166 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxxi. 



ii. Bases of fin rays with rough tubercles; scales rough, stellate, scattered, 

 mostly not imbricated; head with stellate tubercles; lateral line 

 scaleless; lower pharyngeals broad, each with three rows of blunt 



, teeth; teeth in jaws incisor-like Phdiclitliijs, 25 



hh. Scales none; body naked or with rough warts or tubercles. 



n. Body naked in youth, the adult with irregular rows of horny elevations, 



two or three on the eyed side; blind side naked Kareius, 26 



nn. Body naked in youth, the adult with many rows of warty tubercles, 

 some of them regularly arranged, these on the eyed side; blind side 



naked , Clidodenna, 27 



aa. Vertebne in increased numljer (48 to 65); dorsal rays 90 to 120; anal rays 70 

 to 100; teeth broad, incisor-like; lateral line simple, straight; scales small all 

 cycloid; l)ody elongate. 



m. Anal spine obsolete; skull with few mucous cavities Microdomus, 28 



mm. Anal spine present; skull with large mucous cavities Glyptocephalus, 29 



1. PLATOPHRYS Swainson. 



Solea Rafinesque, Indice di Ittiologia Siciliana, 1810, p. 52 (/-/(om^o/V/c) ; not of 

 QUENSEL, 1806. 



Platopfiri/s SwAii^so-N, Nat. Hist. Class' n Fishes, 11, 1839, p. o02 {oeellalus). 

 Peloria Cocco, Intorno ad Alcuni Pesci del mar di Messina, (iiorn. del Gabin., 



1844, pp. 21-30, Lettere di Messina [Iwckcli, a larval form <if P. poda-s); not 



Pelorns of INIonti'^ort, 1808. 

 ? Coccolu.s Bonaparte, in Cocco, Alc-uni Pesci Messina, 1844, p. 21 {(UDiectcns; 



larval form — probal)ly of /'. podus, with the right eye in transit to the left 



side). 

 Bothus Bonaparte, Catologo Metodico, 1846, p. 49 (podm); not of Rafinesqie. 

 Rhomhoidichthys Bleeker, Act. Soc. Sci. Indo-Nederl. Manad. and INhikassar, 



1857-58, p. 67 {myriaster). 

 Platophrys Bleeker, Com ptes Rend us Acad. Sci. Amsterd., XIII, 1862, Pleuron., 



5 (ocelldtus). 



Eyes and color on the left side. Body ovute, strongly compressed; 

 mouth of the large type, but comparatively small; the maxillary ^ or 

 less of the length of the head; teeth small, subeipial, in 1 or 2 series; 

 no teeth on vomer or palatines. Interorbital space broad and con- 

 cave, broadest in adult males. Gillrakers moderate. Dor.sal fin 

 beginning in front of eye, all its rays simple; ventral of colored side 

 on ridge of abdomen; caudal convex behind; pectoral of h^ft side 

 usually with one or more tilamentous rays, longest in the male. 

 Scales very small, ctenoid, adherent; lateral line with a strong arch in 

 front. Coloration usually variegated. 



This well-marked genus is widely difl'used in the warm seas. The 

 sexual ditferences are greater than usual among flounders, and the 

 different sexes have often been taken for different species. Asa rule, 

 in the males, the pectoral fin on the left side is much prolonged, the 

 interorbital area is much widened and ver}" concave, and there are 

 some tubercles about the snout and lower eye. The young fishes, as 

 is usually the case, resemble the adult females. 



The very young are translucent, with the eyes symmetrical. The 

 species of Platophrys are widely distrit)utod through the warm seas, no 



