PLEURONECTID^. 15 



Pleiironectes rhomlus, Linn. Syst. i, p. 458 ; Briinn. Ich. Mass. p. 35 ; Blocli, 

 Fische Deuts. ii, p. 36, t. xliii ; Gmel. Linn. p. 1235 ; Bl. Sohn. p. 152 ; Bonn 

 Ency. Icb. p. 77, pi. xli, f. 162 ; Lacep. iv, p. 649; Donovan, Brit. Fish, iv, pi 

 xcv ; Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 315 ; Turton, Brit. Fauna, p. 97 ; Risso, Ich. Nice, p. 315 

 Flem. Brit. Anim. p. 196 ; Jenyns, Manual, p. 462 ; Templeton, Mag. Nat. Hist, 

 (2) 1837, i, p. 411; Johnston, Berwick. Nat. Hist. Club, 1838, i, p. 174 

 Thompson, N. H. Ireland, iv, p. 201 ; Gronov. ed. Gray, p. 90 ; Mcintosh, Fish. 

 St. Andrew's, p. 180. 



Pleuroneotes cristatus, Licht. in Bl. Schn. p. 153. 



Ehomhus vulgaris, Cuv. Regne Anim. ; Yarrell, Brit. Fish. (Ed. 1) ii, p. 240, 

 c. fig. (Ed. 2) ii, p. 331 (Ed. 3) i, p. 641 ; Parn. Wern. Mem. vii, p. 375 and Fish. 

 Firth of Forth, p. 315 ; Costa, Fauna Nap. ii, p. 10, t. xlii ; Kroyer, Dan. Fiske, ii, 

 p. 405, c. fig. ; T. Ogilby, Zoologist, 1876, p. 4754. 



Pleuronectes lioderma, Nardo. Ich. Adr. no. 132. 



Shomhus harhatus, Risso, Europ. Merid. iii, p. 251. 



JBothus rumolo, Rafin. Caratt. 23. 



Scophihalmus rhombus, Rafin. Indice, p. 14. 



Bhombus Icevis, Gottsche, Wiegm. Arch. 1835, p. 175 ; Bonap. Faun. Ital. iii, 

 p. 23, t. f . 2 ; Cauest. Arch. Zool. i, p. 27, t. ii, f. 4 ; Nilss. Skand. Faun. Fisk. iv, 

 p. 638 ; Giinther, Catal. iv, p. 410 ; Collett, p. 137 ; Stein. Ich. Span. u. Port. 

 1868, p. 48 ; Winther, Ich. Dan. Mar. p. 37 ; Giglioli, Peso. Ital. p. 38 ; Moreau, 

 Poiss. France, iii, p. 340. 



Bhomhus lAnnei, Malm, p. 513. 



Pleuronectes passer, Gronov. ed. Gray, p. 90. 



Psetta rhombus, Bonap. Peso. Eur. 49 ; White, Catal. p. 102 ; Mcintosh, Fish. 

 North Uist, P. R. S. Edin. v, 1862-64, p. 614. 



Brill, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, iii, p. 161, pi. clxii. 



B. vii, D. (63) 76-85, P. 11-12, V. 6, A. (50) 53-63, C. 15-17, L. 1. 1-50, Ccec. 

 pyl. 2, Vert. 12/24. 



Length of head Sf to 43-, of caudal fin 5f to 6, height of body 2 to 21 in the 

 total length. Uyes — on the left side, the lower 1/2 (1/4 in the young) in advance 

 of the upper : 1 diameter apart. Interorbital space fiat. Its eye is not so 

 elevated at its base as in the plaice or flounder, consequently it is not so lateral ; 

 externally it is similar to that of the turbot (page 12). Lower jaw projecting and 

 the longer : the maxilla 2/5 the length of the head, and reaches to below the 

 posterior third or hind edge of the lower orbit ; anterior nostril with a valve ; the 

 posterior open. Teeth — small ones in jaws and on vomer, none on the palatine 

 bones. Fins — dorsal commences on the snout, its first few rays having broad 

 fringes which divide so as to give them a brush-like appearance : its rays are 

 branched and the longest behind the middle of the fin. Pectoral on coloured side 

 haK as long as the head and longer than its fellow. Ventrals not attached to the 

 anal : caudal rounded. Gill-rahers — about 1/2 as long as the eye, thick, about 

 12 in the lower branch of the outer branchial arch. Scales — small, cycloid, continued 

 on to the head and vertical fin rays : no tubercles on the body. No spine before 

 the anal fin. Lateral-line — with a strong curve anteriorly reaching to some 

 little distance beyond the extremity of the pectoral fin when it becomes straight. 

 Colours — of a sandy brown on the left side, usually speckled with white or light dots 

 or spots : fins slightly marbled. Under sui-face white with sometimes a few black 

 or gray spots along the bases of the vertical fins. 



Varieties. — Apparent hybrids between the turbot and brill have been alluded 

 to (see page 13). Yarrell figures the deformed head of one of these fish, see 

 also Zoologist, 1855, p. 4596. Double brill are not rare. I obtained one on 

 February 11th, 1881, 21^ inches in length from Brixham : also reversed and albino 

 ones are occasionally observed. Thompson mentions an example which was 

 covered over with large, stellate, white markings on a very rich-coloured dark 

 "ground," looking precisely as if a shower of snow had fallen on it. Couch 

 remarked upon having seen an example intensely black, with a few whits specks 

 on the anal fin. According to Moreau, some examples of this fish from France 



