336 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



developed anterior curve in the lateral line. Scales 

 large, in about 35 rows over straight pai"t of lat- 

 eral line. Pectoral short. Mouth rather large, 

 maxillary extending approximately to under pos- 

 terior margin of eye. Teeth comparatively large. 

 Eye small. Body deep, sinistral. D. 66; A. 51; 

 P. 11; ". . . fin-ray formula . . . computed from 

 the recent fish." No spots or other distinctive 

 color markings. Size unknown. 



The figure further shows the first 18 dorsal rays 

 subequal, rather abruptly lower than and sep- 

 arated from the succeeding rays, as though the 

 dorsal was composed of two separate fins. This 

 is unusual for a flounder, but not so far fetched 

 as may appear. Some flounders now known from 

 the coast of Chile, some species of Paraliehthijs 

 for instance, have the anterior rays short, al- 

 though the increase in length to the posterior rays 

 is more gradual than represented in the figure. 

 Assuming a tear in the interradial membrane in 

 that position in the specimen from which the 

 drawing was prepared, it nuiy be readily con- 

 ceived how this apparently misleading effect was 

 produced by the artist. 



It is impossible to determine with confidence the 

 particular species of those now known from the 

 coast of Chile, to which the original account may 

 apply. Even its generic affiliation cannot be de- 

 termined with assurance. The apparent best 

 course to follow in this particular case would be 

 to treat it as an unidentifiable species until the 

 flounders from the coast of Chile are better known 

 when it may possibly be placed with some meas- 

 ure of assurance. 



The species was referred by later authors, gen- 

 erally with a query, to ParaJtcJifJii/.s or Psevdo- 

 rho/nbus, as shown in the bibliography. No au- 

 thor, except Fowler, assigned definite specimens 

 to this species. Fowler described a specimen from 

 the coast of Chile that he identifies with this spe- 

 cies which he places in Paralichthys. The essen- 

 tial characters in his description, based on a 

 mounted specimen, 740 mm., are as follows. Scales 

 all cycloid, 80; A. 53; D. 66. Pectoral 12, "upper 



rays longest" . . . "large canines in lower jaw 

 about equal each side; no upper canines and upper 

 teetli best developed on blind side." Depth 43; 

 head 28; maxillary 12, "reaches opposite front 

 pupil edge." . . . "lower eye 10, 2 in interorbi- 

 tal'". Sinistral. 



Fowler's account also is inadequate to deter- 

 mine the genus to which his specimen belongs. 

 Norman (Monogr., p. 84, 1934) suggests that 

 Fowler's specimen may be a HippogJosshia on 

 account of its comparatively few fin rays. How- 

 ever, it apparently has large teeth, a small eye 

 and a wide interorbital, and consequently, can 

 hardly belong to that genus. Also, the point at 

 which the maxillaiy terminates is markedly more 

 forward than in any species of Paralichthya^ espe- 

 cially considering the large size of the specimen 

 described, and it apparently does not belong to 

 that genus either. 



As compared with the figure published by 

 Jenyns, the specimen described by Fowler ap- 

 parently has smaller scales and a shorter maxil- 

 lary. However, he is the first author to assign a 

 definite specimen to Mngii, and if no species which 

 more nearly approaches Jenyns' figure is ever dis- 

 covered on the coast of Chile, Fowler's restric- 

 tion may be allowed to stand. But his specimen 

 needs to be reexamined to definitely determine its 

 status and generic affiliation. 



Bilipof/lonsiix hinffii Jenyxs. Zool. Voy. Beagle, 4: 13S. 

 pi. 20, 1.S42 (Valparaiso). — Guichenot, in Hist. Fis. Pol. 

 Cliile, by Gay, Feces, p. 332, 1848.— Gunther, Cat. Fish. 

 Brit. Mil!?. 4: 423, 1S62 (suggest.? that the species may 

 possibly belong to Bleeker's genus Psciirlorfioiiihiis) . 



Parnlictiilnifi fiiliijer.iim Jokdam anil Goss, Rept. U. S. 

 Conim, Fi.sh. 188(5: 246. 1889 (place under (iiIkixi-xiik with 

 a query). 



PsriiriorlinDihiis ki)i(/ii Keed, An. Univ. Cliile 98: 66.5 

 (Cat. Pec. Chilenos, p. 16) 1897 (listeJ). 



Pardllchthys kiiii/ii Dei.fin, Cat. Pec. Chile, il 1(14, 

 1900 (listed). — Fowi.er. I'roc. Acad. Xat. Sci. Pliiladcliihia 

 78: 282. 1026 (Chile). 



ParnUcUthijx adxijcrxus NoRitAN, M<iniigr. Flatfishes. 

 p. 83, 1934 (placed in synonymy of inlsinrsnx witli a 

 query ) . 



PuritJirlithiia microps Norman, Disc. Rep. 16: 133, 1937 

 (placed in synonymy of iiiicropx witli a query). 



