﻿THE 
  FLATFISH, 
  OR 
  WINTER 
  FLOUNDER. 
  

  

  The 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  flatfish 
  {PseudopJeuronectes 
  americanus) 
  is 
  regularly 
  

   elliptical. 
  The 
  eyes 
  and 
  color 
  are 
  on 
  the 
  right 
  side. 
  The 
  upper 
  side 
  

   of 
  the 
  head 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  imbricated 
  ctenoid 
  scales 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  

   the 
  body; 
  the 
  blind 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  is 
  nearly 
  naked. 
  The 
  teeth 
  are 
  

   close-set, 
  incisor-like, 
  and 
  form 
  a 
  continuous 
  cutting 
  edge; 
  the 
  right 
  side 
  

   of 
  each 
  jaw 
  is 
  toothless. 
  The 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  is 
  contained 
  4 
  times 
  

   in 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  and 
  the 
  depth 
  2^ 
  times 
  in 
  the 
  body 
  length. 
  

   The 
  dorsal 
  fin 
  contains 
  05 
  rays 
  and 
  the 
  anal 
  fin 
  48 
  rays. 
  The 
  lateral 
  

   line, 
  which 
  is 
  nearly 
  straight, 
  has 
  83 
  scales. 
  The 
  color 
  above 
  is 
  dark 
  

   rusty-brown, 
  either 
  plain 
  or 
  mottled 
  with 
  darker; 
  the 
  young 
  are 
  olive- 
  

   brown, 
  spotted 
  with 
  reddish; 
  the 
  under 
  parts 
  are 
  white. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  has 
  a 
  comparatively 
  small 
  mouth, 
  and 
  feeds 
  chiefly 
  on 
  

   small 
  shells, 
  crabs, 
  and 
  other 
  bottom 
  animals. 
  It 
  is 
  found 
  on 
  sandy,- 
  

   muddy, 
  or 
  rocky 
  bottoms, 
  and 
  seems 
  to 
  prefer 
  sheltered 
  coves 
  and 
  

   bays. 
  Its 
  coastwise 
  and 
  bathic 
  movements 
  are 
  limited. 
  It 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  

   the 
  most 
  abundant 
  flounders 
  of 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  coast, 
  being 
  especially 
  

   numerous 
  in 
  southern 
  Kew 
  England 
  and 
  Kew 
  York, 
  It 
  ranges 
  as 
  far 
  

   north 
  as 
  Labrador 
  and 
  as 
  far 
  south 
  as 
  the 
  Carolinas, 
  but 
  is 
  not 
  present 
  

   in 
  noteworthj^ 
  quantities 
  south 
  of 
  New 
  Jersey. 
  It 
  does 
  not 
  attain 
  a 
  

   large 
  size, 
  the 
  usual 
  length 
  being 
  only 
  12 
  to 
  15 
  inches 
  and 
  the 
  weight 
  

   about 
  1^ 
  pounds. 
  Very 
  rarely 
  examples 
  are 
  taken 
  over 
  20 
  inches 
  long, 
  

   weighing 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  5 
  pounds. 
  

  

  The 
  winter 
  flounder 
  is 
  exceedingly 
  prolific, 
  over 
  a 
  million 
  eggs 
  being 
  

   laid 
  by 
  a 
  large 
  fish. 
  Along 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  the 
  southern 
  Kew 
  England 
  and 
  

   Middle 
  Atlantic 
  States 
  the 
  spawning 
  season 
  is 
  from 
  February 
  to 
  April, 
  

   By 
  August 
  the 
  young 
  fish, 
  having 
  attained 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  1 
  or 
  2 
  inches, 
  

   are 
  found 
  in 
  shallow 
  water 
  along 
  sandy 
  shores. 
  The 
  species 
  is 
  obtained 
  

   principally 
  during 
  the 
  winter 
  and 
  spring 
  months, 
  and 
  large 
  quantities 
  

   are 
  sent 
  to 
  the 
  markets, 
  where 
  it 
  sells 
  readily 
  at 
  good 
  prices. 
  The 
  

   flesh 
  is 
  white, 
  firm, 
  and 
  of 
  excellent 
  flavor. 
  Next 
  to 
  the 
  halibut 
  and 
  

   the 
  summer 
  flounder, 
  or 
  iilaice 
  {Paralichthys 
  dentatus), 
  this 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  

   important 
  flatfish 
  of 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  coast. 
  

  

  The 
  winter 
  flounder 
  has 
  been 
  more 
  extensively 
  propagated 
  than 
  any 
  

   other 
  species 
  of 
  Flcuronectidcv, 
  oviiwg, 
  to 
  the 
  facility 
  with 
  which 
  its 
  eggs 
  

   are 
  obtained 
  at 
  Woods 
  Hole, 
  where 
  its 
  i^roiiagation 
  fills 
  in 
  the 
  time 
  

   between 
  the 
  taking 
  of 
  cod 
  eggs 
  on 
  one 
  hand 
  and 
  of 
  h)bster 
  eggs 
  on 
  the 
  

   other, 
  slightly 
  overlapping 
  the 
  ending 
  of 
  the 
  former 
  and 
  the 
  beginning 
  

   of 
  the 
  latter. 
  The 
  work 
  covers 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  when 
  the 
  most 
  

  

  215 
  

  

  