Jordan and Evcrmann, Fishes of North America. 2625 



Gill rakers few, shortish, wide set, the number 2 + 8 to 3 + 10. 

 /. Body ovate, more or less compressed and opaque; depth about 2^ in length; 



no distinct, definitely placed ocelli ; scales cycloid. 



g. Dorsal rays in large number (85 to 93, as in P. dentatut) ; anal rays 65 to 



73; pores of the lateral line about 100; accessory scales few; gill 



rakers 2 + 10, lanceolate, dentate, wide set, and much shorter than the 



eye. LETHOSTIOMUS, 2997. 



gg. .Dorsal rays in moderate number (70 to 80) ; anal rays 54 to 61. 



k. Scales very small, about 120 in lateral line; depth of body about J 



length ; head 3| in length ; gill rakers roughly toothed, 3 + 9 in 



number. SQUAMILENTUS, 2998. 



lh. Scales moderate, 90 to 100 pores in the lateral line; interorbital 



width about equal to length of eye ; dorsal rays 75 to 81 ; anal 



rays 59 to 61 ; gill rakers 2 or 3 + 9 or 10. Coloration, grayish 



brown with numerous (more or less distinct) whitish blotches, 



which are rarely obsolete ; vertebra} 10 + 27 = 37. 



ALHIGUTTUS, 2999. 



ff. Body oblong, strongly compressed, semitranslucent ; scales weakly ciliated ; 

 .about 93 pores in lateral line. Coloration, light grayish, thickly mottled 

 with darker; 4 large horizontally oblong, black ocelli, each surrounded 

 by pinkish area; 1 just behind middle of the body, below the dorsal, 1 

 opposite this, above anal, and 2 similar smaller spots below last rays of 

 dorsal and above last of anal; vertebrae 11 + 30 = 41. OBLONGUS, 3000. 



2991. PAUALICHTHYS CALIFOKNICUS (Ayres). 

 (BASTARD HALIBUT; MONTEREY HALIBUT.) 



Head 3f to 44; depth 2. D.70; A. 55 ; scales 100. Vertebrae 10 -f 25=35. 

 Body rather long and thickish; caudal peduncle long; head small; eye 

 small, little wider than the broad, flattish interorbital space; maxillary 

 as long as pectoral, ^ length of head, reaching beyond eye; teeth slender, 

 sharp, rather long, the canines moderate. Scales small, finely ciliate, 

 each scale surrounded by narrow accessory scales; scales on blind side 

 similar; fins with ctenoid scales. Dorsal low, beginning over front of 

 upper eye just past pectoral, pointed, reaching curve of lateral line, 2 in 

 head, that of blind side shorter and rounded behind; arch of lateral line 

 3| or 4 in straight part. Gill rakers very long and slender, numerous, as 

 long as eye, about 9 + 20; lower pharyrngeals narow, with small slender 

 teeth. Anal spine small, concealed. Grayish brown, uniform, or mottled 

 with blackish and pale, the head sometimes sprinkled with black dots; 

 young brownish, with bluish spots. Coast of California, Tomales Bay to 

 Cerros Island. This large flounder is one of the common food-fishes of the 

 Pacific coast, where it takes the place occupied on the Atlantic side by Par- 

 aUclttkys dentatus. It reaches a length of 3 feet and a weight of 60 pounds. 

 From its resemblance to the halibut, it usually goes by the name of bastard 

 halibut. It is readily distinguished from the Atlantic members of the same 

 genus by its fewer fin rays and by its more numerous gill rakers. As was 

 first shown by Mr. Lockingtpn, the small fish called Paralichthys maculosus, 

 is simply the young of the larger fish, then called Uropsetta californica. 

 Unlike other species of the genus, ParalichtTiys calif ornicus is almost as 

 frequently dextral as sinistral. (calif ornicus, Californian.) 



