PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 103 



Lepidopsetta bilineata (Ayres) Gill. 



Plafessa bilineata Ayres. 



D. 71-84. A. 55-63. C. 3-12-3. 1\ 11. V. 0. L. lat. 82-86. 



Form oval ; dorsal profile regularly curved from the frout margin of 

 tlie upper eye to the caudal i)eduucle. Abdominal outline also a regu- 

 lar curve from the lower jaw, but less arched than the dorsal. Curve of 

 snout uniting with that of nape over the anterior margin of the upper 

 eye, forming a concavity. Height of body about f ; length of head rather 

 more than ^ of the total length ; greatest tlistance from anal to straight 

 part of lateral line nearly equal to the length of the head. Snout pro- 

 jecting slightly, and considerably shorter than the eye. Eyes rather 

 large, elliptical, their longitudinal diameter about f of the length of the 

 head, nearly even in li'ont ; the upper eye looking obliquely ui^wards. 

 Interorbital space a. very narrow, elevated, bony ridge, dividing ante- 

 riorly, and forming a raised ridge round the anterior margin of each eye. 

 Nostrils of colored side in a depression about equidistant from the front 

 margins of the two orbits ; anterior tubular ; posterior patulous ; ante- 

 rior nostril of blind side with a posterior tongue-like tlap. Mouth very 

 oblique ; ^ ip of mandible level with the upper margin of the lower eye, 

 projecting when the mouth is closed, with a prominent symphysial knob. 

 Length of mandible contained about 2f tinu\s in that of head. Maxil- 

 lary reaching, but little behind the anterior margin of the oibit of the 

 lower eye, and about ^ of its transverse diameter below its lower margin. 

 A single, rather irregular, tolerably closely set row of strong, blunt, con- 

 ical teeth in each jaw, shorter and less developed on the colored side 

 than on the blind. Teeth of intermaxillary not reaching above half-way 

 along that bone on the colored side ; those of mandible extending along 

 '■^ of the exposed portion of that bone on the same side. About 34 teeth 

 in the intermaxillaries, and about 32 in the mandible. Inferior pharyn- 

 geal teeth like those of jaws, but stouter, in a double row on each pharyn- 

 geal bone, the outer row rather the smaller ; about 12 teeth in the inner 

 row ; superior similar, in a single row of about 7 on each ])haryiigeal 

 bone. Inferior i)haryngeal bones entirely separate, stout, broadest in 

 the centre of their length, where the rows of teeth are farthest apart. 

 Dorsal commencing immediately behind the anterior margin of the or1)it; 

 its first ray twisted toward the left, increasing regularly to about, the 

 38tli-40th rays, which are about ^ of the length of the head, tluMu;e 

 diminishing regularly to its termination opposite to that of the anal ami 

 distant from the caudal about half the width of its peduncle. Anal with 

 a spine, its origin a little behind the base of the pectoral, its longest 

 rays opposite to and equal in length to those of the dorsal ; behind the 

 longest rays the depth of the tin diminishes regularly. Xarrowest part 

 of caudal peduncle rather more than | of the greatest dei)th, thence 

 widening to the caudal without the intervention of a straight portion. 

 Princijial rays of caudal once bifurcate; its posterior margin slightly 



