PLEURONECTID^. 11 



Genus III — Rhombus, Guvier. 



Scophthalnms and Bothus, Rafinesqne. Fsetta, Swainson. 



BrancMostegals seven : pseudohranoMce present. Eyes on the left side. Cleft of 

 mouth deep. Teeth in a narrow hand without canines in the jaws, present on the 

 vomer. Dorsal fin comm,enoes on the snout, most of its rays and those of the anal 

 branched. Gill m,embranes hut slightly united at the throat. Gill-rakers long and 

 lanceolate. Scales, when present, small. 



Tlie turbot was formerly preserved by the Romans in salt water ponds, so as 

 to be readily available for the market. The largest appear to have been preferred, 

 and it has been asserted that the Emperor Domitian convened the senate as to 

 how a mighty fish of this kind should be cooked. Respecting the food of 

 the turbot and flat-fishes generally, it is often difficult to institute investiga- 

 tions, as they are mostly at once disembowelled by fishermen when captured, 

 because after death decomposition rapidly attacks their intestines, and injures the 

 fish in a very few hours. By Act i, c. 28, of George I, a turbot under 16 in. long, 

 brill under 14, codling 12, whiting 6, bass and mullet 12, sole 8, plaice or dab 6, 

 and flounder 7 in. long, were forbidden to be sold. 



Geographical distrihution. — North Atlantic, German Ocean, Mediterranean, 

 and Adriatic to the Black Sea. 



Synopsis of Species. 



1. Ehomhus maximus, D. 61-72, A. 45-66. No scales but tubercles. 



2. Ehomhus Icevis, D. 82-85, A. 60-63, scaled. 



3. Shomhus m,egastoma, D. 86-87, A. 67-69, scaled. 



1. Rhombus maximus, Plate XCVI. 



'trjTTa, Arist. iv, c. 11, v, c. 9, ix, c. 37 ; jSllian, iv, c. 3 ; Oppian, i, p. 5. 



Ehomhus, PHny, ix, c. 15, 20, 42 ; Belou. De Aquat. p. 139 ; Klein, Pise. Miss, 

 iv, p. 35, t. viii, f. 2. Ehomhus aculeatus. Rondel, xi, o. 2, p. 310 ; Gesner, Aquat. 

 iv, pp. 661, 670 ; Schonev. Ich. p. 60 ; Aldrov. ii, c. 48, p. 248 ; Jonston, i, c. 3, 

 art. 2, punct. 2, p. 66, t. xxii, f. 12 ; Willughby, p. 93, t. P 8, f . 3 ; Ray, Syn. 

 p. 32 ; Klein, Miss, iv, p. 34, no. 1, t. viii, f . 1 and t. ix, f. 1. Ehomhus maximus, , 

 Will. p. 94, t. F 2 ; Ray, p. 31 ; Rutty, Co. Dublin, i, p. 360 ; Pleuronectes, sp. 

 Artedi, Syn. p. 32, no. 7, Gen. p. 18, no. 9 ; Gronov. Zooph. no. 254, and Mus. ii, 

 p. 10, no. 159. Turhot, Pennant, Brit. Zool. (ed. 1776) iii, p. 233 (ed. 1812) iii, 

 p. 315, pi. xlix ; Duhamel, Peches, iii, sect. 9, p. 261, pi. iii ; Low, Pauna Oread, 

 p. 214. 



Pleuronectes maximus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 459 ; Briinn. Ich. Mass. p. 35 ; 

 Bloch, t. xlix ; Bl. Schn. p. 153 ; Gmel. Linn. p. 1236 ; Bonn. Ency. Ich. p. "Ii, 

 pi. xlii, f. 163 ; Quensel, Vet. Akad. Handl. 1806, p. 203 ; Risso, Ich. Nice, p. 314 ; 

 Faber, Isis, 1828, p. 892 ; Donovan, Brit. Pish, ii, pi. xlvi ; Ekst. Vet. Akad. 

 Handl. 1834, p. 56 and Pische Morko, p. 250 ; Flem. Brit. An. p. 196 ; Jenyns, 

 Man. p. 461 ; Templeton, Mag. Nat. Hist. 1837 (2) i, p. 411 ; Johnston, Berwick. 

 Nat. Field Club, 1838, i, p. 174; Thompson, Nat. Hist. Ireland, iv, p. 200; 

 Schlegel, Dieren Neder. p. 162, pi. xv, f. 2. 



Pleuronectes turhot, Lacep. iv, p. 645. 



Pleuronectes tuherculatus, Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 312, pi. xlv ; Turton, p. 97. 



Bothus imperialis, Raf. Caratt, p. 23. 



Scophthalmus maximus, Raff, indice, p. 14. 



Ehomhus maximus. Guv. Regno Anim. ; Risso, Eur. Merid. iii, p. 250 ; 

 Tarrell, Brit. Pish. (Ed. 1) ii, p. 233, c. fig. (Ed. 2) ii, p. 324 (Ed. 3) i, p. 634 ; 

 Parnell, Wern. Mem. vii, p. 373 and Fish. Firth of Forth, p. 213 ; Bonap. Fauna 



