1900.] NEW GENUS OF ELAT-EISHES. 989 



second and third of that of the eyed side. There are 6 rays in 

 each, but the last ray of the ventral of the underside is very short 

 and slender (fig. 2, p. 987). 



The ventral fin of the eyed side begins under the gill-cover in a 

 line with the middle of the eye. The extent of its base measured 

 from the first to the sixth ray is 11 per cent, of the total length of 

 the body. The rays are well separated one from another. This 

 fin is joined on to the anal by a continuous membrane whose 

 length along the base is a little less than half the base of the 

 ventral. On the eyed side of this membrane, close to the first ray 

 of the anal fin, is the small genital papilla ; on the blind side is the 

 anal opening. There is no projecting anal spine. 



The body and head are covered with fine small cycloid scales, 

 those on the head and anterior portion of the body having an oval 

 or circular outline, those on the posterior caudal region being 

 more oblong. With the exception of the caudal none of the fins 

 are scaled, but on the caudal fin the scales extend over the base 

 and between the rays. The lateral line is almost straight. Over 

 the abdomen it gradually rises towards the otic region of the head, 

 where it sends off the usual temporal branch and further forward 

 the preopercular branch. It is more easily traced on the blind 

 side of the head than on the eyed side, but even there the anterior 

 branches are not very distinct. Immediately anterior to the nasal 

 openings on the blind side, the most anterior pore of the lateral 

 line can be clearly seen. 



It is impossible to tell the original colour of the specimen, which 

 has been in spirit for some years, and both the eyed and the blind 

 side — the latter of which is usually of a light colour or even white 

 in other flat-fishes — have now the same brownish hue. There do 

 not seem to have been any distinct markings on the upper or eyed 

 side, however, since some traces of these are to be seen ordinarily 

 in spirit specimens. 



The length of the head, measured from the snout to the extreme 

 posterior margin of the opercular bone, is about 23 per cent, of the 

 total length, or 28 per cent, of the total length minus the tail. It 

 is therefore much shorter than the same relative proportions in 

 many of the flat-fishes of the northern hemisphere, e.g. Plaice and 

 Turbot, where they are 28 per cent, and 35 per cent, respectively, 

 but it agrees with others, e. g. Arnoglossus and the Topknots. 

 The upper and under margins of the head continue the outlines 

 of the body, but are inclined somewhat anteriorly, so that the 

 snout projects to a point. The lower eye is in advance of the 

 upper, and both are on the left side. The interorbital space is 

 about half as broad as the eye, and is marked by a moderately 

 prominent ridge, which is continued backward over the head by a 

 slight smooth eminence without tubercles. Anteriorly the inter- 

 orbital ridge divides into two, forming the anterior boundaries of 

 the eye-sockets. The lower eye is very close to the mouth, whilst 

 the upper eye is about the same distance from the base of the 

 dorsal fin. The contours of the preopercular bone can easily be 



