730 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Genus platophrys Bwainson 

 Eyes and color on the left side; body ovate, strongly com- 

 pressed; mouth of the large type, but comparatively small; the 

 maxillary one third or less of the length of the head; teeth 

 small, subequal, in one or two series; no teeth on vomer or 

 palatines; interorbital space broad and concave, broadest in 

 adult males; gill rakers moderate; dorsal fin beginning in front 



m 



of eye, all its rays simple; ventral of colored side on ridge of 

 abdomen; caudal convex behind; pectoral of left side usually 

 wifh one or more filamentous rays, longest in the male; scales 

 very small, ctenoid, adherent; lateral line with a strong arch 

 in front; coloration usually variegated. 



All the species are extremely closely related and can be dis- 

 tinguished with difficulty. On the other hand, the variations 

 due to differences of age and sex are greater than in any other 

 of our genera. 



367 Platophrys ocellatus (Agassiz) 

 Sand Flounder 



Rhombus ocellatus Agassiz, Spix, Pise. Brasil. 85, pi. 46, 1829, Brazil. 

 Platopliri/s ncbiikiris Jordan & Gilbert. Proc. TJ. g. is^at. Mus. 31. 143, 



1SS4, Key West; Goode & Bean, Oceanic Iclitli. 441, 1S9(>. 

 Rhomhoidivhthys ocelluttis Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. IV, 433, 1862; 



PoEY, Syn. Pise. Cubens. 408, 1868. 

 Platophrus ocellatus Swainson, Nat. Hist. Class'n Fishes, II, 302. 1839; 



Bean, 19th Kep. Conmi. Fish. N. Y. 247, 1890; Jordan & Evermann, 



Bull. 47. U. S. Nut. Mus. Ill, 2663, 1898; lY, pi. OOCLXXXII, fig. 939, 



ItMMj. 



Hody ilioiiihoid ovale, its depth one half of the total length; 

 leii-th of licad one fourth of total without caudal; mouth small, 

 ol)li(|n('; eyes large, the diameter of the upper eye contained two 

 and two thii-ds limes in length of head, almost equal to depth 

 of caudal iiidiiiicle; teeth conic, the Upper jaw with two series, 

 the lower with one; llie dorsal fin originates a short distance 

 from lip of u]t\H'v jaw and continues to catidal; ventral origin 

 on a veiiiral Ihrongh front of eye; the ventral and anal sepa- 

 rated by a short s|)ace; jx-ctoral of (\ved side about equal in 

 length to candal; scales of moderate size, those of colored side 



