ICHTHYOLOGY. 



221 



cliiati 

 Discoboli 



Mnlacop- its teeth very close and even. It lias spots partly white 

 tervifii and [lartly blackish, scattered on a brown ground. This 

 Subbia- species is taken, though seldom, in the Ciiannel. 



In the Mediterranean there is a small species, only a few 

 inclies long, — PL nudus, Risso ; Arnoglossum, Kond. ; and 

 another still smaller, which is quite transparent, — PI. can- 

 didissimus, Risso ; PI. diaphamts, Schn. 



In other turbots the eyes are distant, the upper one 

 far back ; their interval is concave ; they have a small pro- 

 jecting hook on the base of the maxillary bone at the side 

 on which the eyes are placed, and sometimes another on 

 the inferior eye. There are several of this nature in the 

 Mediterranean, such as the PL podas of Laroche.' We 

 have figured PL argiis on Plate CCCV. fig. 8. 



Genus Sole a, Cuv. The soles have, as a distinguish- 

 ing character, the mouth twisted to the side opposite the 

 eyes ; that side only being furnished with teeth, which are 

 fine, like the pile of velvet, or, according to Cuvier's fre- 

 quent expression, en velours ; the side on which the eyes 

 are placed is toothless. Their form is oblong ; the snout 

 round, and almost always projecting more than the mouth. 

 The dorsal fin commences at the mouth, and extends, as 

 well as the anal, to the caudal fin. The lateral line is 

 straight ; the side of the head opposite to the eyes is fur- 

 nished with a kind of villosity. The intestine is long ; it 

 forms several folds, but has no caica. 



S. vulgaris (PL solea, L.). The sole (le Sole, Fr.) is a 

 species common on the European coasts, and luiiversally 

 esteemed wherever known. Bro\\n on the side which bears 

 the eyes ; the pectoral fin spotted with black. It is one 

 of our most valued fishes for the table, the flesh being 

 firm, white, and of delicious flavour. The sole generally 

 measures from one to two feet in length, and its weight 

 varies from one to seven pounds. It is a gregarious fish, 

 and is generally taken with the trawl-net. It inhabits the 

 Baltic, North, Atlantic, and Mediterranean Seas. There 

 is a large sole fishery at Brixham in Torbay, and a very 

 extensive one on the coast of Sardinia. The best soles are 

 said to be found at the Cape of Good Hope ; yet our 

 honoured friend Justice Menzies does not esteem them so 

 highly as he did those of his native Scotland. 



There are many distinct species of this genus, besides 

 numerous varieties that have been too vaguely described to 

 admit of their being easily distinguished from each other. 

 We shall here merely name the Pallasian, Zebra (Plate 

 CCCV. fig. 9), Carolina, Ocellated, Ro7ideletian, Platessoid, 

 Silver, Smooth, Bearded, Marbled, Pavonian, and Variegat- 

 ed Soles. 



Genus Monochibus, Cuv. Contains such soles as have 

 only a very small pectoral fin on the side of the eyes, the 

 one on the opposite side being either very minute, or 

 wholly wanting. There is one Mediterranean species, the 

 PL microchirus of Laroche.- 



Genus Achikus, Lacep. Contains the species which are 

 w holly destitute of pectoral fins ; and which may again be 

 divided according as their vertical fins are distinct, as in 

 Achiri properly so called, or united to the caudal fin, as in 

 the sub-genus Plagusia. 



FAMILY III.—DISCOBOLI. 



Forms the concluding division of the sub-brachian ma- 

 lacopterygian fishes. They receive their name from the 

 disk formed by their ventral fins. This family comprehends 

 two genera, neither of which is numerous. 



