side ; at the same 

 time the dorsal fin is prolonged forward, and as 

 soon as the eye has come round grows along the 

 edge of the head above it. In some species of 

 Flat-fishes this forward growth of the dorsal fin 

 precedes the migration of the eye, which then has 

 to push its way between the base of the fin and 

 the edge of the head, and so actually seems to 

 travel through from one side of the head to the 

 other. During their transformation the little 

 Flounders approach the shore and enter the bays 

 and estuaries ; about May specimens half an inch 

 long may often be found in tidal pools. The rate 

 of growth varies enormously, but they become 

 sexually mature when two or three years old and 

 not less than 6 inches long. 



Although very abundant, the Flounder is 

 generally not held in much estimation for the 

 table, and is considered much inferior to its relative, 

 the Plaice. It may be captured by the angler, who 

 thinks it worth the trouble, by using a sm^ll worrn 

 as a bait. 



