43 



describe. It is a more or less dark gray ash, formed by minute 

 black points upon a lighter yet colored ground. On the blind side 

 there are also numerous black points, but they beset a white ground, 

 producing a light gray tint. 



The two Glyptocephali of this coast may thus be distinguished from 

 the other flounders by the coloration of their blind side, as well as 

 by their exceedingly elongate form. As this fish has no name in our 

 vernacular, it may be as well to call it the "long-finned flounder." 

 The long-finned flounder is not taken in our bay, and I have not yet 

 been able to ascertain the locality from which it is brought. I first 

 noticed this species about March 2ist, and from that date to July it 

 has been almost regularly present, but always in small quantity. I 

 have not observed it in August or SeptemlDer. The largest that I 

 have yet seen measured 141'' in length and 41''' in depth, the length 

 of the head being 21" and that of the pectoral fin o{^. The dorsal 

 of this individual contained 98 rays and anal 81 rays ; but some indi- 

 viduals have as many as 186 dorsal and 89 anal rays. I have experi- 

 mented on the edibility of this fish, and pronounce it one of the best, 

 if not the best, of our flat-fishes, an opinion in which I am borne out 

 by others who have tried it. 



Glyptoceplialus ■pacificus, Lockington — -On visiting the market, on the 

 loth of March, I found, among the small flat-fishes exposed for sale, two 

 small specimens, which, from their excessively elongated form and the 

 considerable thickness of the body, seemed new to me. These fishes 

 were between eight and nine inches long, their width was but a 

 little more than a fourth of their length (a most remarkable pro- 

 portion for a flounder), and the short head was less than the greatest 

 depth ; the mouth was very small, the lateral line quite straight, the 

 scales minute and quite smooth, and the color a dark, blackish gray, 

 with the tips of the fins darker, approaching black. The dorsal fin, 

 as might be expected from the proportions of the fish, was exceed- 

 ingly elongated, and contained many more rays than that of any 

 other of our flat-fishes, the two specimens having respectively 102 

 and 104 rays. The anal fin was correspondingly elongated, and con- 

 tained 84 rays in one and 87 in the other. The teeth, twelve in 

 number in the lower, and nine or ten in the upper jaw, were broad 

 and flat, with a cutting edge, like the incisors ofa mammal, and 

 formed a close row along the jaws on the blind side and in front, 

 while there were none upon the colored side. It agrees in the length 

 of the dorsal, elongate body, smooth scales, and straight lateral line, 

 with the genus Glyptoceplialus, and has been described as Glyptoceplia- 

 lus pacificus in the Proceedings of the National Museum, September, 

 1879, p. 86. 



This species cannot certainly be brought to market during the 

 winter, as, though I was a regular visitor of the markets from Sep- 

 tember to March, I never met with it. From the date of its first 

 occurrence until September this fish has usually been in the market, 

 and during the summer has been comparatively abundant. The 

 largest I have seen measured nearly twelve inches in length, and this 

 is probably almost the limit of the growth of the species. In flavor 

 it is excellent, but scarcely equal to its congener Glyptocep)lialus zachi- 

 rus. This species and the preceding are taken in seines, in tolerably 

 deep water, four or five miles from Point Reyes. The fishery is only 

 two years old. 



Platichtliys stellatus, Platichthys rugosus, Girard — This species, com- 



