NO. 1484. JAPANESE FLOUNDERS AND SOLES— JORDAN & STARES. 2iy 



Ilahitat. — North Pacific on both coasts, south to Tokyo and to San 

 Luis Obispo. 



Head, 3f ; depth, 2. D. 58; A. 42. Vertebra3, 34. Body, broad 

 and short, the snout forming a slight angle with the profile; lower jaw 

 projecting; interocular space rather broad, with very rather rough 

 scales; large rough scales at base of dorsal and anal rays and on sides 

 of head; similar but smaller scales scattered over the body; lateral line 

 smooth; fins without scales; a cluster of bony prominences above 

 opercle. Teeth incisor-like, truncate, rather broad, ^g. Lower 

 pharyngeals broad, with coarse paved teeth. Dark brown or nearlv 

 black, with lighter markings; fins reddish brown; dorsal and anal with 

 4 or 5 vertical black bands; caudal with 8 or 4 black longitudinal 



■^-M 



■^. mm 



Ik 



Fig. 19.— Platichthys stellatus. 



bands. Pacific coast of America, from Point Concepcion to the Arctic 

 Ocean and south to northern Japan. This is one of the largest of the 

 American flounders, reaching a weight of 15 to 20 pounds. Of the 

 small-mouthed flounders it is much the largest species known. It is 

 an abundant species, constituting half the total catch of flounders on 

 the Pacific coast of America, and it is equally abundant in Bering Sea. 

 It lives in shallow water and sometimes ascends the larger rivers. It 

 IS one of the most widely distributed of all the flounders, its range 

 extending from San Luis Obispo, California, to the mouth of the 

 Anderson and Colville rivers on the Arctic coast, and to Port Clarence, 

 thence across to Japan, whence we have specimens from Mororau, 

 Hakodate, Aomori, Same, Matsushima, and Tokyo. We have also 

 specimens from Petropaulski, Bering, Medni, and Robben islands. 

 Also seen from Bristol Bay and Saghalon. It is a coarse fish, not 

 valued as food, either in ,Iapan or America. 

 {stellatus, starred. ) 



