50 FISHES AND FISHERIES OF THE IRISH SEA. 



the most remarkable because of the curious metamorphosis which transforms the symmetrical, 

 evenly-developed young 1 fish into the flattened, unsymmetrical adult. The body is flattened 

 from side to side, and the animal lies with one side, usually the left, on the bottom. The head 

 is twisted, so that both eyes come to be on the upper surface, which is darkly pigmented, 

 while the lower side is white. The dorsal fin grows forward along- one side of the head, 

 and does not lie between the eyes. The two flattened surfaces are really the right and 

 left sides of the animal. There is a pectoral and a pelvic fin, and a gill-cover on each, 

 just as in the case of an ordinary fish such as the cod or herring. 



In most of our flat fishes it is the right-hand side of the body which is uppermost, and 

 bears the eyes ; but in the turbot and brill, the megrim and the scald fish, and the three 

 species of Top-knots, the left side is the one that is uppermost, is pigrnented, and bears the 

 eyes. In all the eggs are pelagic small, buoyant, and transparent. 



HIPPOGLOSSUS VULGARIS, Flem. Halibut. 

 (Day's British Fishes, vol. II., p. 5, PI. XCIV.) 



The halibut is a northern fish, ranging from Arctic seas down to the English Channel, 

 and, although found all round our coast, is more abundant off the Scottish coast than in our 

 sea. " Pennant mentions it from the Menai Straits, and in April, 1829, an example yi- feet 

 long, and 320 Ib. weight was recorded from off the Isle of Man Mag. Nat. Hist. 1829, i. p. 84 " 

 (Day). Byerley states that the Hoylake fishermen take one or two in a year ; and we hear of 

 it as taken occasionally to the east of the Isle of Man. It is also occasionally still taken by 

 the Hoylake and Fleetwood trawlers, but must be regarded as very scarce in our waters. 



DREPANOPSETTA PLATESSOIDES (Fabr.) Long" Rough Dab. 



(See Hippoglossoides limandoides, Day's British Fishes, vol. II., p. 9, PI. XCV.) 



(Fish. Mus., Zool. Dep. , Univ. Coll., Liverpool.) 



This is apparently a fish of somewhat restricted range the North Sea and neighbouring 

 shore of north-western Europe. It is commonest on the east coast of Scotland, and is rare in 

 our district, where there is no fishery for it. Byerley records it as " rare near the shore, more 

 frequent in deep water." Prof. White tells us he has found it in the Menai Straits ; and we 

 took one specimen from the " John Fell," in March, 1895, in " the Hole," Irish Sea. 



RHOMBUS MAXIMUS (Linn.) Turbot. 

 (Day's British Fishes, vol. II., p. n, PI. XCVI.) 



(Fish. Mus., Zool. Dep., Univ. Coll., Liverpool). Local name, "Turbot." 

 The Turbot ranges from the north of Europe to the Mediterranean, and is fished all 

 round our coast. In the Irish Sea it frequently occurs in the trawl all over the district, on the 

 off-shore grounds, and at all times of year. It is most commonly taken at night. The young 

 from 2 to 8 inches in length are caught in the shrimp nets in shallow water (we have taken 

 them 2 inches long in the Blackpool closed ground in January), and rather larger ones in fish 

 trawls along the banks. It is also taken in Barrow Channel, and along the Cardigan coast, 

 and is not uncommon round the Isle of Man. Turbot are occasionally taken in Port Erin Bay, 

 close to shore, with the drag net; one weighing 8f Ibs. was caught in October, 1901. Prof. 

 White tells~us it is caught occasionally in the weir in the Menai Straits, one caught there last 

 summer weighed 14 Ibs. 



