PACIFIC COAST FISHES. 



The Fish Fauna of the Pacific coast of the United States differ 

 notably from that of the Atlantic coast. Most of the species so 

 highly esteemed as game fishes on the Atlantic coast are not only 

 not found, but even have no representatives on the Pacific side. 

 There are, for example, no species at all related to the black fish 

 cunner, striped bass, white perch, sea bass, porgy, sheepshead, 

 bluefish, mullets, etc., although JJie names proper to many of 

 those fishes are applied, but very erroneously, to forms of the " great 

 ocean." The most prominent characteristics of the Califomian fish 

 fauna, in contrast with that of the Atlantic States, consist in the 

 great numbers of species of the cottid or sculpin family, of the 

 scorpaenid family, and especially of the embiotocid or viviparous 

 fishes. Observing the same order as we have for the East coast 

 fishes, we may enumerate the following. 



PLEURONECTID^. 

 Flat fishes are numerous along the Pacific coast, and furnish 

 several species highly esteemed for the table. In California and 

 Oregon twelve species are found, seven of which belong to the 

 smaU-mouthed type, three to the large-mouth type, and two to the ' 

 Turbot group. The most noteworthy are the following : 



SoLB. — Paropkrys Tfetulus, — Giiard. 



A common, smooth-scaled, small-mouthed fish. It is not at all 

 related to the true " sole," and even belongs to a different family. 



Tvwm.—Platickthys sieaaiia.—GiU. 



This fish attains a considerable size, and is highly esteemed for 

 the table. It has, however, no aflinity with the true " Turbot " of 

 Europe, and belongs to a different sub-family. It is a small-mouthed, 

 rough-scaled flat-fish. 



Halibut. — Hipfoglossus wlgarii. 



The Halibut is apparently identical with the Eastern species, and 

 is found from San Francisco northward. It attains an enormous 

 size, and is said sometiaaes to reach a weight of nearly 500 pounds. 

 354 



