398 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
to the best of our knowledge is also a trustworthy 
character. 
In the North Sea the Plaice is taken chiefly in the 
trawl, a huge pocket-net kept open at the top of the 
mouth by a bar between 10 and 15 m. long, which 
has a heavy frame of iron (the trawl-head) at each 
end, and at the bottom fastened along a. thick rope 
(the ground-rope) which trails along the bottom. In 
Scandinavian waters it is generally taken in large- 
meshed nets, known as Flounder-nets. In Norway, at 
suitable spots, it is also speared, according to Lillje- 
borg. In the sea it seldom takes a bait; but in the 
French rivers, according to Blanchere, the Plaice is 
taken with hook and line, worms being used as bait. 
In Bohusl&n the species is known as Bodspotta 
(Red-spot). In the south of Sweden it bears the more 
Danish name of Bodspcitta or simply Spdttci, or is 
sometimes called Slcalla (cf. its German name Scholle). 
At Kullen it is also known as Slcitta (Smooth); and 
Qvensel (1. c*.) and Ekstrom® state that in Bohuslan 
it is also called Mareskadda or Marieskadda. 
(Ekstkom, Smitt.) 
THE FLOUNDER (sw. sicrubbskaddan). 
PLEURONECTES FLESUS. 
Plate XXI, fig. 1. 
Body oval , the greatest depth in full-grown specimens varying between 38 and 43 % ( sometimes 44 %) of the 
length. Dorsal fin with at most about 60 (53 — 62) rays , anal with at most about 40 (37 — 42 b ). Least depth 
of the tail usually less than 8 % (6'8 — S' 2 %) of the length of the body, or about 32 % (28 — 36 %) of the length 
of the head , which is more than 22 % (in adult specimens 22 x f — 25' f %) of the length of the body. Distance 
between the anal fin and the tip of the snout as a ride more than 34 % (in adult specimens 34 — 39 %, but some- 
times 33' 3 %) of the length of the body. Postabdominal bone ending in an anal spine projecting forward. Bays 
of the ventral fins 6. Head without muciferous cavities. Lateral line only slightly curved in the abdominal 
region. Vertebrce 35 — 37. Jaw-teeth , pharyngeals and pharyngeal teeth like those of the preceding species. The 
frontal wall between the eyes continued backivards by a (more or less distinct) raised bar, rough with a number 
of small tubercles and at the extreme end (above the operculum ) somewhat ividened. Scales of the body partly 
cycloid, but usually for the most part changed into spinous warts, the largest of which are set in a row on the 
margin of the body, along the bases of the dorsal and anal fins, there being one spinous wart on each side of 
these fins in the interval between each ray and the next one to it. Coloration of the eye side grayish brown with 
darker, cloudy spots and irregular stripes, and also round, red or yellow, not ocellated, often indistinct , small 
spots; ground-colour sometimes blackish blue. 
R. br. 7'; D. 53— 62 c ; A. 37— 42 P. 9 e — 11; V. 6; 
C. x + 12 + ,v; L. lat. por. 72 — 85 ( + 24 ad 29 in pinn. caud.); 
Vert. 35—37. 
Syii. Le Flez, Belon, La nature et diversite des poissons, p. 141. 
Pleuronectes oculis a dextris, linea laterali aspera, spinulis 
supine ad radices pinnarum, dentibus obtusis, Art., Gen. 
p. 17; Syn., p. 31; Spec., p. 59. 
(?) Pleuronectes oculis a sinistra, linea laterali utrinque aculeata. 
Art., Gen., p. 18; Syn., p. 32; ex Willughby, Hist. Pise., 
p. 93 ( Rhombus aculeatus , Rondel.) D. 66, A. 50 (vix 
flesus ); hinc vero Pleuronectes passer, Lin., Syst. Nat., ed. 
X, p. 271. 
Pleuronectes, Skrobba, Lin., It. Scan., p. 326 et in indice VII. 
Pleuronectes flesus, Lin., Syst. Nat., ed. X, tom. I, p. 270; 
Fn. Suec., ed. II, p. 116: Betz., Fn. Suec. Lin., p. 331; 
Qvens., Vet -Akad. Ilandl. 1806, p. 214; Swartz, Sv. Zool., 
Bd. 2, No. 46; Hollb., Beskr. Boh. Fisk., Gbgs Vet., Vitt. 
Samh. N. Handl., IV, p. 38; Nilss., Prodr. Ichth. Scand., 
p. 55; Ekstr., Vet. -Akad. Handl. 1834, p. 53; Gottsche 
( Platessa ), Arch. f. Naturg. I (1835), Bd. 2, p. 146; Kr., 
Damn. Fisk., Bd. 2, p. 276; Lillj., Vet. -Akad. Handl. 1850, 
p. 306; Nilss. ( Pleuronectes ), Skand. Fn., Fisk. p. 618; 
Ekstr., v. We., Skand. Fisk., ed. 1, p. 215, tab. 55; Gthr, 
Brit. Mus. Cat., Fish., vol. IV, p. 450; Sieb. (Platessa), 
Sussiuasserf. Mitteleur., p. 77 ; Mgrn, Finl. Fisk. (disp. 
“ Gbgs Vet., Vitt. Samh. Handl., Ny tidsfoljd, 1 baft., p. 39. 
b Sometimes 45, according to Gottsche. 
c Sometimes 63, according to Steindachner. 
d Steindachner gives, as rare exceptions, however, 46 — 48 rays in the anal fin. So large a number has never been found in the 
northern PI. flesus, but probably occurs in a Mediterranean variety, Bonaparte’s and Canestrini’s PI. passer. 
e Sometimes 8; according to Kroyer. 
