FAMILY, III— PLEUROISrECTID^. 427 



Length of head 4J, height of body 2g in the total length. Eijes — small, the upper slightly iu 

 advance of the lower, and 1 diameter apart. Jaws of about equal length. No tentacles on the head. Fins — 

 most of the rays of the vertical iins branched, the highest in the dorsal being two-thirds the length 

 of the head : right ventral slightly longer than the eye, and continuous with the anal. Left pectoral 

 absent. Caudal rounded. Scales — strongly ctenoid. Colours — brownish, the vertical fins being darker. 



Habitat. — Madras, from whence the late Dr. T. C. Jerdon sent one specimen (22 lines long) to the 

 British Museum. 



Genus, 6 — Achieus, (sp. Lacepede) Cuvier. 



PardacJdrus, Giinther. 



BrancMostegals six. Gill-openings narrow, the membranes being broadly united below the throat : gill-rakers 

 rudimentary. Eyes on the right side, the tipper in advance of the lower. Mouth narrower on the left side. Teeth 

 ■minute and only on the blind side. The dorsal fin commences on the snout arid ends close to the root of, but is not 

 confluent with, the caudal : each dorsal atid anal ray scaly, and generally with a pore at the base of each. Two 

 ventrals, united to the anal. Pectorals absent. Scales small, cycloid or very partially or distinctly ctenoid. 

 Lateral-line straight, on the blind side there are two, the upper commencing at the snout passes along the upper profile 

 of the neck. 



Geographical distribution. — From the Red Sea .through the seas of India to the Nicobars and Malay 

 Archipelago. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Achirus pavoninus, D. 64-70, A. 50-5G, L. 1. 90-100. Some of the scales on the front of the body and 

 head feebly ctenoid. Grayish-brown, covered with milk-white spots, some of which have a black dot in the 

 centre. Andamans, Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



2. Achirus 7naculatiis,'D. b6, A. 4:3, h.l. 65. Scales strongly ctenoid. Spotted with brown. Tranquebar. 



1. Achirus pavoninus, Plate XCIII, fig. 2. 



Achirus pavoninus, Lacep. iv, pp. 668, 661 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 22.5 ; Bleeker, Verb. Bat. Gen. xxiv, Pleur. 

 p. 18, and Atl. Ich. Pleur. p. 24, t. 241. f. 1 ; Kaup, Uebers. Solein. Arch. Naturg. xxiv, i, p. 102. 

 Pleuronectes pavoninus, Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 310. 

 Achirus maculatus, (Kuhl. and v. Hass.) Bleeker, Pleur. p. 18. 

 Pardachirus pavoninus, Giinther, Catal. iv, p. 479. 

 Solea (Pardachirus) pavonina, Steind. Fisch. Sing. 1870, p. 570. 



B. vi, D. 64-70, V. (r.) 4 (1.) 5, A. 50-56, C. 15, L. 1. 90-100. 



Length of head 61 to 5|, height of body 2| to 3 in the total length. Eyes — upper slightly in advance of 

 the lower, diameter 5^ in the length of tlie head, anterior edge of the lower eye 1| diameters from the end of 

 snout. Angle of mouth below the first third of the lower eye. Numerous and rather long fringes along the 

 edges of both upper and lower jaws, also on the left side of the head. Fins — an open pore at the base of each 

 dorsal and anal ray on the loft side. Anterior dorsal and anal rays branched. Scales — ctenoid on the head 

 and anterior portion of the body. Colours — right side grayish-brown, covered with milk-white sjiots of various 

 shapes and sizes, each having a black outer edge and some a central black dot. 



Achirus marmorata, Lacep. is similar but distinguished by having only cycloid scales. It has been 

 recorded from the Nicobars by Kner. 



Habitat. — Andamans to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. The specimen figured (life-size) was from 

 Port Blair. 



2. Achirus maculatus. 



Pleuronectes maculatus, Bl. Schn. p. 157. 



D. 66, V. 6, A. 43, C. 15, L. 1. 65. 



Length of head 4^, of caudal 5|, height of body 2| in the total length. Eyes — rather small, diameter 

 9 in the length of head, the upper slightly in advance of the lower, and 2/3 of a diameter apart. Height of 

 head 1/4 more than its length. Rostral hook covers the symphysis. Angle of mouth at junction of anterior 

 third of head with the middle third. Lower lip fringed. Being a skin it is impossible to say if there wero 

 fringes on the head, or the character of the nostrils. Teeth — minute ones present on the blind side. Fins — 

 dorsal commences on the snout, most of its rays appear to be branched, the highest in the posterior third of 

 the body and equal to 1/3 of the greatest height of the body. Pectorals absent. Both ventrals present, 

 the right equal to 1/3 of the length of the head. Vertical fins reach the root of the rounded caudal, 

 but are distinct from it. Scales — strongly ctenoid, densely covering the dorsal and anal rays on both sides : a 

 pore* at the base of each ray on the blind side. Lateral-line — straight. Colours — slaty-brown on the right 

 side, with numerous dark blotches, and some vertical black Unes crossing the lateral-line at a right angle. 



* The skin is so covered with varnish that I am not quite clear on this point, but it appears to me that such are visible. 



3 I 2 



