456 PISCES (OSSEI) MALACOPT. [PLATESSA 



Pise. p. 98. tab. F. 5. Flounder, Penn. Brit. Zool vol. in. p. 229. 

 Id. (Edit. 1812.) vol. in. p. 307. Bowd. Brit.fr. wot. Fish. Draw. 

 no. 25. Flet ou Picaud, Cuv. Reg. An. torn. n. p. 339. 



LENGTH. Twelve inches and upwards. 



DESCRIPT. (Form.) Resembling the Plaice, but rather more elon- 

 gated; greatest breadth contained more than twice in the length, fins 

 excluded; body, in the adult fish, thicker. Dorsal and ventral lines 

 equally curved: profile depressed above the eyes: snout rather sharp; 

 mouth small; lower jaw longest, ascending obliquely at an angle of forty- 

 five degrees : teeth small and cutting, the summits obtuse : eyes large, 

 approximating, nearly equally in advance, the lower one a little the most 

 so : immediately behind the eyes, an elevated ridge of minute tubercular 

 asperities passing off to the upper part of the opercle, there to unite with 

 the lateral line, which last takes a slight bend over the pectoral before 

 passing off straight to the extremity of the caudal : greater part of the 

 head rough from the scales being denticulated ; region of the lateral line 

 also rough from a band of similar scales extending along its whole length 

 immediately above and below it ; there is also a row of tuberculated aspe- 

 rities along the basal margins of the dorsal and anal fins : rest of the body 

 smooth; the scales small, and very adherent : dorsal commencing above 

 the eye, and extending nearly the whole length of the back, as in the 

 Plaice; greatest elevation a little behind the middle, equalling one- 

 third of the depth of the body : anal as in the Plaice ; immediately 

 before it a strong sharp spine directed forwards : caudal oblong, slightly 

 rounded at the extremity : pectoral on the right side rather more than 

 half the length of the head ; that on the left smaller : ventrals much 

 smaller than the pectorals: number of fin-rays, 



D. 61; A. 43; C. 18; P. 10; V. 6. 



(Colours.) Extremely variable : upper surface generally olivaceous brown, 

 more or less deep ; sometimes entirely dusky ; occasionally flesh-coloured 

 or yellowish, or with brown spots upon a ground of one of these colours ; 

 or with one-half of the body deep brown, the rest pale; more rarely 

 entirely flesh-colour, with scattered spots of a deep rose-red : under side 

 of the body generally whitish, but sometimes nearly as dark as above. 



Var. p. Pleuronectes Passer, Block, Ichth. pi. 50. Eyes and lateral 

 line on the left side. 



Equally common with the last species, and often found in rivers. Very 

 abundant in the Thames, where they are taken in considerable quantities 

 during the spring months. Such generally held in more estimation for 

 the table than those met with in the sea. Has been known to weigh 

 (according to Pennant) six pounds. Spawns in April and May. Obs. 

 The sinistral variety is not very uncommon. The Pleuronectes roseus of 

 Shaw*, and the Platessa carnaria of Brown t, are mere varieties of this 

 species, distinguished by a peculiarity of colouring ; the former being of 

 a uniform delicate rose-colour ; the latter flesh-red, with irregular, deep, 

 rose-coloured, distant spots. 



143. P. Limanda, Flem. (Dab.) Subrhomboidal : 

 lateral line strongly curved above the pectoral : body rough 

 throughout ; the scales with ciliated margins : teeth sharp, 

 a little distant from each other. 



* Nat. Misc. vol. VH. pi. 238. 



f Edirib. Journ. of Nat. and Geog. Sci. vol. n. p. 99. pi. 2. 



