236 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [12] 



remarkable of the flounders. Of all the group, it approaches iu form 

 aud general characters most nearly to the Gadoid fishes, from which we 

 may presume the flounders to be descended, although Dr. Gill has sug- 

 gested the possibility of their descent from Trachypteroid fishes. 



ANALYSIS OF SPECIES OF ATHERESTHES. 



a. Head about 3| in length; depth, 3£ ; D. 103, A. 86; Lat. 1.135. Gill-rakers about 

 4 + 12, long and slender ; iuterorbital ridge broad, scaly ; eyes large ; vertebra, 

 12 + 37=49. Color olive brown, the margins of the scales darker; blind side 

 dusted with dark points ; inside of mouth and gill-cavity black. 



Stomias,.1. 



1: ATHERESTHES STOMIAS. 



(The Arkow-tootiied Halibut. ) 

 [Plate I.] 



Platysomatichtliys stomias Jordan and Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1880, 51, 301, 

 (San Francisco). 



Jtheresihes stomias Jordan and Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1880, 57, 454 (off San 

 Francisco). Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mns., 1881, 242 (San Francisco, Port 

 Etches, Afognak Island, Popoff Island, Shumagins). Jordan and Gilbert, 

 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1881, 66 (Point Reyes to Farallones). Jordan and Gil- 

 bert, Syn. Fish. N. A., 820, 1832. Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1883, 354 

 (Wrangel and Nabu Bay, Alaska). Jordan, Nat. Hist. Aquat. Aniin., 1884, 

 188, plate 53 (Point Reyes ). 



Habitat. — Coast of Alaska, southward iu deep water to near San 

 Francisco. 



This species is not uncommon in the deep water off San Francisco, 

 and is brought in in considerable numbers from the sweep-nets {parran- 

 zelle) used in this region. Farther northward it is taken on the coast 

 of Alaska, and it is properly a member of the Alaskan fauna. 



Genus II.— PLATYSOMATICHTHYS. 



Reinhardtius Gill, Cat. Fishes East. Coast N. A., 1861, 50. (Xomcn nudum.) 

 Platysomatichtliys Bleeker, Cotnptes Rendus, Acad. Sci. Amsterdam, xiii, 1862, 



426. (jaingu is = h ippoglossoides. ) 

 Reinhardtius Gill, Proc. Ac. Nat. ScL Phila., 1864, 218. (h ippoglossoides.) 



Type: Pleuronectes pinguis Fabricius = Pleuronectes liippoglossoides 

 AValbaum. 



But a single species of this genus is known, an Arctic fish, in some 

 degree intermediate between the true halibut and Atheresthes. 



We continue to use the name Platysomatichthys for this genus, as the 

 earlier name Reinhardtius was introduced without explanation or spe- 

 cial designation of a type, although there is no question as to what 

 species the author would have included in the group if he had taken 

 the trouble to define.it. 



