FLOtTNDERS OF GENUS PARALICHTHYS AXD RELATED GENERA 



305 



This species iipparently differs from liotli 

 schmitti and fenuindezianus m not ha\iii<i the 

 blind side of tlie dorsal spotted and in havinfi; a 

 shorter pectoral as compared with the head leiijith. 

 The sinj^le specimen known is apparently dextral 

 while the other two species are sinistral. It 

 further differs from fenuindezlaniis in having 

 fewer scales and possibly also fewer <;ill rakers, 

 and from schmitti jiossibly in having fewer pec- 

 toral rays and a shorter maxillary. 



Pnrdliclitln/x liiji/niiiorfii Steindachnkk. F;inn, Chilpii. 

 3: 20!> (Z(i(il. .Tahi-li., supi)., bd. (i) 1!«).") (.Juuii FfriKiiidi'Z, 

 Cliile). — XdRMAN, Mouo^T. Flatfishes, p. 81, 1934 (after 

 Steindachner). 



PARALICHTHYS SCHMITTI 



(PLATES i; AND 7 I 



Diaffnosi.s. — Scales ctenoid on eyed side, cycloid 

 on l)lind side; ()8. Accessory scales jiresent on 

 both sides, very numerous, nearly covering surface 

 of many regular scales and massed in bands around 

 edges of nearly all scales. Gill rakers short, 9 on 

 lower limb of first gill arch, 3 on upper limb with 

 1 tubercle aliove. Anal rays 63; dorsal SO; pec- 

 toral 12. Origin of dorsal a little in advance of 

 anterior margin of eye; maxillary extending pos- 

 teriorly to a point a little behind a vertical through 

 posterior margin of lower eye, 15. Body of me- 

 dium depth, 4-1; head 30; interorbital rather wide, 

 3.2 ; pectoral 2.4 in head. Sinistral. 



Color. — Blind side of head azid body light-col- 

 ored, like the normal condition in the species of 

 ParalichthyK, but unlike nearly all other species; 

 the fins of underside, including the dorsal, anal, 

 caudal and ventral, distinctly blotched. A nar- 

 row area along upper and lower margins of blind 

 side, in front, speckled with small brown spots, the 

 speckling continued, but less distinct on opposite 

 side. Eyed side dark, irregidarly shaded. Some 

 diffuse spots of more or less greater intensity 

 than the ground color; two or three faintly sug- 

 gesting ocelli ; no spots especially prominent. Pec- 

 toral and ventral of eyed siile with irregidar 

 transverse rows of somewhat elongate spots. Two 

 tliffuse cuived bands on (aiidal. against an irreg- 

 ularly shaded background. 



Sperl/ncn examined. — This species is known 

 from the single type specimen, 455 mm. (88831), 

 taken at Juan Fei-nandtv. Island, nff the coast of 

 Chile. 



asoaas"— 52 — ti 



Di.ifinetive characters avd reJafion-thip. — This 

 species is apparently related to fernandezianus 

 which also has the dorsal blotched on the blind 

 side, an unusual coloi' mark in a species of 

 Paralichthy.<i : but it differs in the less numerous 

 scales. Although no material is available for com- 

 parison, it is to be noted that Steindachner who 

 described fernandezianuK also is the author of 

 three other species of the subgenus Paralichthys, 

 namely, adsper.\i/-'<, jordmil, and hilgendorfii for 

 which he gives the ninnl)er of scales in the lateral 

 line as 104, 02 to lO.') and !)4, respectively. These 

 numbers closely agree with those foiuid in the 

 species of the subgeiuis Pai'alichthys studied bj' 

 me (compare with table 6, taking into account 

 the conversion factor given on p. 271). The scale 

 count of schmitti also closely agrees with the 

 majority of the species of its subgenus. On the 

 other hand, the count of fernandcziaiais is given 

 as, "L. 1. c. 140." This is a number much greater 

 than that foinid in schmitti as well as the three 

 sjjccies described by Steindachner. From all the 

 other American species of Paralichthys., except 

 fernandezianus, schmitti may be distinguished by 

 the fins being blotched on the blind side, and the 

 other characters given in the kej'. 



Pnrdlichihjis srhiiiitti Ginshirg, Proc. U. S. Xat. Mu.s. 

 82 (20> : 1, 11):« (.Juan Fernandez Lsland, Chile). 



PARALICHTHYS FERNANDEZIANUS 



This species is based on a single specimen, 510 

 mm., from Juan Fernandez, Chile. The following 

 important specific characters are taken from the 

 original description: Scales ctenoid on eyed side 

 cycloid on blind side; about 94. Accessory scales 

 present. Gill rakers 3 on upper limb of first gill 

 arch with 2 rudiments, 11 on lower limb. A. 60. 

 D. 78. Pectoral slightly more than 21/3 in head; 

 with 11 rays. Origin of dorsal slightly in front 

 of anterior margin of eye. Maxillary attaining 

 past posterior margin of eye by a distance nearly 

 e(]ual to length of eye; 2y^ in head. Sinistral. 

 Dorsal on blind side marbled with irregidar brown 

 spots; eyed side with a fine dark sprinkling. 



This species has the doi'sal spotted on the blind 

 side like schmitti differing in having more nu- 

 merous scales, and possibly in having more gill 

 rakers and the maxillary extending more back- 

 ward with relation (o the posterior margin of the 

 eye. 



