113. PLEURONECTID^E PLEURONECTES. 831 



than long; caudal large, nearly as long as head. Head 3|; depth If. 

 D. 68; A. 50; Lat. 1. 95. L. 12 inches. A variable species. Coast of 







California; abundant. 



(Pleuromchthys guttulatus Girard, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1856, 137: Pleu.ranectes 

 guttulatus Giinther, iv, 445: Parophrys ayresi Giinther, iv, 456; Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. 

 Sci. Phila. 1864, 195: Pleuronichthys guttulatus Lockiugton, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1879, 

 94.) 



458. PiEURONECTES* Linaseus. 



Plaices. 



(Platessa Cuvier: Platlclitliys and Paroplirys Girard: Lepldopsetta, Myzopsetta, Liopsetta, 

 and Euchalarodus Gill: Clldoderina and Pseudopleuronectea Bleeker: Limanda 

 Gottsche: Flcsus Moreau.) 



(Artedi; Linnaeus Systema Naturae: type Pletironectes platessa L.) 



Eyes and color on the right side (except in P. stellatus, which is indif- 

 ferently dextral or sinistral). Body ovate, elliptical, compressed; head 

 moderate, sometimes tuberculate; mouth small, the small, narrow max- 

 illary reaching front of eye or beyond ; blind side with one (rarely two) 

 series of close-set, conical or incisor-like teeth; colored side of both 

 jaws usually toothless. Scales small, ctenoid or cycloid, often imper- 

 fectly imbricated, sometimes tubercular or obsolete. Lateral line 

 nearly straight, or more or less arched anteriorly, simple, or with an 

 accessory branch. Gill-rakers small, widely set. Species very numer- 

 ous in northern seas. (-Xsopw^ side; v^'zr^, swimmer.) 



o. Lateral line with an accessory dorsal branch, long or short. 

 b. Lateral line straight or with a slight arch. 



c. Scales mostly cycloid, small, imbricated. (Paroplirys t Girard.) 



1281. P. vetMlws (Grd.) J. & G. 



Uniform light olive brown ; the young somewhat spotted with 

 blackish. Body elongate-elliptical ; snout very prominent, much pro- 

 truding, forming an abrupt angle with the descending profile; depth 

 of head opposite middle of upper eye about equalling distance from 

 middle of orbit to snout; eyes large, separated by a very narrow, high 



* " If we were to attribute to some of the characters the same generic value as in 

 other Pleuroneciidce, we should be obliged to establish a genus for almost every species, 

 and to separate fishes which evidently form one natural group" (Giinther, iv, 438). 

 The curvature of the lateral line is here subject to much variation ; the accessory 

 lateml line, characteristic of so many Pacific species, disappears by degrees, while the 

 gradations in dentition end squamation are so numerous as to be apparently useless 

 for generic characters. We are unable to follow Dr. Giinther in referring to Plcitronec- 

 tes, the species of Glyptoccplialm and Cynicoglossus, which seem to us to represent a 

 well-differentiated type. 



t Girard, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1854, 139: type Parophrys vctulus Girard. 

 (Ttapa, near together; o<ppv?, eyebrow; in allusion to the narrow iuterocular space.) 



