244 MARKETABLE liRITISH MARINE FISHES 



nets have not been worked at a sufficient distance from the coast, 

 in the proper regions. Mr. Holt suggests that the egg when 

 alive in sea water may develop a large space within the enclos- 

 ing membrane, as in the egg of the long rough dab, which is 

 closely allied to the halibut. The egg-membrane was very thin 

 and easily burst. Subsequentl)' in the same year Prof. Mcintosh 

 examined two samples of ripe eggs of the halibut, one sample 

 taken at Peterhead from a fish which had been three days on 

 board, and which had been captured on Bergen Bank about 60 

 miles off the Fair Isle. The fertilised eggs have not yet been 

 obtained, nor any of the larval or very young stages. From 

 observations made in Grimsby market Mr. Holt found that the 

 smallest ripe males were 30 inches long, the smallest females 

 nearly ripe were 43 inches long. 



The Long Rough Dab {Hippoglossoidcs liuiaiidoidcs). 



Distinguishing Characteis. — Resembles the halibut in shape, 

 but the head is broader in proportion to the body. It differs 

 from the halibut in having a rough skin, the scales being 

 furnished with spines on their hinder edges. The mouth is 

 large, the jaws nearly equal on the two sides of the head. 

 Teeth pointed, one row in each jaw. Lateral line straight, 

 having no curve above the breast-fin. The eyes are larger in 

 proportion than those of the halibut. The colour of the upper 

 or right side is a brownish-gra}% usually without any spots or 

 markings. 



Size. — Dr. Fulton found that off the east coast of Scotland 

 the smallest ripe male was 5 inches long, the largest 8 inches, 

 but nearly ripe males were from 4 to 12 inches. The average 

 length of mature males was 6'5 inches. The smallest ripe 

 female was 5 inches long, the largest i6i inches, the average 

 length was 8"8 inches. 



Names. — It is sometimes called simply the rough dab, but 

 no other local names have any importance. It is known as 

 smeareen in Dublin, long fleuk and sand-sucker in Edinburgh. 



Habitat. — Like the halibut this is a northern fish, rare in the 

 English Channel, but extending to the Arctic shores of Europe, 

 and to all the shores of the Arctic Ocean. It is an inhabitant 



