TinBcjT. 



437 



papillii, lies on the eye side, just opiiositc tlie vent. 

 Tlic vciitriil liiis arc csiiccialK' rciiinrkiililc lor the leii^tli 

 ol' their base, in wliirli ivspect the ventral fin of the 

 eye side far surpasses tliat of the lilinil side. The lenytii 



of the l)o<ly Ol- arran^red in iri'eguhii', longitudinal rows. 

 Tiie tuliercles of the eye side seem generally to be 

 stronger and denser lliati those of the l)rmd side, whieh 

 is sometimes entirei\ without them. They are most 



of the liase of the former, which as a rule increases | closely set but smallest on the head, especially round 

 even relatively with age, \iiries l)et\veen about 10',, and the eyes, on the interorbital space, in a band-shaped 

 12 "o of the length of the body, while in the ca.se of the patch from this point to the upper corner of the 

 latter tin, in the specimens we have examined, thi.s gill-openings, an the margin of the jjreoperculum — 

 proportion is oidy 8 — 10 %. The height (longest ray) I sometimes on the oy)ercu]um, subojterculum and inter- 

 ol tliese tins (the Ith or .")th) is almost the same in each 1 operculum alscj — and <in tiw broad part of the ma- 

 case, relatively diminishing during the gr(nvtli of tlie ! xillar\- bones. Tiie spines on the branches of the 

 tisii from about 8 "„ to about (J'/j % of the length of lower jaw are also small but rather more scattered. 



the body. The first ray, which is the shortest, is simple, 

 the others, up to tiie 4th or r)th inclusive, gradually 

 iiicreu.se in length, as well as in the distinctness of the 

 ramiiieation, and the hindmost ray, which is somewhat 

 shorter than the 5th, is also branched to about half its 

 length". In young specimens and in the males we have 

 examined, the ventral tin of the eye side thus occupies 

 the whole space at the ventral margin between the lie- 

 ginning of the anal tin and the lower anterior end of 

 the urohyoid bone — which in its natural position lies 

 just ])ehind the articulations of the lower jaw. In the 

 older females we have examined, on the other hand, the 

 beginning of the anal tin has retired somewhat further 

 back, simultaneously with the increase in the depth of 

 the body. The jiectoral tins are inserted in an obliquely 

 vertical position, just below the middle of tlie depth of 

 the body. The pectoral tin of the eye side is obliquely 

 rounded, the 4th ray lieing the longest; while that of 

 the blind side is more evenly brought to a blunt point, 

 the 5th and (ith rays being the longest. The first ray 

 is simple, the other 11 (or .sometimes 10) are more or 

 less distinctly and deeply branched. The length of the 

 pectoral fin of the eye .side varies between about 12' „ 

 or (in the males) 13 % and 11 % of the length of the 

 body; while the pectoral fin of the blind side is somewhat 

 .shorter, its length varying between 11 or 12% and 9% 

 of the length of the body. The caudal fin is of a 

 rounded, truncate shape. Its length at the middle is 

 about 20 — 17 % of that of the body. In all the spe- 

 cimens we have examined the number of rays in this 

 fin has been 2 + 13 + 2. 



In this species the scales are in great part trans- 

 formed into spinous tubercles scattered over the surface 



Kven on thi' lower (]iroximal) parts of the rays of the 

 dorsal tin and the upper (proximal) parts of tho.se of 

 the ana! fin similar spinous tubercles may be found; 

 and on the rays of the caudal fin they often extend out 

 beyond the middle. The variability in their occurrence 

 is, however, considerable. We have found them largest 

 and densest in a female 32 cm. long from the island- 

 belt of Stockholm, most scattered in a female 53 cm. 

 long from Bohusliin, though from this no rule can be 

 deduced. In t\pica] Turbots they are never so large 

 as the eyes, l)ut Pali-Vs' and Xoudmaxn" describe a 

 lilack Sea variet\- of this species, Bothus mceoticus, with 

 S])inous tubercles as broad at the base as the eyes or 

 even broader. In form the spinous tubercles are more 

 or less angular or round disks, with the spine at their 

 middle. On the disk we find partly radiating grooves 

 and fissures and partly concentric striae, just as on or- 

 dinary scales. In the skin between these spinous tu- 

 bercles we find shallow and, in most cases, di.stinctly 

 boimded scale-sacs (follicles); but these sacs never con- 

 tain any distinct .scaly formation in typical Turbots. 

 The s\stem of the lateral line generally resembles 

 that of the rest of the Flatfi.shes in its extension over 

 the head and body. The lateral line proper forms a 

 sharp curve above the pectoral fiii, but from this point 

 runs .straight back at the middle of the sides. In the 

 curved ))art wi' have found from 28 to 33 opening- 

 ducts, in the straight jjart from 48 — 52. Sometimes, 

 however, on the blind side, we meet with a singular 

 duplication of the lateral line. On this side, at the 

 division between the curved and straight parts, it may 

 either run ujiwards in an acute angle towards the back, 

 and be continued from tlu' apex of the angle by a 



" According to Kruyer down to the very base. 

 ' Zoographia Eofso-Asiatica, part. Ill, p. 419. 

 '• Vol/. R'ls/'. -lAV., Dkmipoff, Poiss.. p. .5;U. tab. 28, tig. -2, tab. 29 et 30. 



