DEVELOPMENT AND LIFE-HISTORIES OF TELEOSTEAN FISHES. 847 



When the turbot reaches a total length of 21 mm., and when the left side has assumed 

 the characteristic mottling of the adult, the spines above mentioned have disappeared 

 from both sides, and the right shows minute black pigment-specks. The right eye is 

 now on the left side, and the dorsal fin has advanced in front of it. The pectorals have 

 considerably diminished, but the ventrals retain their proportional size. Specimens 

 of these dimensions appear to be nearly a year old, and such are frequently found 

 swimming at the margin of the sea. 



Our knowledge of the development of this species is meagre and very unsatisfactory. 

 Thus Buckland says that the turbot spawns in early summer, Parnell states in spring, 

 and the young are seen in pools and on the surface in June and July. It is asserted in 

 Day's recent work* that "the young turbot would appear to swim on its edge for a 

 longer period than the generality of our flat fishes ; " and it is added that a specimen an 

 inch and a half in length (August) may be taken to be two months old. Day cites Mr 

 Dunn to the effect that 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." Some of the 

 turbot of the east coast (Scotland) at any rate spawn in July. A female on the 10th of 

 that month, as already indicated, contained many ripe ova, which were of comparatively 

 small size and floated buoyantly in sea-water.t Unfortunately no male could be 

 procured on the occasion in question ; but many ova of precisely the same size and 

 appearance were obtained on this ground in the tow-net and hatched, the larval 

 fishes resembling in all the usual points those of other Pleuronectidse. They are very 

 small larval fishes on emerging, and experience has shown that they could scarcely have 

 the size and appearance mentioned by Day in two months. 



So far as present knowledge carries us, the young turbot of the season, hitherto 

 procured at St Andrews, measure about 11 mm.J at the end of August. Others, again, 

 captured in the estuary of the Eden on the 25th July, had reached 23 mm.; and one, 

 from the surface, on the 20th August, 29 mm., some blackish pigment still remaining on 

 the right side. In April, again, specimens about 6 inches in length occasionally occur in 

 the salmon stake-nets. If these stages refer to a year's growth, the latter would seem 

 to be slow, yet only very great irregularity in regard to the spawning period would 

 explain such differences. 



Rhombus laevis (Brill). — No ripe brill has hitherto been seen at St Andrews, and none 

 occurred during the trawling expeditions in 1 8 8 4. Raffaele considers that a pelagic ovum, 

 with a large oil-globule, which he procured in February and March in the Bay of Naples, 

 pertains to this species, and he is probably right. A similar ovum with a pale oil-globule 



* British Fishes. 



t Report of H.M. Trawling Commissioners, 1884, p. 263. t Total length. 



