366 R. S. CLARK. 



metrical. There is a distinct suggestion of an air bladder in a curved 

 line of dark pigment lying on the middle of the dorsal margin of the 

 abdominal region. As yet, there is no appearance of interspines. The 

 notochord is straight or nearly so. The pectorals are fairly large, and 

 equally developed. 



The pigmentation is striking, and quite distinctive. The head, body, 

 and abdomen are covered with large, exceedingly delicate stellate 

 chromatophores, which assume a faint bronze tint in formalin. These 

 are largest on the abdominal region. A few dark stellate chromatophores 

 are present on the dorsal surface of the brain region. On the dorsal fin 

 membrane, and similarly on the anal, there is a large aggregation of these 

 chromatophores posteriorly, which assume a pronounced bar formation. 

 On the dorsal fin also are two large much darker chromatophores, 

 which stand out clearly from the rest of the pigment — one is situated 



Fig. 5.— Solea lascaris. Length 5 025 mm. Oithona Station, XXXIX. A. 25th July, 

 1913. Total depth 25 fms. Surface haul. 

 Del. E. Ford. 



over the beginning of the notochord, the other about half-way along the 

 fin. A few delicate chromatophores are present on the anterior expan- 

 sion of the dorsal fin membrane, and near the large mid-dorsal chromato- 

 phore. The caudal is sparsely pigmented. Several chromatophores are 

 scattered over the anal fin in front of the posterior bar, while a row of 

 small dark chromatophores extends along the margin of the abdomen 

 to the tip of the snout. The dark curve of the air bladder has already 

 been mentioned. There are extensions in front towards the eye, and 

 behind as far as the downward curve of the intestine. An interrupted 

 line of pigment runs from behind the eye, on a level with its dorsal 

 margin, for a considerable distance along the notochord. 



Fig. 6. Length 6 mm. 

 The preanal length is considerably less than half the total length. 

 The snout is slightly larger than the diameter of the eye. The fin formula 

 cannot be counted, at least dorsally, though the anal fin rays are much 



