308 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [84] 



103. MONOCHIRUS MINUTUS. 



Monochirus minutus Pari) ell, Mag. Zool. and Bot., i, 527, 1837. 



Solea minuta Giinther, iv, 470. Steindaehner, Ichth. Berichte, vi, 1868, 61. 



Habitat. — Mediterranean Sea. 



We know nothing of this species. According to Dr. Day, it is iden- 

 tical with Monochirus luteus. Steindaehner, however, regards the two 

 as distinct, and describes M. minutus as having 112 to 118 scales in the 

 lateral line — a number nearly double that found in his specimens as 

 well as in our specimens of M. luteus. If this count is correct, the two 

 species must be different. 



104. MONOCHIRUS HISPIDUS. 



Pleuronectes pegusa Risso, Ichth. Nice, 1810, 310 (uot of Lacepede). 



Monochirus hispidm Rafinesque, "Precis des D6couvertes 1814 " (fide Bonaparte, Cata- 



logo Metodico, 1845, 50). 

 Solea monochir Bonaparte, "Fauna Italica," about 1840. Giinther, iv, 470, 1862. 



Habitat. — Mediterranean Sea. 



Our specimens of this curious species are from Palermo and from 

 Venice, the former collected by Professor Doderlein, the latter by Dr. 

 Jordan. 



Genus XLL— AGHIEUS. 



Achirus Lacepede, Hist. Nat., Poiss., iv, 659, 1803 (fasciatus, etc.). 



Achirus Cuvier, Regne Animal, 1828, (restriction to fasciatus, etc.). 



Trinectes Rafinesque, Atlantic Journal and Friend of Knowledge, i, 1832 (scabra). 



Grammichthys Kaup, Wiegmann's Archiv, 1858, 94 (lineatus, fasciatus) (Achirus being 



restricted to Pardachirus barbatus, etc.). 

 Monochirus Kaup, 1. c. (maculipinnis). 

 ?Aseraggodes Kaup, 1. c, 1858, 103 (guttulata). 

 Baiostoma Bean, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1882, 413 (brachlale). 

 Baeostoma Jordan & Gilbert, Syn. Fish. N. A., 1882, 965 (amended orthography). 



Type: Achirus fasciatus Lacepede. 



This strongly-marked genus contains numerous species, all very 

 closely related, and nearly all American. It has been united by Dr. 

 Giinther with Solea, but' apparently for no good reason, as the number 

 of vertebrae is very much less thau in the European soles, and the right 

 ventral fin is decurrent along the abdomen and united with the anal 

 in the American soles, while it is short and wholly free in all the Eu- 

 ropean forms. It is also worth noticing that the name Achirus is prior 

 in date to that of Solea. The species with rudimentary pectoral fins 

 have been set apart by Dr. Bean to form the genus Baiostoma, but tne 

 very slight development of these organs in some of the species, and the 

 evidently very close relationship of them all, leads us to regard Baios- 

 toma as a subgenus only. If we follow Kaup in restricting the name 

 Achirus to the Asiatic group called Pardachirus, the present genus 

 would receive the name of Trinectes. It seems to us that both Lac6pede 



