360 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



ON A NEW AMERICAN SPECIES OF PLEURONECTOID {GLYPTOCEPHALUS 



ACADIANUS). 



BY THEODORE GILL, M.D. 



In the " Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of 

 Philadelphia" for 1864 (pp. 214-224), was published a "Synopsis 

 of the Pleuronectoids of the eastern coast of North America," in 

 which two generic t3'pes, either entirely new {Euchalarodus) or 

 new to the coast ( Githarichthyii)^ were made known. The present 

 article may be regarded as supplementary to that. 



The only known specimen of the new type was obtained from 

 a pond at Eastport, Maine, during the month of August, by an 

 attache (Di'. Edward Palmer) of the Commissioner of Fisheries 

 (Prof. Baird), and, notwithstanding the assiduous attentions of 

 the commissioner and his staff, no other specimens were found; it 

 must, therefore, be actually a very rare fish, or (what is more 

 probable in such cases) peculiar in its habitat, and rarely coming 

 within the range of operations of the fisherman. 



An attentive examination and comparison of this species with 

 the Glyptocephalus cynoglossus, of Europe, indicate that it is 

 congeneric with that species and with the Platessa elongata of 

 Yarrell, but more nearly allied to the latter. As the genus is now 

 for the first time introduced into our fauna, a description of the 

 characters common to all the species (generic), as well as distinc- 

 tive of the new form (specific), is given. 



Genus GLYPTOCEPHALUS, Gottsohe. 

 Synonymy. 

 Olyptocephalus, Gottsohe, Arcliiv fiir Nat. 1835, i. p. 156; Blkr., Compt. 

 Rend. Acad. Sci., Amsterdam, xiii., 1SG2. 



Body oblong fusiform, with the caudal peduncle abbreviated. 

 Scales minute, oval, cycloid on the e3'ed as well as blind side, 

 and regularl}' imbricated. 



Lateral line straight, with its scales covered on both sides by 

 the adjoining ones. 



Head small, ovate, the profile being slightly decurved, and with 

 the rostral area rhomboid; covered with minute imbricated scales 

 on the cheeks and opercular bones ; on the blind side exhibiting 



