Holt — Survey of Fishing Grounds, West Coast of Ireland. 425- 



HADDOCK — Oadus oeglefinus. 



This is one of the species in -which, according to Fulton, the size is the same in both 

 sexes ; but I do not know if this is intended to apply also to the size at which the sex 

 reaches maturity. Fulton gives the limit at 10 inches. "With the exception of one 

 male at 6^ inches, none of our haddock were below 12 inches, at which size both sexes 

 appeared to be mature, though as usual exceptions occurred, viz. one male at \1\ inches 

 and three females from 13 to 15^ inches were immature. 



WHITING — Gadus merlangtis. 



Of the whiting examined all males were over 9 inches, and all females over 11 in., 

 and all mature. I have therefore no evidence as to the limit. Fulton's is 8 inches. 



COAL-FISH — Gadus virens. 



We have no evidence as to the size at which this fish arrives at maturity, and it is 

 not included in Fulton's list. It is probably not far from 20 inches. The largest male 

 taken (39 inches) was 3 inches larger than any female. 



POLLACK — Gadtis pollacMus. 



The limit of 18 inches assigned to this fish is purely tentative, but probably not far 

 from the mark. It is the smallest size at which a female was found to be spent. 

 Seven males Avere immature, between 13 and 17 inches, and one at 22 inches, five 

 females were immature at 15 to 18 inches. The male appears to reach as large a 

 size as the female ; indeed our largest male (36 inches) was 2^ inches larger than any 

 female. 



LING — Molva vulgaris. 



Five ling, under 24 inches, were examined. Of these a male at 17 inches was im- 

 mature, and a male of 21 inches was spent, and three females, from 21 to 23|- inches, 

 were immature. A female at 24 inches was half ripe. Females at 25 to 27 inches 

 were spent. It would thus appear that the male comes to maturity at about 20 inches, 

 and the female at about 24 inches, at which size I have placed the limit until further 

 evidence is obtained. 



FLAT FISH. 



HALIBUT — Sippoglossus vulgaris. 



The limit of 23 inches is founded on a half-ripe specimen recorded by Fulton, the- 

 few which we obtained being all larger. It is purely a conjecture, and only inserted 

 in the hope of eliciting evidence from anyone who may be in a position to give it. 



LONG ROUGH DAB — Sippoglossoides Umandoides. 



According to my limited experience this is a species in which the sexes come to 

 maturity at the same size, viz. 6 inches. Fulton, who had the opportunity of exami- 

 ning many more ripe fish than I had, found none smaller than 6| and no nearly ripe 

 fish smalller than 5| inches, and on his evidence also fixes the limit at 6 inches. 



