

THE FLAT-FISH FAMILY 267 



4 to 8 or 9 inches long, live chiefly in the shallower water close 

 to the shore, and that the sample just mentioned included fish of 

 two years of age and upwards. It will be noticed that mature 

 turbot, some even of large size, are by no means entirely absent 

 from the eastern grounds at twelve fathoms. 



The Brill (Rhombus lavis). 



Distinguishing Characters. Resembles the turbot in shape of 

 body, thickness and firmness of flesh, toughness and deep colour 

 of skin ; but it is narrower in proportion to its length and more 

 regularly oval. It has small smooth (cycloid) scales all over 

 both sides, but they project slightly from the skin ; no tubercles. 

 The fin-rays are more numerous than in the turbot, dorsal 

 76-85, ventral 53-63. The dorsal commences in front of the 

 upper eye, and its first ray is much branched. Colour in the 

 dead fish dark and uniform ; in life variable and speckled : lower 

 side white. 



Size. The largest female recorded by Dr. Fulton was 26 inches 

 long, largest male 23 inches. They are commonly seen in the 

 market from 13 to 20 inches long. 



Habitat. There seems to be no difference in this respect 

 between the brill and the turbot. The former is found through- 

 out the Mediterranean, and all round the British Isles, becoming 

 rare in the Orkneys and Shetlands. Like the turbot it is rarely 

 taken at depths greater than 40 fathoms, and occurs on sandy, 

 gravelly, or muddy ground. In the North Sea it is taken on 

 the Lincolnshire coast, the neighbourhood of the Dogger Bank 

 and Silver Pit, and off the Dutch and German coasts ; but 

 northwards about the Great Fisher Bank, at depths over 40 

 fathoms, neither turbot nor brill are often taken. 



Mature brill, though often to be found in shallow bays, do 

 not usually enter estuaries, but the younger stages are often 

 found in the more seaward parts of the latter. 



Food. As in the case of the turbot the food consists almost 

 entirely of other fishes. Ninety-four specimens were examined 

 during the Irish Survey, and in only three cases was anything 

 else observed; in two of these cases the food -was squid, in the 

 third a shrimp. The fish found was in nearly all cases sand-eels, 



