32 



CHAPTER VII. 



SOLEA GREENII, GUNTHER. 



" Solea Greenii," Giinther, 1889, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. iv, No. 24. 



Length Length 



Sex, female. Total length, 19 cm. (7^ in.). hej g ht = over 3. hea( ^ = 6$. 



D. 81. A. 67. C. 19. Pt. 4r. 21. Pv. 5. LI. 138. 



THE above are the characters of a single specimen obtained by Mr. Bourne, Director of 

 the Plymouth Laboratory, by the trawl on board H.M.S. "Kesearch," on July 13, 1889, 

 in long. 49 5' N., lat. 11 14' W., at a depth of 217 fathoms. 



The characters of the species are, as Dr. Giinther points out, intermediate between 

 those of vulgaris and variegata. The filaments on the under side of the head are 

 uniformly distributed as in vulgaris, but there is a series of transverse rows of such 

 filaments along the whole length of the lateral line on the lower side, a character I 

 have not seen in any other species. The pectorals are rudimentary as in variegata. 

 The cephalic curve of the lateral line runs backwards before turning forwards. In 

 colour the upper side is an almost uniform brownish-grey in spirit ; but there are 

 also dark blotches or large spots ; there are six of these along the dorsal edge of the 

 body and five along the ventral ; also two along the lateral line posteriorly ; these two 

 with two dorsal and two ventral spots form two almost continuous transverse bands ; 

 another interesting transition from vulgaris to variegata. The outer half of the 

 longitudinal fins has also a good deal of black pigment. 



The ground where Mr. Bourne's specimen was taken was a fine grey sand containing 

 Foraminifera. Mr. Green also obtained only a single specimen from a depth of 

 150 fms. 47 miles west of Bull Eock off Balinskellys Bay. 



Thus this species lives just beyond the 100-fathom line in that part of the Atlantic 

 which lies S.W. of Ireland. 



