PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



93 



In 1862, Prof. Gill uud Dr. A. Gimther identified this species with the 

 Pleuronectes stellatus of Pallas. 



Dimensions. 



Total length, in inches 



Length ■without caudal 



Greatest height of body 



Height from tip of dorsal to tip of anal 



Distance from tip of lower jaw to origin of anal 



Length of head 



Longitudinal diameter of eye 



Width of interocular space 



Length of snout, from lower eye 



Length of longest raj' of dorsal 



Length of longest ray of anal 



Length of pectoral of colored side 



Length of pectoral of blind side 



Length of ventral 



Width of caudal peduncle where narrowest 



Distance from end of dorsal to caudal fin 



Greatest distance from anal to straight portion of lateral line. 

 Length of caudal 



No.L 



2H 

 US 



No. 2. 



91 



3§ 

 2Ji 





No. 3. 



14J 



Hi 



3J 



1/a 



No. 4. 



5i 



No. 5. 

 13ii 



m 



9 



4/s 

 31 



1| 

 1| 



ItTs 



n 

 3i 



2/^ 



IChe formulae of the fin-rays of dorsal and anal in these specimens were 

 as follows : No. 1, D. 61, A. 42 ; No. 2, D. 60, A. 43 ; No. 3, D. 59, A. 42; 

 No. 4, D. 58, A. 43 ; No. 5, D. 69, A. 44. Nos. 1 and 2 are alcoholic spe- 

 cimens, and have both eyes and color upon the right side. 



This is the most abundant of all the flat-fishes brought to our markets, 

 and attains a larger size than any other except the Bastard Halibut 

 {Paralichthys maculosus) and the Hippogiossus. Those taken in San Fran- 

 cisco Bay attain a weight of eight, ten, or even twelve pounds, while 

 still larger individuals are brought from Humboldt Bay. Those brought 

 from the latter locality are, however, very coarse and comparatively poor 

 in flesh, so that they do not fetch by far so high a price as those taken 

 near San Francisco. It is sold under the name of " Flounder," which 

 here appears to be limited strictly to this species. Its broad rhombic 

 form, elevated dorsal, deep anal, long caudal peduncle, stellate scales, 

 and the bands of color which adorn the vertical fins, give this fish an 

 unmistakable /acie^'. The eyes and color are sometimes ui)0u the right 

 and sometimes upon the left side. Out of sixty-five individuals, which 

 I counted as they lay upon the stall, thirty-two were colored upon the 

 right and thirty-three upon the left side. On another occasion 1 counted 

 seventy-five sinistral and fifty -eight dextral individuals, and on a third 

 thirty-eight dextral and forty-eight sinistral. Is it not possible that the 

 difference of color may be a sexual one ? This is the idea of the more 

 intelUgent dealers, but it has not been verified by dissection. Individuals 

 occasionally occur with both sides olivaceous, some white blotches alone 

 marking the usually uncolored side ; on the other hand, I have seen one 

 exarajjle which liad ])()th sides wliite, except along the dorsal and abdom- 

 inal outlines and head of the eyed side. 



