328 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



l)ectoral 11. Vertebrae 10 + 26. Origin of dorsal 

 nearly over anterior margin of eye. Maxillaiy 

 reaching slightly past a vertical tlirongh posterior 

 margin of orbit. Depth 43.9. maxillary 13.G, head 

 28.1, interorbital 2.2. Sinistral. The single 

 known specimen is now faded, and color pattern 

 of the species is unknown. 



Specimen excmiined. — The foregoing account is 

 based on the type, 321 mm. (34919). taken at lat. 

 10°37'4n" N.,"long. 61°42'40" W. (off Trinidad, 

 West Indies), in 31 fathoms. 



L>i.sfinef/re characferK and relationship. — In the 

 structural characters studied troplnis is appar- 

 ently near to vorax from Brazil differing in hav- 

 ing smaller scales. Although only one specimen 

 of each species was examined, the difference in the 

 scale count (table 1) is so pronounced that there 

 is hardly any question that they belong to distinct 

 species. Other differences between the two species 

 remain to be determined. Very likely tropicus 

 will prove to have a more profuse development of 

 accessory scales. 



Two other apparent near relatives of this species 

 are lethostigma and squamilentvs from the east 

 coast of the United States. It apparently differs 

 from both in haying fewer vertebrae, and possibly 

 also in having the accessory scales more profuse. 

 It differs further from IrthoKtigma in having fewer 

 rays in the vertical fins, the counts of the type of 

 tropicus falling decidedly out of the frequency dis- 

 tribution based on approximately 150 specimens 

 of the other species (tables 5 and 6). It probably 

 differs from sqviomalentus also in having fewer 

 rays on the average ; but judging by the few speci- 

 mens examined, it is evident that these two species 

 will be found to overlap, possibly rather widely, in 

 this respect. The interorbital is ap]u-eciably nar- 

 rower and the maxillary somewhat shorter than in 

 lethostigma. The depth is less than in squaini- 

 lentiis. Although the precise degree of diver- 

 gence between tropicus and these other two species 

 remains to be learned by a determination of the 

 range of variability of the distinguishing char- 

 acters, there seems hai'dly any question that the 

 single type specimen belongs to a distinct species. 



It is apparently more remotely I'elated to brasi- 

 liensis, a common species of its subgenus occurring 

 nearer its range, differing chiefly in the number of 

 gill rakers on the first arch and the number of 

 vertebrae ; tropicus having a total of 13 gill rakers 



and 10 + 26 vertebrae, while the corresponding 

 counts in hrasHiensis are IS to 22 and 11 + 23, re- 

 spectively. 



Paralichthys tropicus Ginsburg, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 

 82 (20) : 4,1933 (ofE Tiiiiidad, West Indies). 



PARALICHTHYS LETHOSTIGMA 

 Southern large flounder 



(PLATE 15) 



Common name. — This species is generally called 

 "flounder"' without any qualifying word to distin- 

 guish it from other flounders. Some fishermen 

 distinguish it by the term "mud flounder" p. 324). 

 Since, however, this is the only commercial floun- 

 der of value on the coast of the Southern States 

 that designation is not deemed appropriate and 

 the term "southern large flounder" is suggested as 

 a uniform common name for the species to distin- 

 guish it from other flounders. 



Diagnosis. — Scales cycloid on both sides at all 

 ages; 52 to 74, nearly all individuals falling in 

 the range between 56 and 67, the mode at 60. 

 Accessory scales rather sparse, sometimes numer- 

 ous in large specimens (although not quite so 

 many as in dentatus.or alhigutta). usually begin- 

 ning to appear in specimens 110 to 120 nun. in 

 length, sometimes very few present in much larger 

 fisli. Total number of gill rakers on fiist arch 

 ranging 10 to 13, nearly all having 11 or 12 (these 

 two numbers occurring with approximately equal 

 frequency) ; nearly always 2 on upper limb, in- 

 frequently 3; 8 to 11 on lower limb, nearly all 

 specimens having 9 or 10. Anal rays 63 to 73, the 

 mode at 69 (77 in one specimen) ; dorsal 80 to 95. 

 Pectoral rays 12 in the majority of fish, frequently 

 11. sometimes 13 (12 on both sides in 6 ; 11 on both 

 sides in 2; 12 on eyed side and 11 on the other in 

 2; 13 on eyed side and 12 on the other in 1; 9 on 

 eyed side and 11 on blind side in 1, the last evi- 

 dently being abnormal in this respect ) . Vertebrae 

 10 or 11 + 27 (in 2 specimens). Origin of dorsal 

 usually somewhat in front of anterior margin of 

 eye in large fish and somewhat behind anterior 

 margin in specimens under 100 mm. Posterior 

 extremity of maxillary reaching to a vertical 

 through posterior margin of pupil in siiecimens 

 of about 35 mm., through posterior margin of eye 

 at about 50 to 100 mm., past eye in specimens over 

 100 nun. Interorbital rather wide, becoming 

 markedly broad in large fish, conspicuously more 



