134 MEMOIIiS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 



Many species descend to below the 500 fathoms line, and a few to much greater 

 depths. Citharichthys dinoceros,^ for example, was trawled by the ''Blake" off 

 Barbados from the enormous depth of 955 fathoms (a mile and an eighth of 

 vertical depth), and a congener of the small but sweet-flavored "dab" (Limanda 

 limanda 'Linnaeus'^) of the British seas was brought up by the ''Albatross" 

 from 896 fathoms, and was christened Limanda hcanii by the late Dr. Brown 

 Goode." 



The Heterosomata may be defined as follows : — "Asymmetrical physoclists 

 having the body strongly compressed with short precaudal region ; mouth more 

 or less protractile, the premaxillaries forming the entire dentigerous border of 

 the upper jaw; eyes situated on the same side of the head in the adult. Dorsal 

 and anal fins long; caudal with 38 or fewer principal rays, the outer ray above 

 and below usually simple ; ventral fins thoracic or jugular, with 6 rays or less. 

 Air-bladder absent in the adult. Interorbital bar mainly formed by the frontal 

 of the eyed side, that of the blind side extending to the prefrontal external to 

 the upper eye; no orbito-splienoid ; parietals separated by the supraoccipital. 

 Vertebral column composed of solid centra, co-ossified with the arches ; posterior 

 precaudal vertebrte with downwardly directed parai^ophyses. Pectoral arch 

 attached to the skull by a forked posttemporal ; no mesocoraeoid ; pelvic bones 

 distinctly attached to the cleithra. " 



Though not to be compared, in point of number and variety of species, 

 with the percomorphous stock from which they are descended, the flat-fishes are, 

 nevertheless, a numerous and well-defined group, of great commercial importance 

 to all maritime nations. It is to these fishes that the great trawling industries of 

 the world, which have their chief home in the North Atlantic, and in which so 

 large an amount of capital is involved, owe their existence, and to them primarily 

 they look to justify their continuance. 



Although here in Australia we can not boast of the presence of such large 

 and valuable food-fishes as the Turbot, Halibut, Plaice, Sole, and others of the 

 British Seas, we have, notwithstanding, several genera of excellent quality and 

 approved economic importance. Owing, however, to the lack of proper facilities 

 for their capture and the scarcity of suitable fishing grounds off our shelving or 

 coral-strewn coast-line, their value to the community has not been generally 

 appreciated. On no part of the Australian coast has any bank— such as the 

 Dogger Bank of the North Sea^ — been made known by the Admiralty Surveys, 

 nor is it probable that such exist. 



Among Australian flat-fishes it is only necessary to mention such genera as 

 SympMirus, Synaptura, Ammotretis, Bhomhosolea, Plafophrys, Pseudorhomhus, 

 and Psettodcs to ensure recognition of the fact that the use of more intelligent 

 and systematic means of capture, combined with scientific protection, will in 

 course of time provide lucrative employment for numbers of our hardy fishing 

 population, and bring within reach of every breakfast table an abundant supply 



*Goode & Bean, Biill. Mus. Comp. Zool., xii, 1886, p. 157. 



6 Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1758, p. 270. 



« Goode, Proc. U. S, Nat. Mus., 1881, p. 473. 



' This famous bank which has been for many years so unfailing a source of London's 

 fish-supply, is now more prolific than ever, despite the enormous strain which has been laid upon 

 its resources. This marvelous resvilt has been realised solely through the increased attention 

 which science has, dviring recent years, bestowed upon the conservation of the ova and young 

 of valuable sea-fishes, and the necessity, for placing their natural food supplies tmder the 

 jurisdiction of a competent and impartial Board, is year by year being more earnestly impressed 

 upon the rulers of all progressive nations. 



