PLEURONECTILLE. 23 



Pleuronectes laterna, Walb. Art. iii, p. 121 ; White, Catal. p. 104. 



Pleuronectes casurus, Hanmer, in Pennant, I.e. (ed. 1812) iii, p. 325, pi. liii; 

 Bonap. Peso. Eur. p. 47. 



Pleuronectes diaphanus, Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 309. 



Pleuronectes Leotardi, Risso, Ich. Nice, p. 318. 



Rhombus nudus, Risso, Eur. Merid. iii, p. 251 ; Cuv. Reg. Anim. 



Pleuronectes pellucidus, Nardo, Ich. Adriat. no. 134. 



Pleuronectes amoglossus, Bl. Sclm. p. 157 ; Turton, p. 97 ; Fleming, p. 197 ; 

 Bonap. Faun. Ital. Pesc. c. fig. ; Jenyns, p. 465 ; Canestr. Arch. Zool. i, p. 14, 

 tav. i, f . 4 ; Thompson, Nat. Hist. Ireland, iv, p. 205 ; Moreau, Poiss. France, 

 iii, p. 328. 



Rhombus amoglossus, Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (Ed. 1) ii, p. 254, c. fig. (Ed. 2) ii, 

 p. 345 (Ed. 3) i, p. 644. 



Hippoglossus amoglossus, Costa, Fauna Nap. ii, p. 32. 



Amoglossus laterna, Gunther, Catal. iv, p. 415 ; Steind. Ich. Span. u. Port. 

 1868, p. 50 ; Collett, Norges Fiske, p. 140 ; Canestr. Fauna Ital. p. 162 ; 

 Giglioli, Pesc. Ital. p. 38. 



Megrim, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, iii, p. 177, pi. clxviii. 



B. vii, D. 87-90, P. 10-11, V. 6, A. 64-68, C. 15, L. 1. 48. 



Length of head 4|, of caudal fin 6^, height of body 2 f to 3 in the total length. 

 Eyes on the left side, separated by a narrow, elevated and scaleless ridge : lower 

 eye slightly in advance of the upper : diameter 4^ in the length of the head, 

 1 diameter from the end of the snout. Lower jaw slightly the longer : the 

 maxilla equals 2/5 of the length of the head. Teeth in a single row in either 

 jaw, those in the mandibles somewhat the largest. Fins the dorsal commences 

 on the snout, its first few rays being occasionally somewhat separated one from 

 the others and a little elevated : the longest rays in the fin, which are half as long 

 as the head, are behind its middle, none of them or of the anal are branched : 

 the vertical fins are continued almost to the root of the caudal, which latter fin is 

 rounded. Left pectoral more than half the length of the head. The length of 

 the base of the left ventral wide, extending from the throat to the vent, behind it 

 are two prominent spines. Scales rather lai'ge, deciduous : present on the gill- 

 covers, none on the vertical fins. Lateral-Hue anteriorly with a somewhat 

 semi-circular curve becoming straight opposite the end of the pectoral. Free 

 portion of the tail higher than long. Colours of a brownish or pinkish on the left 

 side : white beneath. 



Varieties. J. Edward (Zool. 1856, xiv, p. 5065) describes a fish 2| inches 

 long, taken from the stomach of a cod. Dorsal commences in advance of upper 

 eye, not confluent with caudal. V. very small. Anal commences below gill cover. 

 Eyes on left side, even. Scales not large, deciduous. L. 1. straight. Pointed teeth 

 in both jaws. Coloured side flesh-colour, at regular distances on extreme edge of 

 D. and A. fins are seven black spots ? Pleuronectes diaphanus. Has seen three 

 specimens. Black spots present in all. 



In Yarrell's collection were three species of a fish termed Amoglossus 

 lophotes, Gunther, but whence they came has not been recorded, D. 95, A. 

 77, L. 1. 60. They appear to be very closely allied to A. laterna. Yarrell (Ed. 1) 

 p. 255, remarks upon possessing a Mediterranean skin of this species. Couch, iii, 

 p. 178, introduces this as a British species. 



Names. Scald-fish, derived from its appearance when captured, as it then 

 appears as if it had been dipped in scalding water, for not only does slight 

 friction cause its scales to drop off but likewise rubs off its skin. Megrim, 

 Cornwall : Lanthem-fish, Cornwall apud Halliwell : smooth sole. Le Pleuronecte 

 Amoglosse, French. 



Habits. Of these but little appears to be known, but the majority of British 

 examples have been captured along the S.YV. coast, usually on a sandy bottom 

 and at some considerable depth. It is said to be a favourite food of congers and 

 other large fishes which frequent deep waters. 



Means of capture. Hoes not appear to take a bait, perhaps due to the small 



