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I had thought by the help of the »Hauch« (steam-windlass and long 

 lines) to be able to fish with my own plaice-seines so many large plaice 

 in our seas that, as the case was with Pleur. /testis (Report of Biol. Stat. 

 III. 1892, table II), I could point out the boundary line between the 2- 

 group and the 3-group (the 3-group comprises all plaice more than 3 years 

 old); but my hope was not fulfilled after all: / have nowhere by my own 

 explorations found any 3-group numerously represented in the northern Cattegat 

 where the fry in all sizes is most abundant. 



In the Baltic on the other hand, where a great number of the plaice 

 are caught, the largest specimens (table VII, column 10) most likely re- 

 present a 3-group; for if they are compared with the ripe and grown-up 

 fish at the same place, table I, column 11 — 12 — 13 (Stevns & Rytzebsek) 

 then we see that their size is the same, so that I must suppose that 8 — 9 

 inches represents the point where the 2-group of the plaice comes up with 

 the 3-group, as it must necessarily do at some time, as the 3-group does 

 not grow as fast as the 2-group*). 



When it is so difficult to me to find representatives of this 3-group 

 of the plaice, especially in the Cattegat, more so than it is with Pleur. 

 limanda & flesus, the reason is, as far as I can see, that it has been fished 

 up, to a certain degree, so that specimens of it are rare compared to those 

 of the 2-group. Be it remembered that this fish in later years has been 

 pursued exceedingly much, and particularly so in the Cattegat where the 

 question was to be solved, so that the fishermen told me, when I paid a 

 visit onboard while the fish, table VI, column 3, were measured, »that if 

 they only knew a place in the Cattegat where they could fish better, they 

 would go there immediately; but they did not know where to find it« — 

 nor could I tell them. They fished there chiefly two years old fish, more 

 than half the number of which were under the size limit, and only few 

 were three years old. I must suppose that scarcely one fourth of these fish have 

 ever spawned, three fourths then were immature (not grown-up) fish. There 

 were many fishermen day after day fishing this particular size of fish, be- 

 cause they knew no place in the Cattegat where the fishing would pay better. 



Note: The larger the race of plaice is which we examine, and the longer the 

 single specimen accordingly will be before the quickness of its growth begins to 

 slacken by commencing maturity, the higher up on the scale must the point be 

 where the 2- and 3-group meet, and the situation of the point will, I dare say, 

 always be near the point at which most specimens become ripe for the first time. 

 There are in the tables indications of a higher position of these points, the farther 

 we get out towards the German Sea, but, partly, this has been explained already 

 in an earlier section, partly, the present materials are not sufficient for a closer 

 examination of this matter. 



