240 SUE-CLASS (AND ORDER) TELEOSTEI. 



and 6 to 8 soft rays. Scales small or minute. Air-bladder present. 

 Marine fishes of temp. N. and S. hemispheres. Were it not 

 for the 3 gills this family might be regarded as the originator of the 

 Pleuronectidae. Zeus Art., Z. faber L., John dory; Cyttus, Grammico- 

 lepis, Cyttopsis, Zenion, Oreosoma, 



Fam. 102. Pleuronectidae. Flat-fishes. Cranium posteriorly normal, 

 anteriorly with twisted vertex to allow 2 orbits on the same side, or 

 one vertical and one lateral. The side on which the eyes are placed is 

 generally the same in the same species, but it may vary. In the young 

 fishes the two sides of the body are alike, and the eyes are one on each 

 side, with normal cranium. The body is compressed laterally and high ; 

 it lies on the left or right side, the lower side being colourless. Gills 

 4, a slit behind 4th, with pseudo branch, without air-bladder. 

 Abnormal specimens are found in which both sides are coloured (double 

 flat-fishes) ; in such, the eye which shifts, frequently does so incompletely 

 and remains on the top of the head ; in some cases a notch is left on the 

 anterior edge of the dorsal fin, suggesting the course along which the eye 

 has moved. Caudal fin, if well developed, supported by a large hypural, 

 generally without basal spine or knob. Dorsal and anal long, without 

 spines. Pel vies usually with 5 to 7 soft rays. The eggs float. Pset- 

 todes ; Hippoglossutt ouv., eyes on right side, dorsal fin commences above 

 the upper eye, scales cycloid ; H. vulgaris Flem., halibut, Hippoglos- 

 soides Gottsche, eyes right, dorsal fin commences above upper eye, scales 

 ctenoid ; H. limandoides Bl., rough dab. Rhombus Cuv., eyes left, dorsal 

 fin commences on snout, R. maximus L., turbot, R. laevis Rond., 

 brill. Phrynorhombug Gthr. (Zeugopterus Gottsche), eyes left, dorsal fin 

 commences before the eye, scales ctenoid, Ph. unimaculatus Risso, top- 

 knot. Arnoglossus Bleek, eyes left, dorsal fin commences on snout, A. 

 megastoma Don., whiff, merry sole, A. laterna Walb., scald-fish ; Pseudo- 

 rhombus, Rhomboidichthys. Other genera with nearly symmetrical mouth, 

 in which the dorsal fin commences on the snout, are Citharus, Anti- 

 citharus, Brachypleura, Samaria, Psettichthys, Citharichthys, Hemirhombus, 

 Paralichthys, Liopsetta, Lophonectes, Lepidopsetta, Thysanopsetta. Pleuro- 

 nectes Art., eyes right, dorsal commences above the eye, PL platessa L., 

 plaice ; PI. microcephalus Donov., smear-dab, lemon sole of fishmongers, 

 tasteless and wanting in firmness, occasionally passed off as the 

 sole by unscrupulous cooks ; PL cynoglossus L., craigfluke ; PL 

 limanda L., dab ; PL flesus L., flounder ; Rhombosolea. Solea 

 Cuv., eyes right, dorsal fin commences before the eye, and is not con- 

 fluent with caudal ; S. vulgaris Quensel, common sole, the most esteemed 

 of all food-fishes, young are called slips, nostril on the blind side not 

 dilated ; S. lascaris Risso (aurantiaca Gthr.), lemon-sole, one of the 

 nostrils on the blind side dilated and fringed ; S. variegata 

 Donov., banded sole, thick-back ; S. minuta Parn. (lutea Risso) 

 little sole ; Pardachirus, Liachirus, Synaptura, Aesopia, Cynoglossus, 

 Soleotalpa, Apionichthys with imperfect eyes, Ammopleurops, Aphoristia 

 (Symphurus), Plagusia, Achirus, Gymnachirus. 



Tribe 4. KURTIFORMES. 



No bony stay for the preoperculum. With one dorsal fin only, much 

 shorter than the anal, which is long and many-rayed. No supr abranchial 

 organ. Scapula absent, the coracoid supporting 4 small somactids ; 

 pelvics thoracic. 



