256 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [32] 



bot the type of Pleuronectesby adopting the theii nearly obsolete name of 

 Plcuronectes m place of Rhombus. In 1846 Bonaparte retained the name 

 Pleuronectes for a group composed of Citharus, Amoglossus, &c. The 

 only Linnaean species mentioned by him, linguatula, may be regarded 

 as his type. 



In 1862 Bleeker, and following him Giinther and nearly all modern 

 authors, have regarded Pleuronectes platessa as the type of Pleuronectes. 



The reason for this view lies apparently in the fact that Artedi before 

 Linnaeus had mentioned the species later called platessa first in his list 

 of species of Pleuronectes. This reason is now regarded as an insuffi- 

 cient one, and the name Pleuronectes must retain the signification given 

 it by the first author, who has properly restricted it. We must there- 

 fore follow Fleming* in regarding Pleuronectes maximus as the proper 

 \ype of Pleuronectes. 



ANALYSIS OF THE SPECIES OF PLEURONECTES. 



a. Scales wanting or rudimentary, the blind side nearly or quite naked ; eyed side 

 covered with scattered bony tubercles or warts. Vertebra, 31. • (Pleuronectes.) 

 '>. Body broadly ovate, thick, and opaque, the depth about 1^ in the length ; head 3 

 in length, its tubercles much smaller than those on the body; interorbital 

 space flattish, about as wide as eye; anal spine inconspicuous ; none of the 

 dorsal rays exserted; gill-rakers rather stroug, not as long as eye, about 5+13 

 in number ; lower pharyngeals small, narrow, each with aband of small pointed 

 teeth. D, 62 to 69; A, 45 to 50; vertebrae 12 + 19 — 31. Color, grayish or 



brownish, usually sprinkled with small dark spots Maximus, 28. 



x. Scales obsolete var. maximus, 28, (a). 



x. Scales rudimentary " var. mwoticus, 28, (bj. 



aa. Scales cycloid, imbricate, well developed on both sides of the body ; no bony 

 tubercles. Vertebra) 36. (Bothus.) 

 c. Anterior rays of dorsal little exserted, the longest about 4 in head; body ellip- 

 tical ovate, nearly opaque ; scales very small ; blind side well scaled ; no bouy 

 tubercles ; interobital space flattish, nearly as wide as eye ; gill-rakers mod- 

 erate, 4+12 in number ; lower pharyngeals small, narrow, each with a band 

 of pointed teeth. Head 3 in length ; depth 1§. D. 72 to 83 ; A. 53 to 61 ;Lat. 

 1. about 130. Vertebrae 12+24=36. Grayish brown, with darker spots and 



mottlings ' Rhombus, 29. 



cc. Anterior rays of dorsal much exserted, free for more than half their length, 

 their length nearly half head ; body broadly ovate, subtranslucent; interor- 

 bital space flattish; gill-rakers long and slender, about 8+22; blind side of 

 body well scaled; no bony tubercles ; head 3| ; depth If. D. 65; A. 52; Lat. 

 1. about 120. Vertebrae 11+25=36. Color light olive grayish, everywhere on 

 the left side closely spotted with paler and with blackish, the dark spots of 

 various sizes Maculatus, 30. 



* Fleming's definition is as follows : 



" Gen. XLVI. Pleuronectes, Turbot. — Mouth entire ; teeth numerous, slender: 

 lateral line curved. Eyes on the left side." The species mentioned by him are : 

 P. maximus — Common Turbot. 

 P. rhombus — Brill. 

 P. megastoma — Whiff. 

 P. punctatus — Top-knot . 

 P. araoglossu8 — Scald-fish. 



