i88 THE COMMERCIAL SEA FISHES OF 



of the head, and nearly or quite equal to the extent of the 

 snout, and from f to I diameter apart ; anteriorly the two 

 eyes reach to the same level. Lower jaw prominent, the 

 posterior extremity of the maxilla reaches to beneath the 

 middle or hind edge of the orbit. Teeth. Conical in the 

 jaws. Fins. The dorsal commences above the first third, 

 or middle of the upper orbit, and terminates before it 

 reaches the caudal fin. Pectoral on the coloured side half 

 as long as the head, slightly shorter on the blind side ; 

 ventral short, being scarcely half the length of the pectoral. 

 Scales. Minute, and cycloid over the body and head. No 

 spine in front of the anal fin. Lateral-line. Anteriorly 

 curved above the pectoral fin, the height of the curve being 

 about equal to one-fourth of its length. Colours. Right or 

 coloured side of an olive marbled all over with darker ; fins 

 similarly coloured except in the young, when the basal 

 halves of the dorsal and anal are light coloured. 



Habits. This is the largest form of the family taken off 

 the British shores. It feeds close to the ground, but often 

 inhabits deep and rocky situations, while Lacepede observed 

 that in Greenland it appeared to prefer localities also fre- 

 quented by the cod, as they probably seek the same food. 

 Pennant remarked (1776) that during the preceding year 

 there had been two instances of halibuts swallowing the 

 lead weight at the end of lines with which seamen were 

 sounding, one occurring off Flamborough Head, the other 

 when going into Tinmouth Haven. Thompson took from 

 the stomach of one weighing about 120 Ibs. the remains of 

 a ray ; from another ten full-grown sprats, and a fragment 

 of Millepora polymorpha ; another was crammed with crabs, 

 and a valve of Venus cassina. On the Dogger Bank it is 

 said to consume large quantities of shell-fish, also flat fish 

 and Crustacea. 



