41: 



SCANPINAYIAS KISHES. 



at most '., of the total lengili of the head, or „ of 

 the jx>storbit;U length of the head, and is always less 

 than the length of either of the pectoral fins or than ' ^ 

 of the greatest depth of the body'. It extends along the 

 dorsal evlsre for a distance that, measured in a straight 

 line, b equal to 72 — 74 * of the length of the body. In 

 the first third of the fin the rays are of fairly uniform 

 length, onlv slightly increasing in length posteriorly, and 

 the longest ravSs the length of which is 9 or 10 * of that 

 of the body, are set at alK>ut the middle of the fin. All 

 the anterior ravs ar^ simple: but in the posterior part of 

 the fin the ra\-s branch, thousrh rerv irreffularlv — from 



5 to 20 of these branched rays may be found, often 

 scattered in the posterior part of the fin'. The anal fin. 

 which in shape and structure resembles the dors;il minns 

 its first third, measures from about 52 to 53* j * of the 

 length of the body. In front of its beginning the post- 

 abdominal bone projects in an anal spine, which in 

 voung specimens is distinct and pointed, but in older 

 ones grows blunt and is hidden bv the skin. The vent 

 and. just behind it, the urogenital opening lie at the 

 ventral margin itself, about half-way between the be- 

 siuninST of the anal .fin and the insertion of the venn-al 

 fins — thus comparatively far firom the former. The 

 ventral fins are symmetrical in position, being set just 

 in front of the perpendicular from the upper (anterior) 

 end of the insertion of the pectoral fins. They ai-e 

 almost ei]ual in length, varying in young specimens 

 between 5' . \ (on the blind side sometimes 5 \) and 



6 % of the length of the Kxly. As a rule the first two 

 ravs are simple, the others branched. The pectoral fins. 

 on the other hand, are more dissimilar in form and 

 length, that of the eye ade being obliquely pointed and 

 that of the blind side more evenlv obtuse, and the fijr- 



mer measuring in young females 11— 12^ j % of the 

 length of the Kxly, in young males about 13 % thei-eof. 

 while the laner measures about S' < or 9* of the sitme 

 length. In tlie pei^toi-al fins too, the fii"st (uppermost) 

 two ravs are simple — on the blind side, in most young 

 sj>ecimens, the lowest two as well. The median length 

 of the caudal fin is fairly equal to the length of the 

 pectoral fin on the eye side — except in the males, where 

 the pectoral fins are somewhat longer — as weU as to 

 the distance between the middle of its base and the end 

 of the dors;U fin. In voung specimens tlie hind mai'gin 

 of this fin is evenlv concave, while in old specimens it 

 forms a double curve or an elongated S-shape. The 

 fin contains 13 multifid rays, and 3 supporting rays at 

 each margin: but at least in old specimens the two 

 longest supporting rays, the tips of which extend out 

 to each corner of the caudal fin, are also branched. 



The whole bodv and the head, with the exception 

 of the fleshy lips and the nasal cavities, are covered 

 with cvcloid scjtles. some of them ordinary, but still 

 small, and as usual smaller on the front part of the 

 bodv than behind, and some of them still more nume- 

 rous, accessorv scales betAveen the former. These acces- 

 sorv scales also cover the whole of the caudal fin. the 

 outer side of the pectoral tin of the eye side, and at 

 least the base of the venti-:il fin of the same side, as 

 well as the greater part of the /doi"sal and anal fins. 

 The lateral line forms a feirly high, but often irregular 

 arch above the jiectoral fin. behind the point of which 

 it adopts a straight course Jilmost along the middle of 

 the sides of the Ixnly. and advances over the caudal 

 fin. though it branches just in front of the base of this 

 fin, one branch rumiing straight out between the 7th 

 and .Sth or 8th and 9th branched ravs'" (counting from 



- iu fo«r females ve- kaye foand ihe distance beiTiwii the dorsal fin and the tip of the snoot to be greater than the least depth of 

 •K? tail, bat ib a male it is less flwa this depth. 



* If ve denote the bnached ravs by Bauan figvies, the fonunla for the dotsal and anal fins in fii% specimens is as folloTs: 



- At the middle of the loigth of these rays it generally brandies again, and follows the lower side of one of the rays and the npper 

 ade of the ttthtt; bat these branches erentBaHy join earfa other again. See oar figure of the yotn^ Halibat (Hate XVII. fig. IX 



