4 PLEUKOXECTID.E. . 



only ; ventral fins with 4 to 7 soft rays and no spine. Vertebrje 24 to 65. 

 Air-bladder absent. 



Distributed over the seas of the whole world ; a few species confined 

 to or entering fresh waters. The latter, in Africa, belonging to two 

 genera : — 



Cleft of moutli wide, with teeth of unequal size ; 



lateral line single ; pectoral fins present ; 



caudal fin distinct from dorsal and anal ... 1. Citharichthys, Blkr., p. 4. 

 Mouth small, teeth minute; two or three lateral 



lines ; no pectoral fins ; caudal fin confluent [p. 5. 



with dorsal and anal 2. Cynoglossus, Ham. Buch., 



1. CITHARICHTHYS. 



Bleck. Versl. Ak. Amsterd. xiii. 18G2, p. 427 ; Giinth. Cat. Fish. iv. p. 420 

 (1862). 



Eyes on the left side. Mouth wide, with teeth of unequal size, in a 

 single series in both jaws ; no teeth on the palate ; gill-membranes 

 broadly united below the throat. Dorsal fin originating on the snout ; 

 caudal distinct; pectoral and ventral well developed, the latter with 6 

 rays. Scales rather small, ctenoid on coloured side ; lateral line single, 

 straight. Vertebree 33 to 40. 



North Pacitic and Tropical Atlantic Oceans; one species ascending 

 rivers in West Africa. 



1. CITHARICHTHYS SPILOPTERUS. 

 Giinth. t. c. p. 421 ; Steind. Sitzb. Ak. Wien, Ix. i, 1870, p. 975 ; Jord. & Goss, 



Bep. U.S. Fish Comm. f. 1886, p. 276 (1889) ; Jord. & Everm. Fish. 



N. Amer. iii. p. 2685 (1898). 

 Citharichthys guatimalensis, Bleek. Nederl. Tijdschr. Dierk. ii. 1864, p. 73. 

 Bemirhomlms fuscus, Poey, llepert. fis.-nat. Cuba, ii. p. 406 (1868). 

 Uemirhomhus stampflii, Steind. Notes Leyd. Mus. xvi. 1894, p. 52, pi. iii. fio-. 3. 



Depth of body 2 to 2^ times in total length, length of head ^ to 

 3| times. Eyes nearly exactly superposed, narrowly separated from 

 each other, diameter 5 to 7 times in length of head ; jaws equal in 

 front, upper extending to below centre or posterior border of eye; 

 anterior teeth largest. Gill-rakers rather long, 14-16 on lower part of 

 anterior arch. Pectoral about i length of head. Djrsal 77-86. Anal 

 57-64. Caudal rounded. Scales 45-52 J|5j|. Coloured side brown, 



