PISCES 207 
RHOMBOSOLEA RETIARIA Hutton. 
BLACK FLOUNDER. 
Plate XXXVI. 
Rhombosolea tapirina Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst. v., 1873, 
p. 268, pl. xu. (not Giinther). 
Rhombosolea retiaria Hutton, ib. vi., 1874, p. 107. 
B. vi.; D. 60; A. 43; V. 6; P. dex. et sin. 11; C. 12 + 6; L. lat. 
77; L. tr. 23 + 31; Vert 9 + 20 = 29. 
Length of head 3.6, height of body 1.8, and length of caudal 
4.4 in the length: diameter of eye 7.1, interorbital space 9.0, 
and length of snout 4.7 in the head. 
Head rounded, snout short and blunt; eyes on the right side, 
small, the lower about one-third in advance of the upper; mouth 
small, much more developed on the blind side; the maxilla is 
short, and does not extend to below the eye: nostrils in a smooth 
area in front of the eye, the former with a low rim. Upper and 
lower anterior profiles markedly rounded. 
Teeth.—On the blind side only; they are small and in several 
rows. 
Fins.—The dorsal fin commences close to the tip of the snout, 
the anterior rays are split at their tips, and the longest ones are 
2.4 in the head; ventral and anal continuous, the longest rays of 
both fins are equal to those of the dorsal, the rays are co-terminal 
on the caudal peduncle; the right pectoral is the longer and 1.9 
in the head; the caudal is slightly rounded and the depth of its 
pedunele is 1.5 in its length. 
Scales.—On the head and anterior two-thirds of the body the 
seales are small, imbedded, and rather widely separated, thence 
they become larger and more closely set and towards the tail are 
distinctly imbricate. 
Colours—Dark olive green with darker mottlings, and with 
brick-red spots. These spots vary in size from a mere dot to areas 
as large as a pea; they are also irregular as regards their dis- 
tribution, and are even found on the snout and eye membranes. 
Membrane of fins lighter olive with dark markings: dorsal anal 
and caudal with red spots; these spots recall the markings on the 
British Plaice, but are much more numerous; the dorsal and anal 
are bright orange in their hinder portions, and the posterior 
part of the caudal is blood-red: pectoral with two irregular dark 
bars. The left side of the head is flesh-coloured, without or with 
only slight markings, in noticeable contrast to the remainder of 
