34S FLATFISHES (HF.TF.ROSOMATA) 



Depth of body zl to 2^ in the length, length of head 4 to 4^. Upper 

 profile of head a little concave. Snout much shorter than eye. diameter of 

 which is 2| to 3J in length of head ; lower eye a little in advance of upper, 

 which enters dorsal profile of head ; postocular ridge scarcely apparent. Maxillary 

 extending to below anterior part of eye, length on ocular side 3J to 35. on blind 

 side about 3 in that of head; lower jaw scarcely projecting, 2 J to 2 J in head. 



Dental formula J^ — '~ ~°~"J . Gill-rakers short, stout ; 6 to 8 on lower part of 



icv-ii + 23-25 

 anterior arch ; width of lower pharyngeals more than 6 times in length ; teeth of 

 inner row stronger than those of outer. 57 to 64 scales in lateral line, 18 to 20 between 

 lateral line and middle of back. Dorsal 65-72 ; some of the middle rays scaled ; 

 highest rays less than i length of head. Anal 55-58 (60). Pectoral of ocular side 

 with 10 or II rays (7 or 8 branched), length i| to twice in that of head. Pelvics 

 with b rays. Caudal with 18 rays (12 branched), rounded or double-truncate ; caudal 

 peduncle about as long as deep. Greyish or brownish, with or without some irregular 

 darker spots. 



Type. — United States National Museum. No 51423. 



Distribution. — Shores of central Japan. 



Specimens Ex.\mined : 



1 (102 mm.). Dago Isd. U.S. N.it. Mus. 



2 (150, 185 .um.). Tokvo .Market. Tokyo Imp. Uiiiv. 

 I(2i.imm.). Sea of Japan, ofl Xagato I'rov. 



Genus 20, PLEUROXECTES. 



PleuronecUs, [Artedi, 1738, Ichth., gen. xiv, p. 16] Linnaeus, 1758, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, p. 268 ; 1766, 



ed. 12, p. 455 \Pleuroncctcs platessa, Linnaeus] ; Swainson, 1829, N.H. Fishes etc., ii, p. 302 ; 



Bleeker, 1862, Versl. Akad. Wet. Amsterdam, xiii, p. 427 ; Norman, 1933, Ann. Mag. Nat. 



Hist.. (10) xi, p. 222. 

 Platessa, Cuvier. 1817, R. .Aniin.. U, p. 220 [PU-uroitccli-s plaU-ssa, Linnaeus] ; Gottsche. 18^5, Arrli. 



Naturgesch., 1 (2). p. 135 ; Jordan and Goss, 188,,, Rep. U.S. Com. Fish., .xiv. (1886), p. 290. 



Related to Limaiida, but postocular ridge broken up into a series of 4 to 7 bony 

 prominences, extending from behind the eyes to commencement of lateral line, their 

 bases sometimes connected by a low keel. Teeth compressed, incisor-like, forming 

 a more or less continuous cutting edge. Lower pharyngeals narrow or of moderate 

 width, their width 2} to nearly 5 in the length, rather massive, more or less approxi- 

 mated anteriorly, each with about two rows of obtusely pointed or molariform teeth. 

 Scales small, adherent, all more or less embedded in the skin, but imbricated on 

 posterior part of body ; cycloid or sometimes rather feebly ctenoid in the male. 

 Lateral line with a very low curve above the pectoral fin ; a short supratemporal 

 branch. Intestine with 2 or 2S coils ; pyloric appendages rather short or of moderate 

 length, 2 or 3 -f i. Vertebrae 42 to 43 (13 -j- 29-30). 



Two species from Arctic anil temperate seas 



SvNcipsis (IF THE Species. 



1. 5 high, regular, conical prominences behind the eyes; 0-3 + ij-io teeth 

 in upper jaw ; lower pharvmgeals slender, inner edges evenly curved, 

 not much approximated, the teeth obtusely pointed, more or less 

 compressed . . . . . . . . .1 pallasn. 



II 4 to 7 irregular, bony prominences behind the eyes ; 0-6 -{- iS-32 teeth in 

 upper jaw . lower pharvngeals rather massive, inner edges angular, 

 approximated anteriorly, the teeth coar.se. blunt, molariform . 2 platessa. 



