674 



ONTOGENY AND SYSTEMATICS OF FISHES-AHLSTROM SYMPOSIUM 



Table 1 79. Characters and States for Pleuronecttform Groups. Where appropriate states are indicated by underlined letters. See text and 



Figs. 359-364 for hypural fusion patterns. 



* Cilhahchrhys. Cychpsella. Etropus. Syacmm 

 •* Cephalopseira. Pseitdorhombw,. Tarphops. 

 *** Ancylopsetta, Gastropsetta. Htppvglossma. Lioglossina. Parahchlhys. X'erecundttm. Xystreuiy^ 

 **** Achiropsetia and Neoachiropsella are considered synonyms. 



ventral line, but the basipterygium of the blind fin is placed in 

 a more anterior position than that of the ocular side. Another 

 unique state is the loss of the blind ventral fin in some genera 

 of the Rhombosoleinae, although the basipterygium of the blind 

 side is probably still present. The Cynoglossidae are the only 

 pleuronectiforms in which the blind ventral-fin base is oriented 

 along the midventral line and the ocular fin is in a more dorsal 

 position or absent. In cynoglossids missing the ocular fin, at 

 least the dorsal process of the left basipterygium is still present. 



Vertebral transverse apophyses. — Regan (1910) used the pres- 

 ence of transverse apophyses on caudal vertebrae as a state to 

 distinguish his bothid subfamilies Platophrinae and Bothinae 

 from the Paralichthyinae (=Paralichthyidae with modifica- 

 tions). Norman ( 1 934) combined the Platophrinae and Bothinae 

 into his Bothinae and Scophthalminae and again used transverse 

 apophyses on caudal vertebrae to distinguish the bothines and 

 scophthalmines from the paralichthyines. Amaoka (1969) used 

 the presence of these structures to define his Bothidae and dis- 

 tinguish them from the other sinistral flounders he treated (Para- 

 lichthyidae, Citharidae, Psettodidae). Hensley (1977) and Futch 



(1977) found transverse apophyses in Engyophrys, Trichopsetta, 

 and Monolene and suggested this as a character state indicating 

 these genera were more closely related to the Bothidae than the 

 Paralichthyidae. We have since found them in Perissias. As 

 previously slated, Norman (1934) had placed these four genera 

 in the Paralichthyinae. Amaoka (1969) presented the most de- 

 tailed descriptions of these structures. Basically, there are two 

 pairs of transverse apophyses on the vertebrae, an anterior and 

 a posterior pair. They are found on many abdominal and most 

 caudal vertebrae. Subsequently, we have found that the trans- 

 verse apophyses seen by Regan (1910) and Kyle (1921: fig. 32) 

 in the scophthalmids are very similar to those present in the 

 Bothidae. They are similar in shape and occur in two pairs. 



Amaoka (1969) interpreted the occurrence of these structures 

 in the Bothidae as indicative of a relationship to some fish group 

 other than the Percomorpha and used this as evidence that the 

 Bothidae arose independently from the remaining pleuronec- 

 tiforms. To support this, he cites the occurrence of similar struc- 

 tures in anguilliforms (Trewavas, 1932; Asano, 1962). 



Recently in a preliminary survey of this character or complex 

 in other flatfishes, we found transverse apophyses on some ver- 

 tebrae in the Samarinae, Cynoglossidae, and Soleinae. However, 



