18 ANACANTHINI. 



Length of head 3|, of caudal fin 7^, height of body 2 in the total length. 

 Eyes — on the left side the lower one ("which is said to be occasionally provided 

 with a tentacle) slightly in advance of the upper, while they are divided by a 

 narrow elevated ridge, diameter about 1/4 of the length of the head, and 1 

 diameter from the end of the snout. Lower jaw prominent, cleft of mouth 

 very oblique, the length of the maxilla equals more than half of that of the head. 

 Gill rakers rather widely set and about half as long as the diameter of the orbit. 

 Teeth — fine ones in the jaws : none on the palate. Fins — the dorsal commences 

 over the posterior nostril, and is continued nearly to the base of the caudal fin, its 

 first ray is setiform, and of varying length, while the highest point of the fin 

 is above the blotch on the posterior third of the lateral-line. Pectoral on the 

 coloured side upwards of two-thirds the length of the head, and having its upper 

 rays prolonged : on the blind side it is much shorter. Ventral not conjoined to 

 the anal : the last fin of a similar shape to the dorsal. Caudal rounded. The 

 fin rays are branched at their extremities, and each has a row of scales. Scales — 

 small and strongly ctenoid, each having from four to six spines at its posterior 

 extremity. They are continued over the head, jaws, and fin rays. Those on the 

 blind side are also spinate. Lateral-line — forms a curve over the pectoral, 

 becoming straight opposite the last third of that fin. Colours — reddish brown, 

 covered with large, irregularly placed and dark round spots and blotches, one 

 very distinct being situated at the commencement of the last third of the straight 

 portion of the lateral-line. Under surface white. 



Dr. Giinther considers this fish the type a new genus PlirynorJioinlus, Giinther, 

 "while Steenstrup remarks that it could only form a sub-genus. 



Names. — Bloch's topknot. Le Fleuronecte uniinacule, French. 



Habits. — These have not been recorded. 



Means of capture. — Trawls and appliances useful for taking flat-fish. 



Sabitat. — From the coasts of Denmark, round the British Isles to the 

 Mediterranean, in which sea it is rare, but more frequent ofi: the coast of Italy. 



Off Zetland one example was procured by Fleming, where the fishermen stated 

 it was not common. Berwickshire (Johnston) : in 1860 one ofi' Redcar, in 

 Torkshire (Ferguson). Examples are in the British Museum from Plymouth, 

 also Weymouth, from which latter locality Henslow sent it to Tarrell. Cornish 

 obtained one, August 26th, 1880, in Cornwall; while Couch alludes to it from 

 the British Channel in 1863. It is e"vidently far more rare than Zeugopterus 

 punctatus. 



Ireland — North-east coast, one 4| inches long, taken June 16th, 1838, by 

 Dr. Drummond, dredging within the entrance of Belfast Bay. August 19th, 

 1844, Mr. Hyndman, dredging in Belfast Bay, between Carrickfergus and 

 Graypoint, in from 3 to 6 fathoms water, captured two, each 3 inches long. 



The example figured is in the national collection. The fish has been recorded 

 up to about 6 inches in length from British waters. 



B. Ventrals united to the anal. 

 2. Zeugopterus punctatus, Plate C. 



Smear-dab, Pennant, Brit. Zool. (ed. 1776) iii, p. 230, pi. xli. Topknot 

 (ed. 1812) iii, p. 322, pi. Ivii. Grosse Plie ou Targeur, Duhamel, Pesc. iii, sect. 

 9, pi. V, f . 4. 



Pleuronectes p^mctatus, Bl. 1787, t. clxxxiz : Bonn. Encv. Ich x, 78 til :ji-pi 

 f. 378 ; Bl. Schn. p. 155 ; Shaw, Zool. p. 316 (part). P- ' P • ^ci, 



Pleuronectes kitt, Bl. Schn. p. 162. 



Pleuronectes hirtus, Abilgaard in Miill. Zool. Dan. 1788, iii, p. 36 t ciii • 

 Thompson, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1837, p. 60, and Nat. Hist. Ireland, iv, 'p- 203 ;' 



