THE LONG ROUGH DAB. 300 



than half the length of the head, and as long as the base of the nine 

 first dorsal rays. Mouth large ; under jaw longest ; teeth long 

 and slender, and very sharp, placed a little apart from each other, 

 and in one row in each jaw. Eyes large, the upper rather in advance ; 

 an elevated bony ridge between ; lateral line broad and distinct, tak- 

 ing a very slight turn over the pectoralfin, from thence running straight 

 to the end of the middle caudal ray. Scales of the body large, cili- 

 ated and very deciduous ; those on the rays of the fins, smaller and 

 more adherent. Number of fin rays— 

 D. 85; P. 10; V. 6; A. 69; C. 17. 



The Long Rough Dab in some measure resembles the salt- 

 water Flounder, in having the back rough, and the dorsal and 

 anal rays furnished with a row of ciliated scales; but it differs 

 from it, however, in being a narrower fish, and in having the 

 lateral line nearly straight; the caudal, pectoral, and ventral 

 rays rough ; the mouth large, and the teeth long and sharp : 

 whereas in the salt-water flounder, the lateral line is much 

 bent over the pectorals; the caudal, pectoral, and ventral 

 rays smooth ; the mouth rather small, and the teeth blunt. 



In the Edinburgh market this fish receives the name of 

 Sandsucker, from an erroneous idea entertained by the fish- 

 ermen in supposing it to feed on nothing but sand ; for, on 

 opening the stomach, it appears filled with small, granu- 

 lar, sand-like particles, which seem to be the broken frag- 

 ments of some species of Asterias. 



This fish 1 first recorded as British, in the Edinburgh 

 New Philosophical Journal for July 1835, from specimens 

 taken in the Firth of Forth. I have since met with it on 

 the Berwick and Devonshire coasts. It frequents sandy 

 shores, and is taken by the hook in company with the plaise 

 and other kinds of flat fish, principally in the months of May, 

 June, and July, when several may be found daily in the 

 Edinburgh market. Its flesh is sweet and good, but rather 

 dry. The largest specimen I have met with measures fif- 

 teen inches in length. Dr Clarke of Ipswich was the first 



