3^« FLATFISHES (HETEKOSOMATA) 



(.enus 15 I'AKOl'HkYS. 



Parophrys. Girard. 185O, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., vii, (1H54), p. 139 [Parophrys v,-lula. dirard] ; 

 Jordan and Evermann, 1898, Bull. U.S. N'at. Mas., xlvii (3), p. 2640. 



Body rather elongate, compressed ; head pointed. Eyes on the right side, large, 

 separated by a somewhat high, narrow rulge, with a few scales ; upper eye situated 

 on top of head, with an almost vertical range. Olfactory lanunas rather few in 

 number, parallel, without rachis. Mouth rather small, the length of the maxillary 

 on blind side le.ss than J length of head : jaws and dentition much stronger on bUnd 

 side of liead ; teeth small, compressed and incisor-like, close-set. not enlarged anteriorly, 

 uniserial in both jaws ; vomer toothless. Gill-rakers rather short, few in number ; 

 lower pharyngeals narrow, moderately slender, a little approximated anteriorly, their 

 inner edges somewhat angular, each with two widely separated rows of narrow, 

 obtusely conical teeth ; posterior teeth of inner row smaller and more close-set than 

 the remainder. Dorsal tin commencing well behind posterior nostril of blind side 

 and above eye ; all the rays simple, not .scaled. Tip of first interhsmal spine projecting 

 in front of anal fin. l^ectoral fin of ocular side a little larger than that of blind side ; 

 middle rays branched. Pelvic fins short-based, subequal and subsymmetrical. ( .lud.d 

 fin with the outer rays a little produced in adults ; caudal peduncle of mn'kr.itr 

 length- Scales very small, adherent, more or less imbricated, mostly cycloid on both 

 sides of body : no supplementary scales. Lateral line with a very low curve above 

 the pectoral fin ; a supratemporal branch present, with long posterior prolongation. 

 Vent nearly median, between the pelvic fins ; intestine with about two simple coils : 

 3 -)- I rather sliort pyloric appendages. \'ertebra; 44 (11 + a) 



A single species from the Tacific coast of North America. 



I. I'AROl'HKYS VETl'LA, Girard, 

 ["Sole"; "C.\ufornia Sole".] 



Parophrys vctaln, liirard, 1856, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., vii, (1S54), p. 140 ; (.",irard, 1858, U.S. 

 Pacif. K.K. Surv., x, Fishes, p. 153 ; Gunther, 1862, Cat. Fish., iv, p. 455 ; Lockington, 1880, 

 Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., ii, (1879), p. 100 ; Jordan and Gilbert, i88i, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., iii, 

 (1880). p. 453 ; Jordan and Gilbert. 1882, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., iv, (1881), p. 08 ; Jordan, 1884, 

 Nat. Hist. Aquat. .\nim. (Fisheries Fish. Indust. U.S., i), p. 183 ; Jordan and Goss. 1889. 

 Rep. U.S. Com. Fish., xiv, (1886), p. 284 ; Jordan and Evermann. 1898, Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus., 

 xlvii (3), p. 2640 ; Starks and Morris, 1907, Univ. Calif. Pub. Zool., iii (ii), p. 245 ; Evermann 

 andGoldsborough, 1907. Bull. U.S. Bur. Fish., xxvi. ( lyob), p. 353 ; Starks. 191 1. Ann. Carnegie 

 Mus., vii. p. 204 ; Starks, 1918, Calif. Fish Game, iv (4). p. 13, fig. 95. 



Pleuroncctcs dtagrammu$, Giinlher, 1862. Cat. Fish., iv. p. 445. 



Parophrys hubbardi. Gill. 1863, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., xiv, (1862), p. 2S1. 



PUuronecUi vetuhis, Jordan and Gilbert, 1883. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus., xvi, p. 831. 



Depth of liody zi to 2J in the length, length of head 3! to 3J. Anterior profile of 

 head concave. Snoiit somewhat produced, as long as or longer than eye, diameter of 

 which is 4J to jj in length of head ; lower eye a little in advance of upper ; postocular 

 ridge scarcely apparent. Maxillarv extending to below anterior edge of eye or a 

 little beyond, length on ocular side 4I to 42, on blind side 35 to 3* in that of head ; 



6-10 + SS-sS 

 lower jaw projecting. 2 J to 3 in head; tlental formula .,l(j _i_ jo_,>j- '' '"" '- 



gill-rakers on lower part of anterior arch. Scales mostly cycloid, some of those on 

 head and parts of body on ocular side with 2 or 3 spinules ; 96 to 105 in a longitudinal 

 series above lateral line. Posterior prolongation of supratemporal branch of lateral 

 line extending to below twentv-second to thirty-first rays of dorsal fin. Dorsal 

 74-86 ; origin a little on blind side of head and above middle of eye ; highest rays 

 28 to 23 in length of head .Anal 5\-ho. Pectoral of ocular side with 11 or 12 rays 



