248 BURMA, ITS PEOPLE AND PRODUCTIOXS. 



Order AXAC'AXTIIIXI. 

 Family Gadidse. 

 Pseudobrancliio; none, or glandular and rudimentary. 

 Beegmaceeos, Thompson. 



Brancliiostegals 7. Teeth in jaws minute and movable, also on vomer, none on 

 palate. Two dorsal fins, the anterior one consisting of a single elongated ray rising 

 from the occiput, the second and anal having each a central dwarfed portion, almost 

 forming a distinct Jin. 



li. ATRiPEfNis, Tickell. 



B. vii. ; D. 1 :20 + xv. + 22; Y. 6 ; A. 22 + 10 + 26; C. 17. 



Lower jaw rather the longer. The single dorsal ray reaches from the summit 

 of the head to the extremity of the pectoral. Colour rich brown, lighter below. 

 Ventrals dirty brown, the other fins black. 



Coast of Burma and the Andamans. 



Famili/ Pleuronectidse. 



Pseudobranchife well developed. Body flattened, with one of its sides only 

 coloured. Both eyes placed on the coloured side, except in the very young. A 

 single long dorsal and anal fin. Air-vessel none. 



In the very young of the ' Pleuroneetidm ' or ' flat fish ' the eyes are symmetrical 

 as in all other vertebrata ; but the horizontal fins being too weak to sustain the body 

 vertically, it is forced to rest on the ground. The inferior eye under these conditions 

 undergoes displacement, carrying with it the surrounding cartilaginous framework of 

 the skull. The terms ' rigid ' and ' left ' (de.drdl and suu^tral) applied to these fishes 

 refer to the coloured side, the fish being placed with its tail towards the observer, the 

 dorsal fin upwards, and the anal downwards. As food these fish occupy the highest 

 rank for wholesome and fine flavour. Reversed individuals occasionally occur. 



PsEnnoRHOMBus, Blether. 



Brancliiostegals 6. Eyes to the left, without a free orbital edge. Intcrorbital 

 space not concave. Jaws and dentition nearly symmetrical. Teeth in both jaws of 

 unequal size, and in a single row. Vomer, palate and tongue edentulous. Lateral 

 line strongly curved anteriorly. 



P. AEsrus, Ham. Buch. 



B. vii.; D. 71-79; P. 11-12; V. 6; A. 54-Gl ; C. 17. 



Reddish brown, usually covered with variously sized rings, and often two dark 

 ocelli, on the straight portion of the lateral line. Grows to a foot. 

 The Andamans. 



Platophkts, Swainson. 



Brancliiostegals 6. Eyes to the left. Intcrorbital space concave. Jaws and 

 dentition nearly symmetrical. Teeth minute. Lateral line strongly curved anteriorly. 



P. PANTHEEINUS, Rupp. 



B. vi.; D. 85-91; P. 10; Y. 6; A. 6.5-70; C. 18. 



Purplish-brown, with 3 dark spots along the middle of the body, besides 

 scattered ones elsewhere, also some dark rings. Vertical fins, with brown spots, and 

 white dots. 



The Andamans. 



SoLEA, Klein. 



Eyes to the right, the u])por in advance of the lower. Dentition most developed 

 on the blind side, where the teeth are in villiforin rows. Vomer aud palate eden- 

 tulous. 