Genus Lepadogaster, Gouan. The ample pectoral fins 



descend to the inferior surface of the body, and become 

 \mited together beneath the throat by a transverse mem- 

 brane, directed forwards, which is formed by the union of 

 the two ventral fins. The body is smootli and without scales ; 

 the head broad and depressed ; the muzzle projecting and 

 extensile ; the brancliial openings small ; the gill-covering 

 furnished with four or five rays. There is only one soft 

 dorsal fin, opposite to an anal of a similar kind. The in- 

 testine is short, straight, and without ca;ca. There is no 

 swimming bladder, but nevertheless the species swim ra- 

 pidly along the shores. The genus is divisible as follows : 

 ~ \st, Lepadogaster properly so called. The membrane 

 already mentioned, which takes the place of the ventral 

 fins, extends circularly under the pelvis, and forms a con- 

 cave disk ; on the other hand, the bones of the shoulder 

 form a slight projection behind, which completes a second 

 disk with the membrane uniting the pectorals. 



Several species inhabit the Mediterranean and neigh- 

 bouring seas. In some the dorsal and anal fins are distinct 

 from the caudal, « ith which tlicir membrane is however 

 sometimes continuous, though it at the same time becomes 

 narrower. Of this kind are the I^ep. Gouani, balbis, and 

 Decandolii. In others, these three fins are united, as in 

 L. Wildenovii. The Cyclopterus cormtbir.us of Shaw (Ja- 

 ra sucker of Pennant) belongs to the genus Lepadogaster. 



2rf, GoBiESox, Lacep. Interval between the pectoral 

 and ventral fins not divided into a double disk, but form- 

 ing only a large single disk, cleft on both sides, and pro- 

 longed by the membranes. The dorsal and anal fins are 

 short, and distinct from the caudal. The branchial aper- 

 tures are larger than in the preceding. A British species, 

 known under the name of biniaculated sucker (Cyc.bimacu- 

 latus, Pennant), belongs to this genus. It is a very small 

 fish, not measuring more tlian an inch and a half. Mon- 

 tagu found it adhering to stones and old shells, and ob- 

 tained it in abundance, by dredging, near Forcross.^ 



Genus Cyclopterus, Linn. The circle-finned fishes, 

 commonly called suckers or lunip-Jish, have a well-mark- 

 ed cliaracter in their ventral fins, the rays of which, sus- 

 pended all round the pelvis, and united by a single mem- 

 brane, form an oval and concave disk, which the fish em- 

 ploys as a sucker to fix itself to the rocks. Besides this, 

 their mouth is wide, and furnished on both jaws and pha- 

 ryngeal bones with small pointed teeth. Their opercles 

 are small ; their branchial openings closed towards the 

 bottom, and furnished with six rays. Their pectoral fins 

 are very large, and unite almost under the throat, embra- 

 cing as it were the disk of the ventrals. Their skeleton 

 does not harden much ; and their skin, viscous and without 

 scales, has small hard grains scattered here and there upon 

 its surface. They have a stomach of considerable size, 

 many ca;ca, a long intestine, and a swimming bladder of 

 ordinary dimensions. 



The Cyclopteri are divided by Cuvier into two sub-ge- 

 nera, as follows : 



\st, LuMPus. Has a first dorsal fin, more or less per- 

 ceptible, though very low, and with simple rays, — and a 

 second one with branched rays opposite to the anal. The 

 body is thick. 



CycL lumpus,'L. (PlateCCCV.fig.il.) The lump- 

 fish or sucker (le Lump, Gras Blollet, Fr. ; See Hase, Germ.) 

 has its first dorsal fin so much enveloped in a thick tuber- 

 cular skin, that externally it might be taken for a mere 

 hump on the back. It is furnished ^vith three rows of co- 

 nical tubercles on each side. 



This fish is about eighteen inches long. It lives, espe- 

 cially in the north, on Medusae and other gelatinous ani- 

 mals. Its flesh is soft, insipid, somewhat oily, and is sel- 



Malacop- 

 terygii 



Siib-bia- 

 chiali. 



UiscoboU. 



' Ann. du Mus. xiii. xsiv. 14. 



= Ibid. xm. 356. 



Linn. Trafie. vol. vii. p. 293. 



