SYSTEMATIC CATALOGUE OF FISHES. 



397 



and occurs in Lake Mattamuskeet. Mr. W. P. Seal reports that in small tidal 

 ditches near the Cape Fear River in the vicinity of Wilmington young hog- 

 chokers are quite abundant in spring. 



The curious name of "hollybut" (local spelling, evidently a corruption of 

 halibut) is applied to this fish in the vicinity of Swansboro and Bogue Inlet. 

 The usual names used by the fishermen of the state are "hog-choker" and 

 "flounder". 



A specimen 5 inches long taken at Bird Shoal, Beaufort, July 23, 1904, is 

 marked by 6 groups of narrow, vertical, dark lines, 2 or 3 lines in each group at 

 the dorsal and ventral margins but only 1 line going entirely across body; under 

 surface profusely marked with round dark brown spots of various sizes. 



Genus SYMPHURUS Rafinesque. -Tongue-fishes. 



Elongated soles, with sinistral body rounded anteriorly and pointed poste- 

 riorly, covered with ctenoid scales, small eyes almost touching, small mouth 

 twisted toward bUnd side, narrow gill-slits, gill-membranes joined above to 

 shoulder girdle and united below, lateral hne absent, pectoral fins lacking in 

 adults, vertical fins confluent around tail, ventral fin of left side present and 

 separate from anal. The species usually inhabit considerable depths, are of 

 . small size, and nearly all are American. Only 1 inhabits the shore waters of the 

 Atlantic coast. (Symphurus, grown to the tail, in allusion to the union of dor- 

 sal and anal fins with the caudal.) 



344. SYMPHURUS PLAGIUSA (Linnseus). 

 "Sole"; Tongue-fish. 



Pleuronectes plagiusa Linnseus, Systema Naturae, ed. xii, 455, 1766; probably Charleston, S. C. 

 Plagiusa plagiusa. Yarrow, 1877, 205; Beaufort. 

 Aphoristia plagiusa, Jordan & Gilbert, 1879, 368; Beaufort. 

 Aphoristia fasciata, Jordan, 1886, 30; Beaufort. 

 Aphorista plagiusa, Jenkins, 1887, 93; Beaufort. 



Symphurus plagiusa, Jordan & Evermann, 1898, 2710, pi. ccclxxxviii, fig. 950; Beaufort, etc. Linton, 1905, 

 415; Beaufort. 



Fig. 184. ToNGDB-FisH. Symphurus plagiusa. 



Diagnosis. — Body moderately elongate, dorsal and ventral outlines similar, depth .33 

 length; head .2 length; scales in lateral series 80; dorsal rays 86, anal rays 71, the longest rays 

 .33 length of head; tail rounded. Color: gray or light brown; in gome specimens about 10 



