FISHES OF NEW YORK 731 



<:tenoid, of blind side smooth; lateral line sharply arched over 

 two thirds of pectoral. D. 85; A. G4; V. 6 (5 on blind side). 



Color light gray with reddish tinge; spots and blotches of 

 ■darker on head and body; also lighter rings inclosing spaces 

 of ground color; dorsal and anal with a black spot on each 

 sixth or eighth ray. 



The sand flounder, or spotted flounder, is a native of the 



western Atlantic, from New York southward to the Gulf of 



Mexico and the West Indies, and perhaps to Rio Janeiro on 



sandy shores. It is a small species, the largest individual 



taken being only 3 inches in length. Two small examples. of 



this little flounder were collected at Fire Island inlet beach 



Sep. 30, 1890. These specimens were obtained on a sand beacb 



in shallow w^ater. The discovery of this fish in Great South 



bay was entirely unexpected, as this is many degrees north of 



its original habitat. 



Family sole^idae 



Soles 

 Genus achirus Lacepede 



Eyes and color on the right side; body oblong, bluntly rounded 

 anteriorly; head small; eyes small, close together, the upper 

 eye in advance of the lower, the two separated by a bony ridge; 

 mouth small, somewhat turned toward the colored side; nasal 

 flaps present, the nostril of the blind side fringed; lip of the 

 colored side fringed; teeth very small, on blind side only; gill 

 openings rather narrow, but confluent below, not reduced to a 

 slit; the branchiostegal region scaled; head closely scaled every- 

 where, the scales on the colored side similar to those on the 

 body, those of the nape and chin much enlarged; scales on the 

 blind side anteriorly with their pectinations more or less pro- 

 duced, forming cirri, scales of both sides extremely rough, 

 extending on the fins; lateral line straight, simple; edge of pre- 

 opercle covered by the scales; dorsal beginning on the snout, 

 low in front and thickly scaled, its rays divided; anal fin simi- 

 lar, without spine; caudal fin free, convex; caudal peduncle very 



