FLOUNDERS OF GENUS PARALICHTHYS AND RELATED GENERA 



277 



On tlic otlier liaiul. llic inarkfd rci;uhnit.v slinwii 

 liy tlic distribution of the gill-niker count of 

 li thostlgiiM is apiJaiiMitly due to the fact that it 

 is based on material tiiat is not entirely homoge- 

 neous. A combination of the somewhat heteroge- 

 neous data happened to result in a markedly regu- 

 lar distiibution in this case. The more detailed 

 analysis of tlie data for this count is given on 

 page ;^;^2, which shows that the distribution for the 

 combined populations of Texas and Louisiana is 

 not quite so regular as that shown in figure 1. 

 The same may also be true of alhUjntta. 



The geographic origin of the specimens form- 

 ing the basis of the graiihs is as follows. The 

 total number of specimens tabulated are dlhigufta^ 

 111; dentatuH, 120; and hthortlgma, 159. The 

 three charactere were determined for nearly all 

 these specimens; in a few exceptions one or an- 

 other character was indetermiiuible on account 

 of injury. The localities of capture of these speci- 

 mens are: alhigntfa, 71 in a mixed lot from Beau- 

 fort, N. C. and Kej' AVest, Fla. (see footnote on 

 p. 279). 20 from Texas. 13 from Florida, and 1 

 from South Carolina; dentatus, 71 from Chesa- 

 ]>eake Bay, 45 from Beaufort, N. C, 2 from South 

 Carolina, and 2 from Georgia; lethosfigma, 100 

 from Louisiana, 34 from Texas, 15 from Beau- 

 fort, N. C, 4 from Georgia, and 2 each from Flor- 

 ida, South Carolina, and North Carolina. The 

 great btdk of the specimens in every case thus 

 came from two localities. 



Figures 1, 2, and 3 show that we are dealing 

 here with three entirely distinct species, although 

 the samides studied apparently are not altogether 

 re])resentative. and somewhat insufficient as to 

 number. The distributions based on the speci- 

 mens examined are somewhat irregular and each 

 species differs to some extent with the locality; 

 but the data presented prove conclusively that 

 each species has its own characteristic distribu- 

 tion iind fairly well-defined limits. It is evident 

 that a fairly good idea of the speiitic distributions 

 and their limits may be gained from the deter- 

 mined (lata; but a study of more specimens and 

 sani])les more nearly approaching perfection 

 should serve in smoothing the distributions. It 

 is of particular interest to determine further the 



(iillVrences witii local stocks in the distributions 

 of the variabU' characters. 



COLOR PATTERN 



A cursory examination (jf tiie species of Para- 

 liclifhyx, in general, shows them to be irregularly 

 blotched. After handling these fishes for some 

 time, however, one ma}' sec a definite generalized 

 color pattern; differences in this pattern, on closer 

 examination, are of some a id in ilistinguishing the 

 species. 



The generalized color pattern of the genus may 

 best be discerned in some young fi.sh, especially in 

 those in which the pigment is of medium intensity, 

 neither too dark nor too light. The fundamental, 

 typical color pattern may be said to consist of five 

 longitudinal rows of spots on a variably shaded 

 background, one row along the midline, one under 

 the base of the dorsal, one over the base of the anal 

 and two intermediate rows, one between the 

 median and up]>er rows and the other between the 

 median and lower rows. (The spots are sometimes 

 rather irregularly arranged and appear to be in 

 7 irregular rows, see pp. 306, 307, and 312.) The 

 rows may be designated for convenience in discus- 

 sion as subdorsal, upper intermediate, median, 

 lower intermediate and supra-anal. The spots in 

 the subdorsal and supra-anal rows are generally 

 smaller than in the other three rows. The 

 spots in the median row are generally diffuse, 

 except one spot situated about three-quarters of 

 the way from the gill opening to the base of the 

 caudal fin. In many species this is the most con- 

 spicuous spot on the body and in the following 

 discussions it will be designated as the ])re])e- 

 duncular spot. 



The value of the color ])altern in distinguishing 

 species lies chiefly in the fact that certain spots in 

 certain locations, depending on the species, are 

 most prominent. For instance, in dcntafun, usu- 

 ally, the three most pi'omini'nt spots are ocellated 

 and are situated at the angles of an imaginary tri- 

 angle, the apex of which is formed by the prepe- 

 duncular spot, while the base is caudad of the apex 

 and is formed by the two posterior spots of the 

 subdorsal and supra-aiuil rows, respectively. This 

 will be designated hereafter as the small triangle. 



