Flat-fish from the Black Sea. 109 



small and obliquely directed upwards. The posterior end of 

 the maxilla is on a line through the anterior edges of the 

 eyes. The body is covered with very large, ctenoid, deciduous 

 scales. The lateral line has 38-40 scales with pores ; above 

 the lateral line are 8, below 10 rows of scales ; the ante- 

 rior pait of the lateral line forms a distinct arch. The 

 dorsal fin has 74-76 rays, and commences before the eye on 

 the right (eyeless) side; the two first rays are not prolonged, 

 but their ends are free. The greatest height of the dorsal 

 fin is behind its middle and equal to 10 °/ of the total length 

 of the body. The anal fin has 53-57 rays ; its height is the 

 same as that of the dorsal. The caudal fin has 17 rays, is 

 rounded, and has the base covered with scales. The pectoral 

 fins are not of the same size : the length of the left is 12 °/ , 

 the length of the right 7"6 °/ of the total length of the body. 

 The ventrals also are different — the left is twice as long 

 as the right. Between the ventral fins near the anus is a 

 projecting spine, formed apparently by the postclavicle 

 and directed backward (the same spine is present in Arno- 

 glossus grohmanni, Bon., but it seems to have been un- 

 described) . The colour of the upper side is brownish, covered 

 with black spots and points; the eyeless side is yellowish. 

 The small specimens of the south coasts of Crimea are very 

 transparent, so that one can count the vertebrae (their num- 

 ber is 33), and one can see along the bases of the dorsal and 

 anal tins two dark stripes extending from the body-cavity to 

 the caudal peduncle. With the microscope one can detect 

 that these stripes are ovaries with ripe eggs. 



The length of the body is 46 to 6Q mm., and specimens of 

 47 mm. are already full-grown and ripe. 



This new species of the Black Sea is near to Arnoglossus 

 grohmanni, Bon., of the Mediterranean, but differs in the 

 smaller mouth, larger scales, fewer vertebras (.1. grohmanni, 

 Bon., has 38 vertebire), different number of rays in dorsal 

 and anal fins, and absence of prolongations of the first two 

 dorsal rays. The small size is very characteristic — it seems 

 to me that this is the smallest flat-fish in the world. 



Arnoglossus kessleri was found at two localities in the 

 Black Sea : one specimen by Mr. Jagodovsky near Sukhuui 

 (on the east coast of the Black Sea), at a depth of 3-4 metres, 

 and six specimens by Mr. Sernoff near Sudak (on the south 

 coast of the Crimean peninsula), at a depth of 3-7 fathoms. 

 It appears, therefore, that it has a wide distribution in the 

 Black Sea. Probably it can be found there everywhere near 

 the coasts. 



