ir,<)iNi)i:i;-risiii:s. 



1. /fr/eroso)ii(it(i Mileuiu, witli tlic u])])or jaw most prominent; 



-. „ pleuroncctina, witli tlic lower jiiw most pro- 



minent, the gape small and ()l)li(|ii(', and the 

 jaw-teeth eonsiderably reduced dii the eye 

 side ; 



3. „ hiiipotjlossinu, witli the lower jaw most pro- 



minent, tiie gape midilli -.sized or large, the 

 jaw-tectii developed almost as much ou tiie 

 eve side as on the l)lind side, the ventral 



fins one on each side of the ventral margin, 

 and the rays of these lins close together at 

 the base. 

 I li'tcrosviiKiUt liotJiina, witli tiie lower jaw most prominent, 

 the gape middle-sized or large, the jaw-teeth 

 almost equally developed on both sides of the 

 body, the ventral (in of tiie eye sifle inserted 

 just at the ventral ridge, and the rays of the 

 ventral fins more or less far apart at the base". 



SUBF.VMII.Y SOLEINA. 



FJlinto'nl iraslrdl) t(irfil(if/c <>f the snoitt ircll-dcrrhipcd. formiii// the framfiroii: of ti ni/irr or Icsm Jiifjii, hiif com- 

 picsscd ehngutloH of tlic head in a fonrard direction. This elongated part of the head generalh/ curves doun- 

 irards, in a marc or less hooh'cd shape, in front of or ercn under and hchind the month, which is narrow and 

 hcnt. .fans {at least the ina.rillari/ hones) more or less cunipletelij hidden hi/ the lips, and the jaw-teeth developed 

 onlg on the blind side, where the rent has also taken its position. Eyes small or hidden. Psendohranehirr nanf- 



ing: gill-rakers also iranting, or onlg few and tnLercuhir. 



The most conspictioiis of tho cliaracters given above, 

 the projection of the snout in tVont of the luoutli, is 

 valid in most cases and, in piirticulav, in tlic Scandi- 

 navian fauna. But the coiuic.\ioii between the forms 

 of the family impairs the universal validity of this cha- 

 racter, for there arc Soles — c. g. Brachirus zebra of 

 the Pacific Ocean niul the coa.st of lndi:i — in which 

 the mouth lies almost exactly at the middle of tlie tip 

 of the liead, with tlie snout jjrojecting extremely little, 

 if ;it ,ill, beyond the tip of the lower jaw. In such 

 cases, iiowever, the members of this subfamilv may be 

 easily recognised by their small eyes and the alisence ! 

 of teeth on the jaw-bones of the eye side. 



Just as we have ranged the Flounder-fislies before 

 the Codfishes, on nccouiit of their far nioi'c juUanced 

 metamorphosis of the Anacanthine tvi)e'', we also give 

 the Soles the first place in the Flounder family, because 

 the asymmetry has evidently advanced farthest in their 

 case. It is also within this subfamily that most of the 

 reductions most frei|uently occur, the pectoral and vent- 

 ral fins of one side or of both disappearing, or the e\"cs 



being hidden by tlie skin. Un the other hand, as we 

 have mentioned above, the number of the lateral lines is 

 very often increased in these fishes, and numerous feel- 

 ers (barbels) are in many cases developed on the head, 

 especially on the blind side. The peculiarity .so charac- 

 teristic of the family of the Flounder-fishes that lies in the 

 great length of tlie dorsal and anal fins (their extension 

 over the greater jinrt of the edges of the body), also 

 reaches the highest jioiiit of its develo])meiit in the 

 Soles. The dorsal fin may not only commence far out 

 on the snout, but may even extend downwards round 

 the tip of the snout along its ventral margin, which 

 in these cases is elongated into a hooked, recm-ved pro- 

 jection of the upper jaw. This projection sometimes 

 ciitiri'Jx' surrounds tin' lower jaw''. 



This subfamily contains perhaps half the species 

 included in the \\hole famih'. In tlie subfamilv too, 

 tlie uRist numerous and most singular forms belong to 

 the tropical seas; but the most delicious and most valu- 

 able is a memlier of the Scandinavian fauna. 



" In this Inst respect tlie Mediterranean ('ittiants liiiguatiiln is an exception, having tlie ventral fin of (he eye side inserted just at 

 the ventral ridge. But the ventral rays are close together at the base. 



* The name of Anacantliini was unfortunately applied to an order including the Codfishes and Flounders by MCller (Ccrl. AV>h. 1844), 

 Bo.MAPARTE having already employed it in 1837 (Syu. Vert. Si/st.) for a subfamily of the Rays. 



' As we have not been able to find a trace of psoudobranchiic in Solea or in Ci/noglos,ttis, the two extremes of the variations of 

 form ill the subfamily, we have assumed that this character holds good for the whole subfamily. Kkovkr, too {Damn. Fisk-e, Bd. 2. p. 470), 

 has remarked that iSo/en vulgaris is without pseudobrancliiic. 



