[65] FLOUNDERS AND SOLES. 289 
Genus XXXIII.—PSEUDOPLEURONECTES. 
Pseudopleuronectes Bleeker, Comptes Rendus Acad. Amst., Pletron., 7, 1862 (planus). 
TyPE: Pleuronectes planus Mitchill= Pleuronectes americanus Wal- 
baum. 
This genus is distinguished from Platessa chiefly by the well-imbri- 
cated ctenoid scales, and from Limanda, which it more closely resembles, 
by the want of arch to the lateral line. Besides the typical species, we 
refer to this genus a second from the North Pacific. 
ANALYSIS OF SPECIES OF PSEUDOPLEURONECTES. 
a. Dorsal rays 65; analrays 48. Body regularly elliptical; a very slight angle above 
eye; interorbital space rather broad, convex, half as wide as eye, and entirely 
scaly ; a low granular ridge above opercle. Head 4; depth 24; lat. 1.83. Ver- 
tebre 10-+26—36. Color dark rusty brown, plain or mottled with darker ; fins 
ECB LVS Pas AM Slam es mata Le aye slasis sie tole wa! ei ciala stataom sliernise © AMERICANUS, 79. 
aa. [Dorsal rays 58; anal 38. Body subelliptical, the snout rather pointed, and not 
forming an angle above eye; interorbital space rather broad, half width of eye; 
a rather prominent rugose ridge above opercle, with a smaller similar ridge be- 
hind it; both sides of jaws with teeth. Head 32; depth 2§;5 lat. 1.70. Color 
brown, with vague dusky spots; six or seven blackish vertical bars on dorsal and 
anal; similar lengthwise blotcheson caudal. ] (Steindachner)- PINNIFASCIATUS,80. 
79. PSEUDOPLEURONECTES AMERICANUS. 
(THE COMMON FLAT-FISH OR WINTER FLOUNDER.) 
[Plate XIV. ] 
Flounder, Schépf, ‘Schrift. Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde, viii, 1788, 148.” 
(New York.) 
Pleuronectes americanus Walbaum, Artedi, Piscium, 1792, 113 (based on the ‘‘ Floun- 
der” of Schépf).. Bloch & Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 1801, 150 (copied). 
Giinther, iv, 443, 1862 (New York). Jordan & Gilbert, Synopsis, 1882, 837. 
Stearns, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1883, 125 (Labrador). 
Pseudopleuronectes americanus Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1864, 216. Goode, Nat, 
Hist. Aquat. Anim., 1884, 182, pl. 44 (Chesapeake Bay to Bay of Chaleur). 
Platessa plana Storer, Fishes Mass., 1839, 140. DeKay, New York Fauna, Fishes, 295, 
pl. 49, f. 158, 1842 (New York). Storer, Synopsis, 1846, 476. 
Pseudopleuronectes planus Bleeker, Comptes Rendus Amsterd., xiii, 1862, 7. 
Platessa pusilla DeKay, New York Fauna, Fishes, 1842, 2U6, pl. 47, f. 153 (New 
York). Storer, Synopsis, 1846, 477. 
Habitat.— Atlantic coast of North America from: Labrador to Chesa- 
peake Bay. 
This small flounder is one of the most abundant of the group on our 
Atlantic coast. It reaches a length of about 15 inches and a weight of 
less than two pounds. It is a very good food-fish and sells readily in 
the markets. Along the south coast of Massachusetts this species is 
more abundant than any other of the, flat-fishes. 
The specimens examined by us are from Labrador, Cape Breton, An- 
ticosti, Grand Menan, Boston, Provincetown, Wood’s Holl, New Bed- 
ford, and Somers Point, New Jersey. 
S. Mis. 90——19 
