PLEURONECTID^. 13 



ia alluded to in all ordinances as this or allied fishes. De Tarhot, Dutch: Le 

 Turbot, French. 



Habits. — Frequents sandy bays and likewise muddy localities : it appears to 

 constantly change its residence, migrating into deep water during cold weather 

 similarly to the soles (see page 40). It is very retentive of life when captured. 

 Its principal food is small fish, crustaceans and molluscs. In an example taken 

 in Torbay, which Mr. Gosden of Exeter, examined when quite fresh, he found 

 Montagu's crab (Xantho florida), the angled crab (Gonoplax angulata), velvet 

 fidler crab (Portunus puber), the long-haired porcelain crab (Porcelaniisjongicornus), 

 the olive squat lobster (Galathea squamifera), the spider crab (Stenorynchus 

 phalangium), brittle starfish (Ophiostrix fragilis), and the Uurynome aspera (Land 

 and Water, January 17th, 1880). Pontoppidan remarks that it feeds on young 

 crabs and small fishes, sea eggs or sea urchins, of which it is very fond. 



Means of capture. — At the commencement of the season, trawls, but as the fish 

 retires to deeper water and rougher ground, long lines or boulters are employed : 

 it is taken by trammel and beam-trawl nets. In calm weather when the sun is 

 bright, it may be speared. In County Down they employ a spear .32 or 33 feet 

 long armed at its extremity with an iron barb : the fishermen even drive it down 

 on them when beyond their reach. In many places, fishing for turbot with long 

 lines has had to be discontinued owing to their being destroyed by steam-trawlers, 

 while in several localities these fish which used to be abundant have almost 

 disappeared. It is to be regretted that numbers of the young of these fish 

 are destroyed by trav/lers, or inshore nets having a small mesh as used by 

 shrimpers. 



Baits. — These must be very fresh, alive if practicable, and shining if possible : 

 the lampern is deemed one of the best, and largely used by the Dutch. In the 

 Moray Firth, during July and August, it is often taken with herrings or sand eels 

 used as a bait. It will take a slice of fresh fish as those named, also Gottus, 

 haddock, mackerel, pilchard, sand smelt, garfish, and likewise worms, mussels, 

 limpets, or even bullock's liver. 



Breeding. — Breeds in summer : in February 15th, 1882, I found a female with 

 nearly mature ova. This fish has a large number of very small ova, and in a 

 23 lb. fish which had a roe weighing 5 lb. 9 oz. Buckland found 14,311,200 eggs. 



Hermaphrodites. — Quelch (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1862, p. 473) pxiblished a descrip- 

 tion of a supposed hybrid between this fish and the brill, Ekombus Iwvis. Messrs. 

 Pile reported to Land and Water (November 28th, 1881) from Dublin having 

 obtained a similar hybrid weighing 17| lb. "It had the ordinary large turbot 

 head, fins, and unusually large ' wings,' but the belly, though quite white like 

 the turbot, had large scales on it not unlike brills, the back was of a very 

 dark colour and covered with small lumps. The fish was fully matured and in 

 splendid condition." 



Life history. — The young turbot would appear to swim for a longer period 

 " on edge " than the generality of our fiat-fishes. I received from Mr. Dunn an 

 example captured August 20th, 1 880, which was about 1| inches in length and 

 supposed to be two months old. It showed the eye still in transit passing round 

 the bones of the head. Mr. Dunn considers they are hatched in June or July : 

 for the first month they are quite black and swim on edge like a John Doree. 

 Then their skin commences to mottle with white and brown, and their right eye 

 begins to pass over to the left side of the head. Next they become white 

 underneath, and of a light leaden colour on the upper surface, and during the 

 period they remain of this shade on the back, which is until they have passed two 

 months of age, they swim on the surface of the sea. If they descend to the 

 bottom during this period it can only be occasionally. What the rate of growth 

 of these fish is, very diflierent opinions ma/ be given. Some young, measuring 

 three inches across, were obtained from shrimpers and placed in the Southport 

 Aquarium. In two and a half years they had attained to 10 lb. each in weight, 

 after two years more they further augmented to 20 lb. or an annual average 

 increment of about 4i lb. each. In the Proceedings of the Zoological Society 

 of London, December, 1879, will be found the result of some observations made 



