OSSEOUS FISHES, 
541 
The Flounders and Plaice {Plates sa) inhabit the northern seas of 
Europe. They have their eyes placed on the right side ; the dorsal as 
well as the anal fin extending from over the eyes to the caudal, both 
stretching out to a point towards the centre, giving a rhombic form 
to the fish. In Platessa the jaws are furnished with a single row of 
obtuse teeth. 
The Common Plaice, P. vulgaris (Fig. 371), attains the length of 
ten or twelve inches ; it is brown above, spotted with red or orange. 
On the eye-side of the head are some osseous tubercles. The body, 
which is somewhat lozenge-shaped, is smooth. 
Fig. 371. The Common Plaice (Platessa vulgaris). 
The Flounders ( P. fiessus ) are fresh- water fishes of small size, 
abundant in the Thames and many other rivers ; they are only second 
in importance to the soles and turbot among the Pleuronectidae ; the 
numbers of brill, flounders, dab, and plaice required being close upon 
a hundred million for the supply of London alone. 
The usual mode of capturing flat-fish is by means of a trawl-net, 
but many varieties of these maybe caught with a hand-line.^ “ A day’s 
sea -fishing,” says Dr. Bertram, in his “ Harvest of the Sea,” “ will be 
chequered by many little adventures. There are various minor monsters 
of the deep that will vary the monotony of the day by occasionally 
devouring the bait. A tadpole fish, better known as the sea-devil, or 
angler, may be hooked ; or a visit from a hammer-headed shark, or 
