172 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



Fam. PLEURONECTID.E, Flem. 



Heterosomata, Bon. 



Genus PSEUDOEHOMBUS, Sleeker. 



Branchiostegals, seven : pseudobranchise. Body laterally compressed and very flat, one side coloured, 

 the other colourless or only spotted. Eyes placed on the left which is the upper side, and though the 

 bones on either side of the head are developed, they are not symmetrical. Mouth wide, cleft deep. Teeth 

 in each jaw in a single row of unequal sizes ; none on vomer or palate. The dorsal fin commences on the 

 snout and is continued along the upper profile nearly as far as the caudal fin : the anal continued most of 

 the extent of the lower profile, the rays in both fins are simple. Scales small. Lateral line with a strong 

 curve anteriorly. Gill membranes united below the throat. Gill rakers lanceolate. No air bladder. 



PsEUDORHOMBUS EuSSELLII. 



Platessa Eussellii, Gray, 111. Ind. Zool. pi. 94, f. 2 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 214. 

 Pseudorhombus Eussellii, Giinther, Catal. iv. p. 424. 



B. vii. D. 71. P. 12. V. \. A. 59. C. 17. L. 1. 75. 



Length of head § , of pectoral T ? f , of base of dorsal J, of base of anal nearly ^ of total length. 

 Height of body §, of head \, of dorsal j 1 ^, of ventral j^, of anal T Vj of total length. 



Eyes — Lower orbit slightly in advance of the upper one. Horizontal diameter \, and vertical 

 diameter \ of length of head. Margins of orbits closely approximating and near to end of snout. 



Body elliptical, and sinistral. 



Mouth forming a very oblique curve with the lower jaw, which is the longest. The posterior 

 extremity of the maxilla extends to under the centre of the orbit. Preopercle slightly convex 

 vertically, lower margin oblique two-thirds as long as posterior one, angle rounded. Opercle 

 ending in a soft point. Interorbital space a mere ridge. Gill rakers compressed, lanceolate^ 

 slightly apart, and half as long as the orbit. Posterior aperture of the nostrils in front of the 

 orbit, and larger than the anterior one. 



Teeth — Conical, pointed, and directed slightly inwards, about six in each side of the lower 

 jaw, with some small ones posteriorly. About six also on the anterior portion of the upper jaw 

 having a row of smaller ones between and internal, and posteriorly some fine villiform ones. None 

 on vomer and palate. 



Fins — Dorsal commences just above the anterior margin of the upper orbit, and extends 

 nearly to the base of the caudal. The left ventral fin nearer the gill openings than the anal, 

 arising under the centre of opercle and reaching as far as the second anal ray : its two first rays are 

 unbranched ; the right ventral is situated further back. Pectoral close to the opercle, and rather 

 below the centre of the body, its two upper rays are unbranched, its posterior extremity is rather 

 rounded. Anal arises under the pectoral, and is continued close to the caudal. The longest dorsal 

 rays are in the posterior third of the fin, all excepting the last three are undivided, they project 

 slightly beyond the end of the membrane. The posterior five anal rays are branched. Caudal 

 pointed in the centre. 



Scales — Large, ctenoid, and extending over the body, opercles, cheeks, and to the end of the 

 maxilla. They are smaller on the cheeks, the anterior surface of the body and near the base of 

 the dorsal fin. There is a row along the anterior margin of each ray smaller in size but otherwise 

 ctenoid, like those on the rest of the body. Some also over the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins. 



Lateral line — Forms a strong curve, equal to half its length, and extending to opposite the 

 posterior fourth of the pectoral, it then proceeds slightly downwards, but soon passes quite hori- 



