372 FISHES OF THE FIRTH OF FORTH. 



HiPPOGLOSSUS VULGARIS.* ThE HaLIBUT. 



Specific Characters. — Lateral line arched over the pectorals ; teeth 

 in two rows in the upper jaw. 



Description. — From a specimen twenty-one inches in length, and 

 ten and a half in breadth, fins included. Head about one-fourth of 

 the whole length. Colour of the upper surface dusky brown, occa- 

 sionally marked with six or eight large white or bluish spots ; under 

 surface pure white. Dorsal fin commencing over the anterior part of 

 the left eye, and ending at a wide interval from the base of the cau- 

 dal rays ; the first twenty- four rays nearly of equal height, about 

 half the length of the orbit ; the succeeding fifteen rapidly increas- 

 ing, the longest rays equalling the length of the base of the first ten 

 rays, the remainder gradually diminishing, the last very short. Cau- 

 dal concave ; the middle ray considerably less than the length of the 

 long lateral rays ; pectorals as long as the base of the first twelve 

 rays of the anal; the fourth ray the longest, all branched except the 

 two first ; ventrals placed in advance of the pectorals, the middle 

 ray as long as the seventh of the anal. Anal fin commencing in a 

 line under the twenty-fifth ray of the dorsal, and ending under the 

 last ray of the same fin, the first ray short, the seventeen succeeding 

 ones rapidly increasing, the remainder gradually' diminishing, the last 

 very short ; the longest rays equalling those of the dorsal. Gape 

 wide ; under jaw longest ; teeth long and sharp, set a little apart, 

 placed in two rows in the upper jaw, and in one in the lower. The 

 left eye, smallest ; lateral line much arched over the pectorals, from 

 thence running straight to the end of the middle caudal ray ; scales 

 small, of an oblong form, rather adherent. Number of fin rays — 



D. 97 ; P. 15 ; V. 6 ; A. 73 ; C. 18. 



This fish is readily distinguished from all the other flat 

 fish by the caudal fin being concave at the end. 



The Halibut is a native of the Northern Seas, where 

 specimens of large size, weighing nearly five hundred pounds, 

 are said to have been occasionally taken. It is frequently 

 met with alonj; the east coast-of Scotland, but seems to be 

 rare, or entirely unknown, on the south coast of England. 

 A fine specimen was taken off the Isle of Man in April 



* Hippoglossus vulgaris, Yarr., Jen., Cuv. Pleuronectes hippoglossis, 

 Linn., Penn., Don. 



