FLOUNDERS OF GENUS PARALICHTHYS AND RELATED GENERA 



301 



Subgenus Paralichthys 



ParfiHi-lilln/s Gikabd, U. S. I'mc U. H. Explcr. Surv. Znol., 

 10 (Fish.) p. 14(i, Is.jS IfieiiotyiM' I'mnlhlillii/s inli- 

 U'liiiruii (Ayv(i!i)=ParaUchtliyii vtaculosus Girard by 

 iiiomityin ). 



Vrijiixttta Gii.i., I'm.-, Aciul. X.it. Sci., riiiladclphia. 1862, 

 I). .'{.SO (gnnotyiii" I'liralklillnin californiciin (Ayres> = 

 Hipixtt/lu.s.iiin califnrnirnx Ayies by motiotypy). 



I'roiJxcttii Gii.i,, iliid., 1SG4; pp. 1!)4 and lUS, (geiius 

 fharaiteiized for first time). 



This sul)ij:(Miu.s differs from Chaoiopxctfo in 

 having ctenoid scales on the eyed side. The scales 

 become ctenoid when the fish is small, the smallest 

 .specimens examined already havinp: the scales on 

 the upper side spinulose (;i7 mm., total length of 

 aestuarius and adnfersus and 42 mm., calif onii- 

 c?/.s) . In one species, asfitnanm, the scales gradu- 

 ally lose their ctenoid character in fish between IGO 

 and 220 mm., larger specimens having all scales 

 cycloid witli no trace of their former ctenoid con- 

 dition. This gives a clue as to how the subgenus 

 Chaem>p.setta originated from species having 

 ctenoid scales on the eyed side. Also, occasional 

 specimens of a(Isper.m.s and caJifomlni^i have the 

 caudal peduncle of the blind side more or less with 

 spiiudiferous scales, thus forming a transition to 

 those species having ctenoid scales on both sides. 

 All the species of the subgenus Parol icJithys are 

 American, with the exception of olvvaceus. 



PARALICHTHYS MICROPS 



The following essential characters are compiled 

 from Xorman's two accounts of the species. 

 Scales ctenoid on eyed side, cycloid on blind side; 

 54 to 65. Accessory scales present. Gill rakers 

 18-23 on lower limb. A. 50-05; D. 68-80. Pec- 

 toral about 2 in head, with 11-12 rays. Dor.sal 

 origin over middle or anterior half of eye. Eye 

 4.5-5.5 in head. (Norman's figure shows a rather 

 narrow interorbital.) Canines moderate. Max- 

 illary extending nearly to posterior edge of eye. 

 Dejith 43-50, head 29-32, maxillary about 14, 

 sinistral. Mottled and spotted with darker, 

 median fins blackish towards their margins. 



Norman places Parali/'hf/ij/x Jordan! Steindach- 

 ner in the synonymj' of laicrops, with a query. 

 Steindachner's species is based on three specimens, 

 217-2S0 mm. The pertinent characters given in 

 the original description agree with those given by 

 Norman for microps and outlined above, with the 

 following exceptions: Scales about 62-70. Pec- 



toral almost 1% in head. Eye about 6 in head. 

 Most scales finely nuirgined posteriorly with dark 

 brown, with a central brown point. Three longi- 

 tudimil rows of grayish blue sjwts. along a nunlian 

 line and near dorsal and anal bases. 



According to the original description jordam 

 appears to have more numerous scales than 

 microps, a character which usually indicates spe- 

 cific divergence in this group of fishes. The color 

 oi jordat)ia\so appears to be distinctively different. 

 The apparent difference in the scale count may be 

 due to different methods of counting or may fall 

 within the range of variation of a single species. 

 While the specimens on which the two names are 

 based may possibly represent the same species, the 

 probaI)ilities are equally as good that they repre- 

 sent di.stinct species. This question may be de- 

 termined only by a direct comparison of the types, 

 or better still, by frequency dis( rihut ion studies of 

 numbers of specimens. Steindachner's specimens 

 appear to have also a somewhat smaller eye and 

 longer pectoral. Nevertheless. Steindachner does 

 not satisfactorily prove that jonlani is distinct. 

 Pending further studies, Norman's treatment is 

 here continued and the two names are associated 

 under one heading. 



This species is distinctively different from all 

 other species of Parallrhthys in the ])osterior posi- 

 tion of the dorsal origin with reference to the 

 anterior margin of the eye, agreeing with or ap- 

 proaching to the species of Hippor/losairm in tliis 

 respect. The dorsal origin in young fish is behind 

 tlie anterior margin of the eye in all the species, 

 but in microps this condition evidently persists in 

 grown specimens also. 



Hilipof/lnxxina microps GrxTHFii. Proc. Zmil. Soc Lon- 

 don, l,s,Sl : 21 (west coast of PataKonia).— JoKnox and 

 (io.ss, Kept. U. S. Conim. Fish., 1S«G: 242, 1889 (after 

 Giinther). 



I'liraUchthjiH jordnni Steindachnrr, Faun. Chile 1: 

 3l'5 [Zoiil. .lahrb. supp. l>d. 41 1S!)8 (I'lierto llontt, liohahi 

 River. Chile). — Dellin. ("at. Per. Chile, p. 11(4. lOlU (listed). 



HippiiiiloxKiiw microps Delfln, ibid., p. 103 (listed). 



Paralichthjis mirrops Nokm.vn, Mdiiugr. Flatfishes, p. 

 88. tig. .52, 1934 (Chile; west coast i)f Palafionia).— 

 NoR.M.-vN, Disc. Rept. 16: 133, 1037 (coast of Chile, near 

 Conception and al latitude 3S°22'). 



PARALICHTHYS PATAGONICUS 



Diagnosis. — Scales ctenoid on e\'ed side, cycloid 

 on idind side; 76. Accessory scales present, mod- 

 erately profuse. Gil! rakers 2+10. Anal ravs 



