Volume 39, Plate X / Ichthyology (Fish)

Tadpole Fish & Dab

Raniceps trifucatus & Platessa limanda

1. Tadpole Fish. Of very singular aspect, dark brown or black with a broad depressed head, wide gape, and prominent rounded lips, the Tadpole Fish measures from eight inches to a foot and tapers rapidly from before the pectoral fin to the tail. It bears a series of small rounded tubercles over the pectoral, more felt as the skin dries, and a slender first dorsal lodged in a groove, having been found from Cornwall to Berwick, Scotland, and Ireland.
2. The Dab. Known by its rough ciliated scales, the high arch of the dorsal line over the pectorals, and the absence of rough tubercles on the head and fins, the Dab is frequent on sandy coasts though less so than its congeners. It frequents deeper water than the Flounder, feeds on small fish, Crustacea, and shellfish, is in best condition from February to April, and ordinarily measures eight or nine inches, sometimes reaching fifteen.