PLAICE. 



209 



SUBBRACHIAL 

 MALACOPTERYGII. 



PLEUnONECTlDM* 



THE PLAICE. 



Plateisa vulgaris, Plaise, Flem. Brit. An. p. 198, sp. 103. 

 ,, ,, CuviER, Regne An. t. ii. p. 338. 



,, ,, Plaise, WiLLUGHBY, p. 96, F. 4. 



Pleuronectes platessa, Linn^us. Block, pt. ii. pi. 42. 



,, ,, Plaise, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. iii. p. 304. 



„ ,, ,, Don. Brit. Fish. pi. 6. 



Generic Characters. — Body rhomboidal, depressed ; both eyes on the right 

 side of the head, one above the other ; a row of teeth in each jaw, with others 

 on the pharyngeal bones ; dorsal fin commencing over the upper eye, that fin 

 and the anal fin extending nearly the whole length of the body, but neither of 

 them joined to the tail ; branchiostegous rays 6. 



The character and appearance of the various species 

 of Pleuronectidie, or Flatfish, as they are popularly called, 

 are so peculiar and so unique among vertebrated animals 

 as to claim particular notice. 



The want of symmetry in the form of the head ; both 

 eyes placed on the same side, one higher than the other, 



* The family of the Flounders, po[)ularly called Flatfish. 



