1^6 MEMOES OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 



lower fitting the concavity of the upper ; jaws of the eyed side not or but feebly 

 toothed; preopercuJar margin not free. Nasal organs symmetrical in position; 

 olfactory lamina? arranged trausversely to or radiating from a central rachis. 

 Optic chiasma dimorphic, the right or the left nerve dorsal without reference to 

 dextrality or sinistrality. No post-cleithrum ; no pectoral radials, the rays 

 inserted on the hypercoracoid ; hypocoracoid reduced; pelvic fins supported 

 b^' the pelvic bones, which are dependent from the lower extremities of the 

 cleithra, which do not reach the ventral profile; precaudal parapophyses united 

 or connected by a bridge to form closed haemal arches; no ribs." 



Family I.— SOLEID.^. 

 THE TRUE SOLES. 



Body ovate to elliptical, usually covered with small scales. Lateral line 

 straight, sometimes extending on the caudal fin, the tubes simple. Head small; 

 snout rounded and more or less projecting. Eyes on the right side, small, close 

 together, the upper usually in advance of the lower. Caudal fin free, or confluent 

 with the other vertical fins. Pectoral fins present or absent. Ventral fins small, 

 usually both developed, but that of the blind side sometimes rudimentary or even 

 absent, that of the eyed side sometimes median with extended base, separate from 

 or united to the anal. Gill-openings narrow; gill-membranes broadly united 

 below the throat, adnate to the shoulder-girdle above; branchiostegals six; 

 gill-rakers rudimentary. A^ertebraj 28 to 57 (9 or 10 -|- 19 to 48). 



Fishes of small or moderate size, inhabiting all tropical and temperate 

 regions, chiefly inhabiting sandy or muddy bottoms at a moderate depth ; some, 

 however, have taken on a purely fluviatile existence, such as the Synaptura 

 selheimi of Macleay, these being more or less degraded forms; others are equally 

 at home in fresh, brackish, or pure sea water; of such is our Aserragodes 

 macleayanus Ramsay, though a*s far as my observations go the adults confine 

 themselves to the more open waters, descending to a depth of at least 31 fathoms. 

 Some species, however, descend to much greater depths, even the common sole 

 (Solea solea Linnaeus), the most universally laioA\Ti of all the family, having been 

 trawled by the "Travailleur" in 130 fathoms, while the same vessel brought up 

 Microchirus profimdicolus Vaillant from about 700. All the species are excellent 

 eating, hut few, however, are of any economic importance. 



Our soles divide themselves naturally into two groups, one with separate, 

 the other with confluent vertical fins. Appended is a key to the first group. 



a*. Vertical fins separate {Soleince). 

 b^. Ventrals free from anal, 

 c'. No pectoral fins. 



d^. No accessory lateral line on blind side. 



e^. Ventrals subsymmetrical . . . . . . . . . . i. Aseragcodes. 



rf-. An accessory lateral line on blind side. 



n. Dorsal and anal fins with a series of sviprabasal pores ; ventrals asjTnnietrical 



ii. Pardachirus. 

 C-. Pectoral fins present, tliat of eyed side the larger. 



r/^. Rostro -frontal aspect concave ; nasal tube of eyed side much produced 



iii. SOLEICHTHYS. 



a^. Vertical fins confluent (Brachirince).^'^ 



^* As Mr. McCulloch is now making an exhaustive study of the members of this 

 subfamily, I shall await the result nf his researches laefore dealing with the Queensland species. 



