FISHES OF NEW YORK 727 



barely two fifths the length; a concealed spine behind ventrals; 

 ventral of colored side partly lateral, the other wholly so; anal 

 spine strong. D. 85; A. 02; Lat. 1. 100. 



Brownish olive, with numerous, irregular reddish spots; fins 

 similarly marked; left side with caudal fin, caudal peduncle, and 

 margins of dorsal and anal fins lemon yellow. Atlantic coast, 

 chiefly northward. 



This is also known as the rusty dab. It inhabits the coast of 

 North America from Labrador to New York. De Kay calls it 

 the rusty flatfish, which he says is a rare species, reported by 

 the fishermen to occur only in deep water. The specimen 

 described by him was 18 inches long. According to Dr Smith, 

 it is very common in Vineyard sound and observed by him in 

 water from 10 to 12 fathoms deep, where it may be found 

 throughout the year. There is no fishery, but numbers are 

 caught inddently while bottom fishing for other species. In 

 Great harbor a few are taken in fyke nets, only in winter. The 

 average length there is about 14 inches. In Massachusetts bay 

 it is. a common resident species, inhabiting deep waters in sum- 

 mer, and approaching the shores in winter. 



Genus PSETJDOPLEURONECTES Bleeker 



Body oblong, with firm flesh; the scales firm, regularly imbri- 

 cated, strongly ctenoid on eyed side in both sexes; fin rays scaly; 

 mouth small; teeth uniserial, incisorlike, close set, all more or 

 less blunt, lower pharyngeals very narrow, each with two rows 

 of separate, conic teeth. This genus is distinguished from 

 Pleuronectes chiefly by the well imbricated ctenoid scales, 

 and from L i m a n d a , which it more closely resembles, by the 

 want of arch to the lateral line. 



366 Pseudopleuronectes americanus (Walbaum) 

 Flatfish; Winter Flounder 



Plenronectes americanus WALBAUM, Art. Gen. Pise. Ill, 113, 1792; GUNTHER, 



Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. IV, 443, 1862; JORDAN & GILBERT, Bull. 16, U. S. 



Nat. Mus. 837, 1883. 

 Plenronectes planus MITCHILL, Trans. Lit. & Phil. Soc. N. Y. I, 387, 1815, 



New York. 

 Phitessa plana STOKER. Rep. Fish. Mass. 140, 1S39; DE KAY, N. Y. Fauna, 



Fishes, 295. pi. 48, fig. 154, 1842; STOKER, Hist. Fish. Mass. 195, pi. 



XXX, fig. 2, 1867. 



