5. RHOMBUS. 407 



black or blue dots, edged with light-blue. Vertical fins with large 

 brown spots. 

 Chinese Seas. 



a-h. Adult and half-grown : stuffed. China. Presented by J. 



Reeves, Esq. 

 c. Fine specimen. From the Haslar Collection. 



5. EHOMBUS*. 



Rhombus, sp., Klein, Pise. 3liss. iv. p. 34. 



Rhombus et Zeugopterus, Gottsche in Wiegm. Arch. 1835, pp. 172, 178. 



Eyes on the left side. Mouth wide, the length of the maxillary 

 being more than one-third of that of the head. Each jaw with a 

 narrow band of villifonn teeth, without canines ; vomerine teeth ; 

 none on the palatines. The dorsal fin commences on the snout ; 

 nearly all the dorsal and anal rays branched. Scales none or small. 

 Gill-membranes scarcely united at the throat; gill-rakers well 

 developed, lanceolate. Branchiostegals seven. 



Mediterranean ; North Atlantic. 



This genus may be subdivided into three smaller groups : — 



1. Ventral free from anal ; scales none, or small and cycloid : Rhombus, 



Gottsche, p. 407. 



2. Ventral free from anal ; scales small and ciliated : Lejjidorliombus, 



m., p. 411. 



3. Ventrals united with anal : Zeugopterus, Gottsche, p. 413. 



1. Ventral free from anal ; scales none, or small and cycloid. 



1. Rhombus maximus. 



The Tm-bot. Stein-butt. 



^•ijTTa, Aristot. iv. c. 11, v. c. 9. ix. c. 37; ^Umi, iv. c. 3; Oppian, i. p. 5. 

 Rhombus, Plin. ix. c. 15, 20 & 42 ; Bellon. Be Aquat. p. 139. 

 Rhombus aculeatus, Rondel, xi. c. 2. p. 310 ; Gcsner, Aquat. iv. pp. UGl 



& 070; Schonev.Ic/itJi. p. GO; Ahlrov. ii. c. 48. p. 248 ; Jonston, i. c.3. 



art. 2. punct. 2. p. GO. tab. 22. fig. 12 ; Willit(/hh>/, p. 93. tab. F. 8. 



fig. 3 ; Eai/, p. 32 ; Klein, Pise. Miss. iv. p. 34. no. 1. tab. 8. fig. 1 



& tab. 9. hg. 1. 

 Rhombus, sp., no. 2, Klei?i, I. e. p. 35. tab. 8. fig. 2. 

 Rhombus maximus, TVill. p. 94. tab. F. 2; Paif, V. 31. 

 Pleuronectes, sp., Aiiedi, Si/non. p. 32. no. 7, and (hnera, p. 18. no. 9; 



Gronov. Zoophyl. no. 254, and .!/;/.<. ii. p. 10. no. 159. 

 Plfiu-onectes maximus, L. Si/sf. JVal. i. p. 459 ; Br'tlnn. Ichth. 3Iass. 



p. 35 ; PI. Fische Deutsclil. ii. p. 53. tab. 49 ; PL Schn. p. 153 ; 



Quenselin Vet. AJcad. Hundl. 180(), p. 203; Pi.^so, Ichth. Nice, p. 314; 



Faber in Isis, 1828, p. 892 ; Donov. Prit. Fish. ii. pi. 40 ; FUr. 



* 1. Rhombus torosus, Rafhke, Faun. Krym, p. 349.— Sea of Azof. 



2. cristatus, Lvwc, Proe. Zonl. Soc. 18.39, p. 88.— Madeira. 



3. candidissimus Bisso, Eur. Merid. iii. p. 253. fig. 34.— Jleditorranean. 



