416 



SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 



landers c;ill it Fliidia and HeUag-fiske" (Holy-lisli). 

 Hence, according to some, are derived both the German 

 Nciliffhitff and the Swedish Helgeflundra. Others' de- 

 rive this Swedish name from Hclgelaiid in Norway — 

 hut the Norwegians tlieinselves generally call the spe- 



cies Qveitc or Hell off i/ndre. Others again'" write Hallc- 

 flundra, and derive the name from hdllar. In Bohuslan, 

 according to Malm, th(> Halibut is generally called 

 Hdllefisl: 



Genus PLATYSOMATICHTHYS. 



/1(h1ii still iiioic clitiHiidvd (tiid fleshi/ than, in the pieceding genus. Eyes set on the right side and far apart from 

 each other. Jans and pharyngeals armed ivith pointed, for the most part straight teeth, set in two rous, with 4 

 large canines in the front of the inner roH\ on the intermaxiUary hones, in a single roic in the lower jaw and 

 tin the lower pharyngeals. No palatine or vomerine teeth. The dorsal fin begins behind the dipper eye, which is 

 set at the dors(d margin of the head. Jlind margin of the caudal fin concave. No anal sjnne. 



Scales small and cycloid. Lateral line almost straight. 



This genus also contains only one species; but its 

 [ilace in the system is justified partly by the nai-row, 

 single row of teeth on the lower pharyngeals and jjartly 

 l)y its position as an intermediate form between Hippo- 

 glossns, Atherestes and Psettodes. whicli by the situation 

 of the eyes indicates the original form common to 

 them all. PlafysoDiatichthys is the least asymmetrical 



of the Flatfishes, retaining the ujjper eye at the dorsal 

 margin of the head and even in specimens at least 18 

 cm. long, only half transferred to the eye side. Both 

 sides of the body, too, are almost equally fleshy, and 

 the blind side is only slightlv fainter in colour than 

 the eye side. 



" Olai'sen, Ileise ijieniiem Island, p. 358. 



'• QvENSEL, Vet.-Akad. Handl. 1806, p. 226. 



' NlLSSON, iSlcand. Fn. Fish., p. 634: "It is said especially td haunt those spots in deep water -where springs of fresh water occur. 

 These spots, which are discovered by the Norwegian fishermen by the common method of taking bearings {tarja iiiet), are known by tlicm as 

 H(ilb'r (holes), and they believe that it is from its habit of frecpienting these holes that the Halibut has received tlic name of H<iJM>jmhr, 

 whence the Swedish Halle ftundra." 



