270J: Bulletin //, United States National ]\Iuseum. 



1057. SYMPHURUS,* Rafinesque. 

 (Tl)NGUE-FlSHES. ) 



Symphtirus, Kafinesque, Indice d'lttiologia Slciliana, 52, 1810 (nigrescent) . 



Bibronia, Cocco, Alcimi Pesci del mare di Messiua, 15, 1844 (ligidata; larval form). 



Plagusia, Cuvier, Eegue Animal, Ed. 2, 11, 344, 1829 (baaed ou Plagusia of Bkown) ; 

 name preoccupied in Crustaceans, Latreille, 1806. 



riagiusa, Bonaparte, Catalogo Metodico, 51, 1846 (lactea) ; substitute for Plagusia pre- 

 occupied. 



Aphoristia, Kaup, Archiv fur Naturgesch. 1858, 106 (ornata). 



Glossichthys, Gill, Cat. Fish. E. Coast N. A., 51, 1861 (plagiusa). 



Ammopleurops, Gunther, Cat., iv, 490, 1862 (lacteus=nigrescens). 



?Bascanivs, Schiodte, Naturhist, Tydsskr., y, 269, 1867 (tcedifer; larval form). 



Acedia, Jordan, iu Jordan & Goss, Eeview Flounders and Soles, 321, 1889 {nehulosus). 



Body elongate, more or less lanceolate iu outline, with the eyes and 

 color ou the left side; eyes small, very close together, with no distinct 

 iuterorbital ridge between tliem ; mouth small, twisted toward the bliud 

 side; teeth little developed, in villiform bands; edge of preopercle cov- 

 ered by the scales ; gill openings narrow, the gill membranes adnate to 

 the shoulder girdle above, joined together and free from the isthmus 

 below; j)ectoral fins wanting (in the adult); vertical fins more or less 

 confluent; scales ctenoid; lateral line wanting. Ventral fin of eyed side 

 only present, free from the anal; head without fringes, {dvi^, together; 

 <l>vco, to grow; ovpd, tail; from the united vertical fins.) 



Symphurds : 

 o. Scales not minute, ctenoid, 65 to 105 in number; dorsal rays 86 to 100; anal rays 70 

 to 87. 

 h. Scales rather large, about 65 ; head 4J ; depth 4J ; color, clouded brown. 



PIGER. 3078. 

 hh. Scales small, moderately ctenoid, 75 to 105 in a longitudinal series. 



c. Dorsal and anal pale anteriorly, becoming more or less abruptly black 

 posteriorly. 

 d. Caudal fin abruptly pale, at least at tip. 



e. Body elongate, deptli 4 J iu length ; head 5i. D. 96 to 100 ; A. 86 or 

 87 ; scales 88 to 90. Color, grayish, speckled with brown ; dor- 

 sal and anal tins black on last tenth, the caudal abruptly pale; 

 tips of fln rays vermilion. marginatus, 3079. 



ee. Body deeper, the depth 31 to 3} in length. 



/. Color, light brown, irregularly barred and marbled with 

 darker; dorsal and anal with 3 to 6 inky blotches poste- 

 riorly . D. 92 to 95 ; A. 75 to 78. atramentatus, 3080. 



* We follow Jordan & Goss iu using the name Symphurtis instead of Aphoristia, as the 

 so-called Atnmopleiirops lacteus is a genuine member of the latter genus, and as it seems 

 to be evident that the latter species is the original of Symphurus nigrescens of Eaon- 

 esque. The following is Rafinesque's descriptiim: "III. Gen. Syinplvurtts. Ala caudale 

 acuta, e riuuita all' ale dorsali, ed anali, occhj alia sinistra. Osserv. Si dovranno raggu- 

 agliare in questo genere duo specie del genere Achirtis di Lacepedo, cioe gli A. bilineatus, 

 e A. ornatus. Sp. no. 44. Symphurus nigrescent. Nerastro senza fascie, allungato, una 

 sola linea laterale da ogni lato." 



This single lateral line assumed to distinguish Aminopleurops from Aphoristia is not a 

 real lateral line, but a depression along the median line produced by the junction of the 

 muscles. The species of Symphttrns are somewhat numerous and very closely allied. 

 With the exception of the Eurojiean Si/mphurus nigrescens, all of them are American. 

 The development of the siiccics is iiii]i(it(<tly known. According to Giglioli, the larva} 

 called JHbroiria, may belong to this liciius, and so jiossibly may\^harybdia. The name 

 Plagusia belongsi^roperly to the present genus ratliei- than to the tyjic ai Plagusia bilineata, 

 to which it has been restricted by Kaup and (iiiiither. It is. however, preoccupied in 

 crustaceans, and in any case, hoth I'lagusia and the substitute name i'iaj/msa are ante- 

 dated by the name Symphurus. 



