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In the German Sea I have seen large plaice quite stuffed with the 



large Macbra stuUorum, which here evidently plays about the same part as 

 Mactra substruncata on the northern Lseso banks. — 



Plaice of the groups 1 & '2 seek, all of them, the same food as the 

 grown-up fishes, though they cannot take the large bivalves on account of 

 their small mouth ; from this reason they often seek the fry and the 

 smaller species of bivalves. The food of course is also highly dependent 

 on the species of bivalves which live in the sea; at one place Mactra only 

 are eaten, at another only Corbula, because no others are to be found. 



The 0-group of the plaice, on the other hand, at first observes an 

 essentially different diet. During their pelagic stage Gopepoda evidently 

 play the principal part; but in the month of June (on the sand-banks off 

 Kjertemindc) I have found plaice of 1 1 / i — 1 3 / 4 inch still living ou Cope- 

 poda, Cladocera, Ostracoda, and larvee of bivalves. In August when the 

 plaice had reached a length of 2 — 3 1 , inches on the sand-banks off Kjerte- 

 minde, they had quite changed their diet, and were now eating Idothea, 

 Gammaridee, smaller Annelida:, and the fry of bivalves; moreover they had 

 much sand in their stomachs as the bigger ones also use to have. In the 

 end of September, near Kjcrteminde. when the fish were c. 3 — 5 inches 

 lung, they scarcely eat anything but young Mactra ami young Cardium 

 edule, so that they now in the main took the same sort of food as the 

 older plaice. — 



Of the other species of tfat-tishes which from an economical point of 

 view are of importance to us, I cannot give so detailed information with 

 respect to their food in their various ages as I have given with respect to 

 the plaice, but I can say at any rate that Pleur. flesus has much in com- 

 mon with the plaice. Both species live in the same manner and partly at 

 the same places when they are young; but there is some difference when 

 they are grown-up, Pleur. flesus preferring to live in the sostera regions and 

 in muddy seas, while the plaice seeks the open seas with clean sand depo- 

 sits, hi the food, therefore, of the grown-up Pleur. flesus the fauna of the 

 sostera plays an important part, and its principal food must be said to be 

 Rissoa, Idothea, larvee of Tipulidce, Annelida, etc., bivalves, however, as 

 the young of Mystilus edulis, Corbula nucleus, Macoma baltica, being scar- 

 cely less important. (See Biol. Stations Beretning I. 1890). 



The food of the young Pleur. limanda, in the few specimens (c. 13""" 

 long) that have been examined, consisted of Gopepoda but of other species 

 than those which the plaice and Pleur. flesus take; when older, it is parti- 

 cularly Crustacea and Annelida it seeks; it is far less greedy after bivalves 



