Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 2647 



teeth uniserial, incisor-like, close set, all more or less blunt; lower pharyn- 

 geals very narrow, each with 2 rows of separate, conical teeth. This 

 genus is distinguished from Plem-onecUs chieliy by the well-imbricated 

 ctenoid scales, and from Limanda, which it more closely resembles, by the 

 want of arch to the lateral line. Besides the typical species, we refer to 

 this genus a second from the North Pacific. (^svSog, false; Pleuroncctes.) 

 a. Dorsal rays 65 ; anal rays 48; scales 83; vertical fins nearly plain. 



AJMERICANCS, 3017. 



aa. Dorsal rays 58; anal rays 38; scales 70; vertical fins with black bars. 



PINNIFASCIATUS, 3018. 



3017. PSEUDOPLEURONECTES AMERICANUS (Walbaum). 



(Common Flatfish ; Winter Flounder.) 



Head 4 in length ; depth 2^. D. 65 ; A. 48 ; scales 83. Body elliptical ; 

 an angle above eye. Head covered above with imbricated, strouglv 

 ctenoid scales, similar to those on the body ; blind side of head nearly 

 naked; interorbital space rather broad, strongly convex, its width i eye, 

 entirely scaled; teeth compressed, incisor-like, widened toward tips, 

 close set, forming a continuous cutting edge; some of teeth often euiargi- 

 iiat(^, sometimes movable; right side of each jaw toothless. Highest 

 dorsal rays less than length of pectorals, and more than ^ length of 

 head; anal spines present. Dark rusty brown, spotted or nearly plain; 

 young olive brown, more or less spotted and blotched with reddish. 

 Atlantic coast of North America, from Labrador to Chesapeake Bay. This 

 small flounder is one of the most abundant of the group on our Atlantic 

 coast. It reaches a length of about 15 inches and a weight of less than 2 

 pounds. It is a very good food-fish and sells readily in the markets. 

 Along the south coast of Massachusetts this species is more abundant than 

 any other of the flatfishes. The specimens examined by us are from Labra- 

 dor, Cape Breton, Anticosti, Grand Menan, Boston, Provincetown, Woods 

 Hole, New Bedford, and Somers Point, New Jersey. 



Flounder, Schopf, Scbrift. Gesellscbaft Naturforscber Freunde, viii, 1788, 148, New York. 

 rieuronecfes aniericanus, W alb AVil, Artedi Piscium, 113, 1792, based on the Flovnder of 



Schopf ; Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichtb., 150, 1801; Gunther, Cat., iv, 443,1862; 



Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 837, 1883 ; Stearns, Proc. F. S. Nat. Mns. 1883, 125. 

 Pleuroncctes plamt^, Mitchill, Trans. Lit. & Philos. Soc. N. T., i, 1815, 387, New York. 

 Platessa 2^usilla,l)E Kay, New York Fauna: Fishes, 296, pi. 47, fig. 153, 1842, New York; 



S TORER, Synopsis, 477, 1846. 

 Plate 8sa plana, Storer, Kept. Fishes Mass., 140, 1839; De Kay, New York Fauna: 



Fishes, 295, pi. 49, fig. 158, 1842 ; Storer, Synopsis, 476, 1846. 

 P«eMdopiIettco«ec«c« ^Janws, Bleeker, Comptes liendus Aiusterd., xiii, 1862, 7. 

 Pseudopleuronectes aincricanus, Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1864, 216 ; Goode, Nat. Hist. 



Aquat. Anim., 182, pi. 44, 1884; Jordan & Goss, Keview Flounders and Soles, 289, 1889. 



3018. PSEUDOPLEURONECTES PIWIFASCIATUS (Kner). 



Head 3J in body ; depth 2^. D. 58 ; A. 38 ; scales 70 ; eye ^ in head ; 

 snout 5 ; highest anal ray 2 ; pectoral 2 ; caudal 4| in body. Body sub- 

 elliptical, the snout rather pointed and not forming an angle above eye ; 

 mouth rather small, maxillary reaching scarcely to the middle of the lower 

 eye; interorbital space rather broad, I width of eye; a rather prominent 



