BRILL. 
443 
side, which in the Turbot is in a line with the first ray 
of this fin, here lies in a line with the third ray. The 
structure of the anal fin is, as usual, essentially the 
same as that of the dorsal fin; but the above remarks 
as to the ramification of the rays are valid here only 
in exceptional cases and even then apply only to the 
very first ray, which is also not elongated. The anal 
fin is highest between the 21st and 29th rays. Both 
the dorsal and the anal fins keep to the dorsal edge 
posteriorly, but end distinctly nearer the blind side. 
The coloration of the eye side is also very variable 
in the Brill. It is generally grayish brown or greenish, 
with dark, undefined spots on a lighter or darker ground, 
and with dark, smaller spots and dots or ocellated spots 
or plain, lighter, whitish yellow ones, arranged as in 
most specimens of the Plaice, in one row along the 
base of the dorsal tin, in another along that of the anal 
fin, and scattered over the body and tins, especially 
the caudal. Sometimes the eye side is entirely black, 
with a few white spots on the anal fin (Couch). The 
spots on the fin-rays are especially distinct on the 
anterior rays of the dorsal fin. There they form hand- 
some, narrow, transverse bands on the rays, giving 
them the appearance of fine, small blades of seaweed. 
In Scandinavia at least, the Brill never attains even 
the ordinary size of the Turbot. A Brill 60 cm. long 
is exceptionally large. According to Kroyer, however, 
it is sometimes about 30 Danish inches (78 cm.) in 
length. Bearing in mind that a Brill 575 mm. long 
weighs 8 Danish pounds (4 kgm.), we must conclude 
that this species attains a much larger size in the 
Mediterranean, where, according to RiSScC, specimens 
8 kgm. in weight are taken. 
In its manner of life and geographical range the 
Brill resembles the preceding species, but probably 
does not go so far north 6 and also does not penetrate 
so far into the Baltic, being hardly found east of Scania 
and Mecklenburg. Off Bornholm it is unknown 0 ; Benecke 
does not include it among the fishes of the Prussian 
coast, nor Seidlitz among those of the Baltic Provinces 
of Russia; and a statement made long ago by Fischer 
(1777), to the effect that it occurs in the Gulf of Fin- 
land, thus seems very dubious. In the south of the 
Sound it is fairly rare, but further north, in the (Katte- 
gat and Skager Rack, it is about as common as the 
Turbot. In the North Sea and further south in the 
Atlantic it is still more common'', as well as in the 
Mediterranean and the Adriatic; but there is no record 
of its occurrence in the Black Sea. It is no less vora- 
cious than the Turbot, and lives chiefly on fish and 
crustaceans, but does not take a hook so readily. In 
Scandinavia it is taken principally in Flounder-nets, and 
in the North Sea by trawling. On the coast of Bo- 
huslan, on the 20th of May, 1857, Malm found a 
female with running roe. Hence it seems that it spawns 
at the same time of year as the Turbot. It should 
thus be best for table in winter, but then it is gener- 
ally scarcer, probable because at this season it seeks 
deeper water ; and in summer, when it is most plentiful, 
the flesh is naturally more flabby after the spawning, 
and often infested with worms. This is the cause of 
its ill-repute, and not even in its best condition can it 
rank with the Turbot; but it is by no means to be 
despised, being at least as good as the Plaice. On his 
travels in Spain and Portugal Steindachner observed 
that on the Spanish Peninsula the Brill is not inferior 
to the Turbot either in size or in delicacy of flavour. 
In England, on the other hand, it is so little esteemed 
that its price is not separately quoted in the London 
fish-market, an honour of which both the Plaice and 
the Dory are considered worthy. 
Sldthvarf or Sldtlivarfvel (Smooth Fluke) is the 
ordinary name of the Brill in Bohusliln, though on 
Sydkoster, according to Malm, it is called Sandhvarf. 
“At Abekas," says Nilsson, “it is believed to be a 
hybrid between the Turbot, which it resembles in shape, 
and the Plaice, from which it is supposed to derive 
its smooth skin. Hence it is usually called Horunge 
(Bastard), and is known to every fisherman by this 
name. Some call it Sldttvar .” 
“ Ichtliyologie de Nice , p. 316. 
b KrOyer assumes that the northern limit of the range of the Brill lies between Lat. 61° and 62°, i. e. in the neighbourhood of Bergen. 
c See Winther, 1. c. 
d The Brill, like many other Flatfishes, sometimes ascends rivers. “Because it enters the Elbe more often than other Flatfishes,” says 
Bloch ( Fisclie Deutschtands , II, p. 38), “the inhabitants of Hamburg have conferred upon it the name of Elbbutt." 
