RHOMBOSOLEIN.E 429 



Genus 43. RHOMBOSOLEA. 



Rhombosolea, Giinther, 1862, Cat. Fish., iv, p, 45S [RhombosoUa monopus, Giinther]. 

 Bowenia, Haast, 1873, Trans. Proc. N.Z. Inst., v, p. 277 [Bowenia novcE-zeelandicE, Haast]. 

 Apsitta, Kyle, 1900, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 986 [Apsetta thompsoni, Kyle]. 



Body ovate or rhomboidal, compressed. Eyes normally on the right side, separated 

 by a low, naked ridge, the lower a little in advance of the upper, which is well separated 

 from edge of head ; snout and eyeballs not scaled ; snout normal or produced into a 

 short, fleshy process projecting freely above the mouth ; nasal organ of blind side 

 nearer edge of head than that of ocular side ; olfactory laminae few or in moderate 

 number, parallel to one another and to the axis of the body, without central rachis. 

 Mouth of moderate size, the jaws stronger on the blind side, where they are curved ; 

 the upper jaw notched to receive symphysis of lower jaw ; teeth small, pointed, not 

 enlarged anteriorly, in bands in the jaws of the blind side ; vomer toothless. Gill- 

 rakers rather long, slender, in moderate number ; lower pharyngeals of moderate 

 width or rather broad, their inner edges usually more or less angular, approximated 

 anteriorly, each with 3 or more series of teeth ; branchial septum entire. Dorsal fin 

 commencing near extremity of snout and well in front of nostrils of blind side ; most 

 of the rays forked distally, none scaled ; no basal sheath. Anal similar to dorsal ; 

 tip of first interhaemal spine not projecting in front of fin. Pectoral fins unequal, 

 that of ocular side larger ; middle rays branched. Only the pelvic fin of the ocular 

 side normally developed,^ elongate, with 6 well-spaced rays, united with the anal. 

 Caudal with the middle rays branched ; caudal peduncle moderate or rather short. 

 Scales small or of moderate size, firm, rather irregularly arranged, more or less 

 embedded and scarcely imbricated on head and anterior part of body ; nearly all 

 cycloid. Lateral line rising slightly or with a very low curve above the pectoral fin ; 

 a short supratemporal branch. Vertebrae 31 (lo + 21). Vent a little on blind side, 

 between anal and pelvic fins ; intestine elongate, forming a series of irregular loops 

 and coils. 



Four species from southern Australia and New Zealand. 



Synopsis of the Species. 

 I. 16 to 19 gill-rakers on lower part of anterior arch ; body more or less coloured 



on blind side . . . . . . . . . . i . retiaria. 



II. 7 to 14 gill-rakers on lower part of anterior arch ; blind side of body normally 

 colourless. 

 .\ . Shape of body rhomboidal ; dorsal and anal fins elevated ; highest dorsal 



rays i| to 2J in head . . . . . . . .2. plebeia. 



B. Shape of body ovate ; dorsal and anal fins not much elevated ; highest 

 dorsal rays 2 to 2 J in head. 



1. Snout normal ; eye 6 J to 7} in head . . . . 3. leporina. 



2. Snout produced into a fleshy process ; eye 4I to 6 in head 4. tapirina. 



I. RHOMBOSOLEA RETIARIA, Hutton. 

 [Black Flounder ; Patiki.] 

 Khnmbosolea tapirina {nnn Giinther), Hutton, 1873, Trans. Proc. N.Z. Inst., v, p. 268, pi. xii, (ig. 83*. 

 RhombosoUa reliaria, Hutton, 1873, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (4) xii, p. 401 ; Hutton, 1874, Trans. 

 Proc. N.Z. Inst., vi, p. 107 ; W'aite, 1911, Rec. Canterbury (N.Z.) Mus., i, p. 207, pi. xxxviii ; 

 Phillipps, 1921, N.Z. J. Sci. Tech., iv, p. 122 ; Thomson and Anderton, 1921, Bull. N.Z. Board 

 Sci. Art, ii, p. 87 ; Phillipps, 1925, N.Z. J. Sci. Tech., vii, p. 368, tig. ; Norman, 1926, Biol. 

 Res. '* Endeavour '*, v, p. 281 ; Phillipps, 1927, N.Z. Mar. Dept., Fish. Bull., i, p. 29. 



* The development of the pelvic fin of the blind side, with base either as long as or shorter than 

 that of ocular side, in reversed or ambicolorate examples of RhombosoUa has been discussed at some 

 length elsewhere (Norman, 1926, pp. 278-281). See also pp. 26, 29 of the present work. 



