APPENDIX G _ 20 — 



exclusively or quite predomiaantly in shallower waters, especially on the coastal banks. In the 

 Norwegian Sea on the other hand, they remain much longer pelagic, not only those which are 

 carried over great depths by the oceanic currents, but also those which remain on the banks. 



Chart 2 PI. VI refers to 26 stations where Gadus virens was taken. It appears from 

 this chart, that at a size of over 2 cm. it was only found on the Norwegian coasts. 



Chart 3 PL VII shows 71 stations at which the 0-group of Gadus seglefinus was taken. 

 The distribution of the small haddock agrees with that of the young cod. It appears however, 

 1) that more pelagic haddock were found in the North Sea than the cod and 2) that very 

 large young of G. seglefinus, to over 11 cm. long, are occasionally met with pelagically in the 

 Norwegian Sea. 



Chart 4 PI. VIII refers to 44 stations where the 0-group of Gadus merlangus was 

 fished. "With some few exceptions all these belong to the North Sea, and the 

 young whiting are here found in masses, both under as well as above 2 cm., and they were taken 

 both before and after the 1st of June. They have been taken pelagically in the Skager Eak, 

 in drift-nets over 54 m., and also in the North Sea, to a length of 30 cm. From this Chart 4 

 it can also be seen directly how many hauls were made in the North Sea without taking large 

 young fish of the other species; since then, in 1904, many more hauls have been made with 

 similar results. 



Prom this Chart, accordingly, the same conclusion can be made for the North Sea as for 

 Iceland, namely, that the four species named show quite a distinct order in leaving the pelagic 

 stage. First the green cod, then the cod, then the haddock and lastly the whiting seek the 

 bottom and the coasts. This relation plays the greatest part in the distribution of the bottom 

 stages of these fishes, which will be shown for each species and each part of the region under 

 observation in a later more detailed report of the international investigations. 



b. The young stages of the genus Pleuronectes (flounder group) 



In the foregoing portion, it has been shown that the young stages of the cod-group are 

 distributed in the sea in a different manner for each species ; there is no doubt however, that quite 

 analogous relations also hold for the flounder-group. Certainly, the occurrence of the latter has 

 not yet been so closely investigated, that one can draw up charts of wide areas for these 

 species whilst still in the pelagic stage, but their occurrence in the Skager Eak and the remain- 

 ing Danish waters is known in general, so that various facts of essential importance can be 

 made clear. In the Kattegat, there live, amongst others, adult individuals of the following 5 

 flat-fishes: plaice, fiounder, dab, witch (P. cynoglossus) and halibut, though in different quan- 

 tities. They are all taken by the fishermen, but the halibut, though it occurs quite as far as 

 Kiel, is yet not common till we come to the Skager Eak. Of the fry of these 5 species, only 

 those of the 3 first named are met with inside the Skaw ; and they are found here in all stages 

 from the egg onwards etc. The pelagic eggs of the plaice appear already in winter and then 

 the pelagic young fish ; later (in spring) the fry of the fiounder appears and lastly that of the 

 dab (during a great part of the summer); but even in the first bottom-stages, after the trans- 

 formation has taken place, a characteristic difference is shown in the occurrence of the young; 

 the bottom-stages of the plaice and flounder just transformed can only be found in quite 

 shallow water, but a few feet deep, on protected and warm sandy shores, whilst the bottom- 



