FLOUNDERS OF GENUS PARALICHTHYS AND RELATED GENERA 



327 



Atlantic" ami (!ulf Coasts). — Jordan ami Swain. I'roc. 

 I'.S.N.M. 7: 23:i. 1S84 (Cedar Ke.v.s, Fla.).— Jordan, 

 ibid. 9: 29, 1886 (Beaufort, N. C). — Johdan and Goss, 

 Kept. U. S. Comm. Fish. 1886 : 248, 1889 ( South Atlantic 

 and Gulf coasts of the T'nited States).— Henshai.l, Bull. 

 U. S. Fish. Comm. 9: 382, 1891 (iLirfo, Gordon's Pass, 

 Big Gasparilla. and Lemon Bay, l''la.). — L("»;nhi;i!g, Ofvt-rs. 

 Svensk. Vet. Akad. Porh. fjl: i;!0, 1894 (Clearwater Har- 

 bor, Hillslinruugh Co., Fla.). 



P(irali<litlii/s hthostigma Evermann and Bean (in 

 part). Kept. U. S. Comm. Fish., 1896: 248, IS'.tS (speci- 

 mens from Indian River at Fort Pierce only, according to 

 Evermann and Kendall, 190(1). 



Paralirhthtis albigiitfiis Jordan and Evermann, Bull. 

 U. S. Nat. Mus. 47 (3) : 2(»1. 1808 (Cedar Keys, Fla.).— 

 Evermann and Kend.au,. Rept. U. S. Comm. Fish., 1S99: 

 96, 1900 (Key West).— Linton. Bull. V. S. Bur. Fish. 24: 

 411, 1905 (food and parasites of the species at Beaufort, 

 N. C. ; probably not well distinguislied as to species). — 

 Smith, Fish. North Carolina, p. 388, 1907 (Bird Shoal, 

 Point Lookout, and Fort Macon, N. C). — Kuntz, Bull. 

 U. S. Biir. Fish. 35: 1-30. 1918 (histological basis of 

 color changes). — Hii.debrand and Cable (in part). Bull. 

 U. S. Bnr. Fish. 46: 464-476, fig. 86-87, 1930 (Beaufort, 

 N. C.).— NoR\rAN, Monogr. Flatfishes, p. 7-"), fig. 41. 1934 

 (North Carolina; Cedar Key, Fla.; Apalachicola Bay, 

 Fla.). 



PARALICHTHYS VORAX 



P/'afrno-i/'s. — Scales cycloid on both sides, 48; 

 modified scales in latei-al line 24 in arch, 49 in 

 straight part. (The single small specimen exam- 

 ined M'ithout accessory scales.) Gill rakers short, 

 4 + 12 (3 + 11 on eyed side). Anal rays 54; 

 dorsal To; pectoral 10 on both sides. Origin of 

 dorsal over anterior margin of upper orbit. Max- 

 ilhiry reacliing a vertical throngh posterior mar- 

 gin of lower orbit. Depth 42.7, head 31, maxillary 

 15.8. interorhital 2.2. Sinistral. 



Color. — Dark, mottled with shades of greater 

 or lesser intensity; spots not conspicuous, some 

 very faintly suggesting ocelli, but no definite 

 ocellated spots present ; jaws and snout of blind 

 side blackish, tlie dark pigmentation continued 

 along U])per and lower profiles, gradually becom- 

 ing more diffuse posteriorly, exceiit upper and 

 lower margins of caudal peduncle black; cheek of 

 blind side dusky. 



Sjx'fimrn examined and geographic disfiiiiu- 

 tioti. — The above account is based on a single 

 specimen. 103 mm., from Recife, Brazil, collected 

 by Di-. R. von Ihering (102:570). This is the only 

 definite locality wliich may be stated at present. 

 The type locality is given as South America with- 

 out furl her designation. This species was prob- 



ably confused by some antlioi's with hrasilienfsis 

 and consequently its geographical distribution 

 still remains to be determined. It is possible that 

 some of the references given under hra-siliensis 

 refer partly or wholh- to tliis species. 



r>)Ktijwtire characters and velation.'tMp. — In the 

 essential diagnostic structural cliaracters this spe- 

 cies agrees closely with alhigutta from the coast 

 of the United States. The number of fin rays and 

 scales and the proportional measurements are very 

 nearly the same in both species. An examination 

 of munbers of specimens may ])ossiI)ly reveal dif- 

 ferences in the frequency distributions of the lumi- 

 ber of gill rakers and pectoral rays, the single 

 specimen studied having these counts, at the upper 

 and lower limits, respectively, of the frecjuency 

 distributions as determined for alhigutta. Speci- 

 mens oi alhigvtta of the same size as the one of 

 vorax described above, already have accessory 

 scales developed, whereas the present specimen 

 shows no trace of such scales. This species does 

 not have the ocellated spots characteristic of 

 alhigutta. 



As compared with the known species of its sub- 

 genus occurring with it or near its geograjihical 

 range, namely, hrasiliensis and tropicus, this spe- 

 cies may be readily distinguished by its larger 

 scales. It further differs from hrasiliensis in the 

 smaller number of gill rakers. P. vorax evidentlj' 

 bears the same relation to hrasiliensis as aJhigvtta 

 beai-s to dentatus on the east coast of the United 

 States. 



Rhomius aramaca CASTELNAu(not Cuvier), Anim. Nouv. 

 Rar. Amer. Sud. Poiss., p. 18, pi. 40, fig. 3. 18r)5 (Bahia). 



Pseudorhiimhus vorax Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. 

 4: 429, 1S62 (South America). 



Ptiralichthjix liriisilinixix Xiiumax, Monngr. Flatfishes, 

 p. 77. tig. 43, 11134 (based on types of ronix). 



Pnraliclitliiis rnnix (Jinsiuro, Jour. Washington Acad. 

 Sci. 26: 132. 1936 nomenclature discussed). 



PARALICHTHYS TROPICUS 



(I'l.ATE m 



Diagnosis. — Scales cycloid on both sides; 67. 

 Accessory scales present on both sides, munerous, 

 except in an area along middle posterior part of 

 body; most otiier scales on body having a com- 

 plete circle of small accessory scales around their 

 edges." Gill rakers rather short. 11 on lower limb 

 (12 on eyed side of the single specimen studied) 

 of first gill arch. 2 on ui)per limb at the angle with 

 two tuberosities above. Anal rays ,">s: clursal 75; 



