NO. 1484. JAPANESE FLO UNDERS AND SOLES— JORDA N & STARKS. 201 



teeth, which are most developed on the blind side, and are often want- 

 ing in one or both jaws on the colored side; no teeth on vomer or 

 palatines; lips thick, with several lengthwise folds within which is 

 a series of short fringes. Lower pharyngeals narrow, each with a 

 double row of very small teeth. Gillrakers wide set, very short and 

 weak. Lateral line nearly straight, with a dorsal branch in our species. 

 Scales small, cycloid, nonimbricate, embedded. Dorsal fin anteriorly 

 twisted from the dorsal ridge toward the blind side; anal fin preceded 

 by a spine; caudal fin convex behind. Intestinal canal elongate. Her- 

 bivorous species, feeding chiefly on alga. Pacific Ocean. 



The species of Pleuronichthys spawn in the spring and live in com- 

 paratively deep water. The protruding e3^es are both turned to the 

 right side very early in specimens i inch long. 



(TtXevpov, side; ix^'^^i fish.) 



27. PLEURONICHTHYS CORNUTUS (Schlegel). 



BIKIKAREI (FROG-FLOUNDER); MOCHIGAREI (RICE-CAKE-FLOTJNDER); 



MITIGAREI (BOARD-FLOTJNDER); OMIGAREI (FLOUNDER OF OMI). 



Platissa cornuta Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Poiss., 1846, p. 179, pi. xc, fig. 1 

 (Nagasaki). — Bleekek, Verh. Bat. Gen., XXVI, Japan, p. 121. 



Heteroprosopon cornutus BhEEKER, Compt. Rend. Ac. Sei. Amst., 1862, Pleuron., 

 p. 8 (Nagasaki). 



Parophrys cornuta Gunther, Cat. Fish, IV, 1862, p. 455 (copied); Shore 

 Fishes, Challenger, 1880, p. 70 (.Kobe).— Namiye, Class. Cat., 1881, p. 110 

 (Tokyo). — IsiriKAWA and Matsu'ura, Prel. Cat., 1897, p. 24 (Yeshigo). — 

 Otaki, Journ. Bur. Fish, 1897, p. 7, pi. vm, p. 90 (Japan). 



PleuronlcJtthi/s cornutus Steindachnee, Reise Aurora, 1896, p. 217 (Kobe). — 

 Jordan and Evermann, Fish. North Mid. Amer., Ill, 1898, p. 2637 (Japan). — 

 Jordan and Snyder, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XXIII, 1901, p. 769 (Yoko- 

 hama); p. 900 (Hakodate, Tokyo). — Jordan and Stares, Bull. U. S. Fish 

 Comm., XXII, 1902 (1904), p. 923 (Suruga Bay). 



Hahitat. — Entire coast of Japan, north to Hakodate. 



Head, from 4 to 4| in length without caudal; depth. If to If. 

 Upper eye, 3i to 4 in head; snout to upper eye, 5; maxillary, ■^\. 

 Dorsal, 70 to 76; anal, 52 to 54. Scales, 80. 



Mouth very small; the maxillary reaching to below anterior margin 

 of pupil. Teeth in villiform bands, mostly on the blind side of mouth. 

 Eyes large; opposite each other; separated by a sharp, naked ridge. 

 A strong sharp spine, directed backward, on interorbital ridge oppo- 

 site posterior margin of eyes; another, directed outward, and curv^ed 

 slightly backward, on anterior part of ridge, a little behind front of 

 eyes; a short-pointed tubercle of bone directed forward at tip of 

 snout; and a similar one directed outward in front of each eye. Gill- 

 rakers scarcely developed; 4 or 5 small tubercles on lower part of arch. 



Scales small and embedded; not imbricated anteriorly. Origin of 

 dorsal on blind side at a point a little above the level of front of pre- 

 maxillary, and opposite middle of upper eye. Longest dorsal rays 

 equal to those of anal and contained H in head. Pectorals bluntly 



