TURBOT. 



435 



:il)(mt l/}',2 ;ur1 11^ ^ %, ami in the luttiT hctwec-n abuut 

 14 aiul 11' J %, of the leii^tli of the body. The total 

 tleptli of the l)<)dy with tlir liiis at its deepest part is then 

 ixhoiit e(|iial to the length of tin- Ixxlv ;»/«</s the caudal 

 fin. The least depth of the b(jdv, wliich is less in the 

 males, varies between about 10 and 1 1' j % of the li-ngth 

 of the body. The body is thickest in the aiitn-ior part 

 of tiie al)doiinnal region, tlie greatest thieUness being 

 even relatively greater in old specimens than in young, 

 and measuring from 8 to 1 1 % of the length of the body. 

 The length of the head is about 28Va— 29'/, % of 

 the total U'ligth of tlu^ In.dy, ,^5— 36' .% of the length 

 of the l)odv minus the caudal tin, or 48 — -31 '^ ''" 'J^ 

 the greatest depth. Its shape, apart from the dorsal 

 tin, fairly tdosely resembles that of the body, exclusive 

 of the caudal fin, but inclusive of the dorsal and anal 

 fins, the greatest deptii of the head, minus the dorsal 

 fin, being almost equal to its length. The straight pro- 

 files of the snout form a somewhat obtuse angle, and 

 are continued hx the anterior parts of the dorsal and 

 ventral margins, which are only slighth' curved, so 

 evenh" that the front half of the l)odv is of a broad, 

 cuneiform shape, while the posterior half, minus the 

 caudal tin, is more like a semicircle. The mouth rises 

 at an angle of about 45 degrees from the longitudinal 

 transverse section of the body. In young specimens 

 the tip of the snout is on a level with the lower margin 

 of the upper eye and almost half-way up the body; 

 but in older ones" it is on a level with the middle of 

 the interorbital space and distinctly above the middle 

 of the body, being set about '', g of the way up the 

 body. The maxillary bones grow broader behind (down- 

 Avards). Their breadth at the hind (lower) extremity 

 is about ' 4 of their length, and in young specimens 

 about '" .; of the diameter of the eye, in older ones 

 equal to the latter. On the eye side this extremity is 

 somewhat oblique, on the blind side almost straight the inner row are developed, while on the tin-ee pcs- 

 and truncate. The iiiternuixillarv bones taper to a terior branchial arches they are set in two rows, but 

 point behind (downwards), extending about '3 of the in the rows are coalescent by pairs. The largest rakers 

 way along the upper jaw, and their curve, which fits j among the 15 or Iti which we find on the first bran- 

 into the curved anterior mar-rin of the maxillary bones, 1 chial arch, are about equal in length, in adult specimens. 



lioth the inlcrmaxil]ar\- and the maxillar\' bones — the 

 former at about the middle, the latter considerably 

 nearer their articulation — are furnished at the ui)per 

 margin with an cicct, lobate process (see above, on 

 these bones in the Halibut). The lower margin of the 

 undei' jaw is slightly concave, and the ciiin-knob not 

 very distinct, the symjihyseal margin rising at an angle 

 of about my and l)eing of a height that in old .spe- 

 cimens is ordy slightly less than the diameter of the 

 eye. All the.se bones are almost symmetrical, with the 

 single exception that in old specimens the length of the 

 lower jaw is jjerceptibly greater on the l)lind side than 

 on the eye side, or that we may even find the maxil- 

 lary bone of the eye side a little longer than that of 

 the blind side. We have found the length of the lower 

 jaw to vary on the left side between about 14' ^ and 

 1 6 ^ of the length of the body, and on the right side, 

 where it is usually a little longer than on the left, 

 between a little more than 15 and Itj *; of the length 

 of the body. The length of the maxillarA" bones varies 

 on the left side between somewhat over 12 and 13Vs 

 % of the length of the body, on the right side between 

 11' J and l;>' 3 % thereof. The teeth are of uniform 

 size, set as usual in cards and turned obliquely inward, 

 witli the cards on the branches of the lower jaw and 

 on the intermaxillary bones broadest in front and grow- 

 ing narrower at the sides and behind. The li])s are 

 Heshj^ and on the inside thickly set with papilhe. Of 

 the transverse palatal folds within the jaws the upper 

 is especially well-developed. On the head of the vomer 

 we find a little, transverse card of small teeth. The 

 I'est of the palate is smooth. The tongue is smooth 

 and fleshy, but flat, with the tip free and rounded. 

 The gill-rakers are denticulated, and as in most of the 

 Flatfishes, set in a single row on the first l)ranchial 

 arch, though one or two of the rakers which belong to 



similar curve to the mouth. The nasal pro- 

 cesses of the intermaxillary l)ones are well-developed, 

 the distance from their top to the margin of the jaw 

 being about half the length of the bones themselves, 

 and the mouth is thus capable of some protrusion. 



to the diameter of the eye. The u])per pharyngeal 

 teeth are set, as usual, in three, obliquely transverse 

 cards. The lower pharyngeal teeth form two oblong 

 cards, pointed at eacii end and with the teeth in the 

 innermost row sli;;htly larger than in the other rows. 



" Wc have not examined nnv old iiinles. 



