SEA-FISHEEIES LABORATORY. 109 



Plaice {Pleuronectes platessa). 



167 stomachs of young Plaice were examined, of these 

 36 were empty and 1 contained indistinguishable animal 

 matter, leaving 130 to be accounted for as having 

 recognisable matter. 



Crustacea were found in 65 stomachs, exactly 50 %, and 

 consisted of the remains of Amphipods and Copepods, 51 

 stomachs contained numbers of the Copepod Jonesiella 

 hycena, a species described by Mr. I. C. Thompson some 

 years ago and which has since been found to enter very 

 largely into the food supply of the young flat fishes. 



Annelida were also found in 65 stomachs, 50 %. The 

 stomachs examined last year and referred to in the 

 Third Annual Report, gave a somewhat different result. 

 Crustacea took first place with fully 63 %, Annelida second 

 with 30 %, while 4 % of the stomachs contained Mollusca. 

 So that it is quite clear that Crustacea and Annelida are 

 the chief food supplying agents of the young plaice, and 

 of the two, Crustacea is probably the more important. 

 Dab {Pleuronectes limancla). 



272 stomachs of young Dabs were examined, of which 

 226 were found to contain no food and 11 contained food 

 matter which was not recognisable, leaving only 35 to be 

 accounted for. 



Annelida were found in 34 stomachs, or fully 97 %. 

 Echinoderms were found in 1 stomach, representing 

 scarcely 3 %. 



In last year's report 65 % of the stomachs of young 

 Dabs examined contained Annelida, and 24 % Crustacea, 

 so that Annelida appears to be by far the most important 

 food supplying agent of the young Dabs, Crustacea 

 occupying second place. 



Flounder {Pleuronectes flesus). 



5 stomachs of young Flounders were examined, of which 

 3 were empty and 2 contained the remains of Annelida. 



