2642 BiilMin47, United States National Musemn, 



1033. ISOPSETTA, Lockington, 

 IsopHeUa, Lockington MS., in Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 832, 1883 (isolepis). 



Body ranch compressed, elliptical in form; mouth rather large; the 

 teeth chieily uuiserial, all more or less hlnut, separated, not incisor-like; 

 scales closely imbricated, all strongly ctenoid ; lower pharyngeals each 

 with a double row of bluntish teeth. A single species found on the coast 

 of California. Isopseita approaches in many respects very close to the 

 large-mouthed flounders of the type of HippogJossoides, and it may fairly 

 be said to be intermediate between Pseftichthys and Lepldopsetta. Its 

 affinities on the whole are nearest the latter, but the close relation of the 

 H\ppoglo8sinai and Pleuronectinw is clearly shown. {i6o<i, etiual; ipffrra, 

 flounder.) 



3011. ISOPSETTA ISOLEPIS (Lockington). 



Head 4 ; depth 2^. D. 88 ; A. 65 ; scales 88 ; vertebra} 10 -}- 32 = 42. Body 

 elliptical, much compressed, moderately deep, the curvature very regular; 

 head moderate, strongly compressed, the profile little depressed above the 

 eye; eyes rather large; interorbital space broad, flattish, with several 

 series of scales. Scales on cheeks similar to those on body, rather large, 

 ctenoid, and closely imbricated. Mouth comparatively large, maxillary 

 reaching pupil, 3f in head; teeth not large, about j+Y^, conical, close set, 

 in I somewhat irregular series, or partly in 2 series, those on colored 

 side small ; lower pharyngeals each with a double row of bluntish teeth. 

 On the blind side the scales are more or less ctenoid, sometimes smooth; 

 those on the cheeks weakly ctenoid; most of the opercle, the preopercle, 

 interopercle, and subopercle on blind side naked ; lateral line with a very 

 slight arch in front, the depth of which is less than 4^ the length ; accessory 

 branch nearly as long as head ; fins rather low, mostly covered with ctenoid 

 scales. Color brownish, mottled and blotched with darker. This small 

 flounder is rather common off the coast of California, where it reaches a 

 length of about 15 inches. It much resembles Psettichlhi/s melaiiostictus, 

 but its small mouth and blunt dentition indicate a real affinity with the 

 small-mouthed flounders, among which it is here placed. Its nearest rela- 

 tive among our species is doubtless LepUlopsetta hiUncata. Puget Sound to 

 Point Concepcion, in rather deep water; not rare. (I'dos, equal; XsTtti, 

 scale.) 



Lepldopsetta umbrosa, Lockington, Proc. IT. S. Nat. Mus. 1879, 106; not of Girahd. 

 Lepldopsetta isolepis, Lockington, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 325, San Francisco. 

 Parophriis isolepis, Jordan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 453 and 1881, 67; 



Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 832, 1883; Jordan, Nat. Hist. Aquat. Anim., 186, 1884. 

 Isopsetta isolepit, Jordan, Cat. Fish. N. A., 136, 1885; Jordan & Goss, Review Flounders 



and Soles, 285, 1889. 



1034. LEPIDOPSETTA, Gill. 

 Lepidopsetta, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1864, 195 (umbrosus). 



Body robust; mouth small. Teeth stout, conical, little compressed, 

 bluntish, in 1 series, rather irregularly placed. Lateral line with a 

 distinct arch in front and accessox'y dorsal branch; scales imbricated, 



