368 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



J> 



lowing year. The Smooth Dab, as an article of food, is 

 considered by some persons to be of little or no value, in 

 consequence of its possessing a strong, disagreeable, tarry 

 flavour ; by others again, no flat fish is said to surpass it in 

 excellence, the flesh being firm and well-tasted. These op- 

 posite opinions may be easily accounted for when we con- 

 sider that the quality of the fish depends solely on the pe- 

 riod of the year in which it is caught. In December, Ja- 

 nuary, and February, the Smooth Dab is in good season 

 for the table ; but in April, May, and June, it is found 

 to be of very inferior quality, and on some occasions has 

 been proved unwholesome. It feeds on small shell-fish and 

 Crustacea. I have also met with this species occasionally 

 on the Devonshire coast ; it is said to be rare in Cornwall. 



Platessa limandoides.* — The Long Rough Dab. 



Specific Characters. — Rays of the pectoral and caudal fins rough ; 

 lateral line nearly straight. (Plate XXXVIII.) 



Description. — From a specimen eleven inches in length. Head one- 

 fifth of the whole length, caudal included ; breadth of the body nearly 

 one third of its length, fins not included. Colour of the upper surface 

 pale brownish-grey ; under surface pure white. Dorsal fin commen- 

 cing over the anterior part of the left orbit, and terminating at a short 

 distance from the caudal fin ; the first ray short ; the forty succeed- 

 ing ones gradually increasing ; the following ten about equal height ; 

 the remainder gradually diminishing ; the last small, rather shorter 

 and finer than the first. Anal commencing a little behind the base 

 of the pectorals and terminating under the last ray of the dorsal, in 

 form similar to the dorsal ; the middle rays equalling the length of 

 the pectorals ; caudal somewhat angular at the end ; the middle 

 ray as long as the base of the first fourteen rays of the anal, all 

 branched except the three lateral ones, which are much the short- 

 est. Ventrals in advance of the base of the pectorals ; the middle 

 ray which is the longest reaching to the anal spine. Pectorals less 



* Platessa limandoides, Yarr.,.Ien. Pleuronectes limandoides, Shaw, Bloch. 

 Sandsucker, Long Fleuk, Sand Fleuk. 



