1882.] ARNOGLOSSUS LOPHOTES WITH A. GROHMANNI. 749 
Dr. Giinther described three skins of a pleuronectoid received from 
Mr. Yarrell’s collection, which descriptions are sufficiently accurate 
to render recapitulation unnecessary ; but he did not apparently take 
into consideration that, as they were skins, a considerable elongation 
may have, and in fact has, occurred, rendering the proportions un- 
trustworthy. If we turn to the accounts given by the various 
ichthyologists who have written upon these two described forms, and 
examine the figures which they have furnished us with, we obtain 
the following results :— 
A. grohmanni. Height of body in the length to base of caudal 
fin 23; length of head 43 to 4%. L. 1. 758. 
2: Tophotes (skin). Height of body in the length to base of 
caudal fin 25-22; length of head 43 to 43. L. 1. 60. 
A. lophotes (spirit). Height of body in the length to base of 
caudal fin 23 ; length of head 43. L. 1. 60. 
The scales being very deciduous, continental authors have hesi- 
tated at recording their exact numbers. Canestrini gives 58 along 
the lateral line to the base of the caudal rays; the examples of A, 
lophotes in the British Museum have up to 60. The colours in 
the Cardiff (or, rather, off Lundy Island) specimen also show the 
small brown markings existing on the fin-rays of 4. grohmanni, 
with which this specimen agrees in its proportions, colours, and 
number of scales. 
The differences ascribed are thus reduced to the fin-rays, which 
are thus recorded :— 
Bamipe, <<vale« ipiny D..80. A..52, 
Canesttini js 5 ..../. D. 86-90. A. 60-67. 
MEGECAE 5 acs here: prit-eis ier D. 84-90. A. 55-67. 
Gimnthery 6. jeu! D. 95 (100). A. 77 (80) (A. lophotes). 
Cardiff example .... D. 99. A. 79 (A. lophotes). 
There are few fishes which show greater variations in the number of 
their fin-rays than pleuronectoids; aud to demonstrate this I would 
refer to the observations of others. Moreau being the most recent 
author, I give some figures extracted from his very interesting ‘ Hist. 
Nat. Poissons.’ 
Turbot (hombus maximus) .... D. 61-72. A. 45-56. 
Brill (Rhombus levis).......... D. 63-83. A. 50-61. 
Pole (Pleuronectes cynoglossus) .. D. 102-116. A. 87-102. 
Sole (Solea vulgaris) .......... D. 74-87. A. 60-69. 
Lemon Sole (Solea lasearis) .... D. 65-89. A. 52-70. 
The number of dorsal fin-rays in A. grohmanni has been given as 
from 80 to 90, and in A. lophotes up to 100, or an extreme varia- 
tion of 20 rays. 
In the Brill, Moreau has recorded a variation of 20 rays in the 
same fin, 11 in the Turbot, 14 in the Pole, 13 in the Sole, and 24 
