SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 323 



When arranged in this way the contrast between the 

 food of plaice and dabs is at once evident. We see (1) 

 that the dab is an omnivorous feeder and that it will take 

 anything on the sea bottom from a sprat to a zoophyte ; 

 but that (2) it indicates a preference for particular food 

 animals such as ophiurids, crabs and lamellibranchs. The 

 latter were usually Scrobicularia alba, Mactra, Tellina, 

 and often the feet of Cardium echinatum. The crabs 

 were either Portunus depurator, which often occurred 

 alone in the alimentary canal, Carcinus moenas, which 

 was less common, or Ewpagurus bernhardus, which was, 

 perhaps, the commonest crab found as the food of the 

 dab. The ophiurids were nearly always Ophiura albida. 

 The Amphipods were always Ampelisca. Sprats were, 

 of course, an unusual food, but on one occasion (in 

 Llandudno Bay, on 13th July, 1906), two dabs were 

 found which were gorged with small sprats. The 

 tubicolous Polychaetes were either Sabella or Amphitrite. 

 Upogebia, a Callianassid Crustacean, which so far we have 

 only found in the stomachs of fishes, was found in two 

 dabs taken on 10th July, 1906, off New Quay Head. 



At the foot of the first column in the table are given 

 several animals which occurred exceptionally in the 

 stomachs of dabs examined from various grounds. They 

 were generally associated with other food animals and 

 never occurred in abundance. They indicate further the 

 catholicity of taste of the dab. 



The plaice affords a decided contrast. It will be 

 seen that by far the commonest food animals of this fish 

 were lamellibranch mollusca. Next in importance come 

 Polychaete worms which very seldom, apparently, afford 

 an exclusive food for the plaice, but are nearly always 

 associated with lamellibranchs. Both errant and 

 tubicolous polychaetes are eaten. The former are 



