SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 71 



FISH HATCHING AT PIEL. 

 By Andrew Scott. 



Tlie results from the fish hatching conducted in the 

 Spring of 1909 were almost similar to those obtained in 

 1907 and 1908. The maturing plaice were collected in 

 the closed area of Luce Bay by our Fisheries steamer 

 S.S. " James Fletcher," and we are very much indebted 

 to the Fishery Board for Scotland for granting us per- 

 mission to trawl in this protected fishing ground each 

 year. It ensures that a supply of adult plaice will be 

 secured in a very limited time, and consequently they can 

 be conveyed to Piel under the most favourable conditions. 

 Without such a privilege it would be almost impossible 

 to get satisfactory fish; at any rate, it would necessitate 

 spending several days at sea trawling in all directions, 

 and consequently the captured fish would be landed in a 

 very exhausted condition. The parent flounders were 

 caught in the vicinity of Piel, as usual, by the police 

 cutter stationed in the northern division of the Lancashire 

 district. 



The fish commenced to spawn on March 4th, and the 

 first fertilised eggs were obtained five days later. The 

 spawning lasted for two months. During that time one 

 million four hundred thousand plaice eggs were obtained, 

 and thirteen million eight hundred thousand flounder 

 eggs. The incubation of the eggs was carried out in the 

 Dannevig hatching apparatus, and the resulting fry were 

 afterwards liberated in the sea. The parent fish were set 

 free in the channel adjoining the establishment. 



