SEA FISHERIES LABORATORY 



113 



Plaice {Pleuronectes platessa). 



Off Bar Ship. 



Sept. 6 



15 „ 



Off Blackpool. 



Sept. 6 



10 „ 



Deposit Buoy. 



Sept. 18 



27 „ 



Burbo Bank. 



Oct. 4 



11 ,, 



Garston. 



Oct. 16 



7 ,, 



Ulverstone Chan. 



Oct. 23 



53 ,, 



Between Dingle 

 and Garston. 



Dec. 14 



33 „ 



Barrow Channel. 



Dec. 17 



4 ,, 



9-15 „ 



3 Empty, 1 Nucula, 2 

 Amphipoda(^mpefo'sca), 

 3 Mactra and Nucula, 4 

 Scrobicularia, 2 Mactra. 



10-12i„ 



10 Annelida. 



H-7i „ 



27 Donax, Tellina, and 

 Mactra. 



4-7^ „ 



11 Donax. 



3|-8| „ 



7 Empty. 



3f-5f „ 



53 Empty. 



4-9 „ 



33 Empty. 



4^ — 5 \ ,, 3 Empty, 1 Annelida. 



Of the 421 stomachs examined, 211 were empty and 23 

 contained indistinguishable animal matter, and one a little 

 sand only, leaving 186 which contained matter that could 

 be identified, and these are accounted for in the following 

 notes : — 



Mollusca were found in 134 stomachs, or fully 72 %, and 

 comprised Cardium, Mactra, Donax, Tellina, Scrobicu- 

 laria, Nucula, Philine, and Pecten. It will be observed 

 from the list that the majority of the fish with Mollusca 

 in their stomachs were taken in the Mersey district. 



Annelida were found in 41 stomachs, or fully 22 % ; the 

 species were not identified owing to the mutilated condi- 

 tion of the specimens. 



Crustacea were found in 15 stomachs, or fully 8 %, and 

 consisted of Crangon, Idotea, GoropJiium, and Ampelisca. 



Thus, it will be seen that Mollusca occupy a very 

 prominent position in the food supply of the Plaice caught 

 in the Lancashire district, Annelida being second in im- 

 portance, and Crustacea third. This is almost the same 

 result as was arrived at in last year's Keport. 



In the Firth of Forth, Annelida occupy the first place, 

 Mollusca the second, and Crustacea the fourth. 



