FLOUNDERS OF GENUS PARALICHTHYS AND HF.LATED GENERA 



317 



fislies. Book names ajiplicd to this species are: 

 American tnrbot (Storer), lonjr-toothetl flounder 

 (Dc Kay), flounder of New York (Mitdiill). and 

 counuoi^ flounder (Baird ). 



Diagnosis. — Scales cycloid on both sides at all 

 ajii's; SG to 7R, the <rreat»'st concentration of indi- 

 viduals between 6ii and To, the mode at 65. Nu- 

 merous accessory scales present, usually begin- 

 nin<r to appear in s])ecimens of about SO to 90 nun., 

 their first appearance usually on eyed side. Total 

 number of gill rakers on first arch rangitig 16 to 

 i24. but few specimens of those examined having 

 less than 20; 3 to 7 on upper limb, the great 

 majority having 5 or 6 ; 13 to 18 on lower .limb, 

 only a few having less than 15. Anal rays 61 to 

 73; dorsal rays 80 to 1)6. Pectoral rays mostly 12, 

 sometimes 13 (in 10 specimens taken at random, 

 12 on both sides in 7, 13 in 2. and one having 8 

 rays on eyed side and 12 on blind side, the last 

 probably abnormal with respect to this character). 

 Vertebrae 11 + 30 or 31 (in 3 specimens). Origin 

 of dorsal over or slightly in front of anterior mar- 

 gin of eye in large or medium-sized fish, usually 

 slightly behind anterior margin of eye in speci- 

 nu'us under 100 mm. Maxillary generally extend- 

 ing to a vertical through posterior margin of jnipil 

 in fish of 125 mm., through posterior margin of 

 eye at 200 mm., past e5'e in fish over 300 nnii., the 

 backward extension of the maxillary with rela- 

 tion lo the ej'e varying considerably with indi- 

 vitlual fish as well as with size. Sinistral. 



Color. — Body on eyed side with numerous well 

 marked ocellated spots in the great majority of 

 individuals. Usually, most conspicuous ocellated 

 spots, one each, at posterior ends of subdorsal and 

 supra-anal rows and the prepeduncular spot on 

 the lateral line (for terminology of spots see 

 p. 277), the three forming the angles of an imagi- 

 nary isosceles triangle. Two somewhat less con- 

 spicuous spots than the foregoing three, but more 

 so than the other spots on body situated at an- 

 terior eiul of the uppei- and lower intermediate 

 rows, these two spots forming with the prepe- 

 duncular spot another and larger triangle. Most 

 spots in the 5 rows usually more or less ocellated. 

 A number of smaller ocellated spots scattered on 

 anterior part of body and head tisually present, 

 ."-ipecimens often quite dark in color, less fre- 

 (|ueiil ly unusually lighl. the orcllalfd s])ots in such 

 specimens, especially in the former, not so con- 



spicuous, sometimes their ocellated character not 

 evident altogether. The fish is capable of chang- 

 ing the relative intensity of the light and dark 

 shadings in accordance with the shades of color 

 of the background on which it rests, and this 

 change in color shading may be induced experi- 

 mentally (Mast 1916). However, the fundamen- 

 tal color pattern, that is, the distribution and rela- 

 tive intensity of the various ocellated spots may 

 be discerned, in the great majority of cases, irre- 

 spective of the infinite variations in shadings 

 which the fish may assume. 



Young fish between 20 and 4."> nun. have groups 

 of chromatophores somewhat like those described 

 foi- lethosfignia (p. 329) overhn'ing the blotches on 

 the body. The three blotches forming the large 

 triangle are very prominent, rather more so than 

 in lethosfigma. These three blotches are not 

 markedl}' ocellated, thus differing from specimens 

 of alhigutta of similar size. None of the spots in 

 dcnfatus are distinct!}' ocellated in specimens be- 

 tween 20 and 40 mm. ; although some of the spots, 

 especially the two posterior spots which go to form 

 the smaller triangle, in specimens between 30 and 

 40 mm., sometimes give a faint indication of being 

 destined to become ocellated. These two spots at 

 the posterior ends of the subdorsal and supra-anal 

 rows are jiromiuent, more so than in either letho- 

 sfigma or alhigutta. although they are more or less 

 e\ident in the latter two species. The other 

 blotches on the body are usually more or less dif- 

 fuse. Specimens 55 nun. or longer generally 

 show the characteristic color pattern of large fish. 



Specimens examined. — Provi ncetown. Mass., 

 August 1856, Putnam (5372). Ah'cox Bav. L. I.. 

 N. Y. (48990). Great South Bay, L. I.", N. Y. 

 (Blue Point Cove. 35907. 49020 and 49054: Fire 

 Island, 35963). Sandy Hook Bay, N. J. (A. M. 

 N.H. 7705). BeesleysPoint, N.J. (789). Ocean 

 City, Md. (45109). Hog Island. Va. (5885). 

 Cape Charles, Va. (42485, 43208, 43142, and 

 43162). Chesapeake Bay (many localities in 

 Maryland and Virginia). North Carolina (A.M. 

 N. H. 5275 ) . Hatteias, N. C. ( 88478 ) . Beaufort, 

 N. C\ (15016, 51888, 51934 and many specimens in 

 the collection of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries). 

 Charleston, S. C. (17121, 3316S). Coosaw River, 

 S. C. (59099). Parrot Creek, S. C. (59036). St. 

 .*<iuions Bay (outside), (ia. (collected by \\'. W. 

 Anderson). Fernandina, Fla. (collected by the 



