12 ANACANTHINI. 



Ital. Pesc. ; Nilsson, Stand. Fauna, iv, p. 636 ; Kroyer, Dan. Fiske, ii, p. 424, c. fig. ; 

 Costa, Fauna Nap. ii, p. 15 ; Canestr. Arch. Zool. i, p. 25, tav. iii, f. 1 ; Giinther, 

 Catal. iv, p. 407 ; Malm, p. 510 ; Malmgr. Wiegm. Arch. 1864, p. 293 ; Collett, Norges 

 Fiske, p. 137 ; Steind. Ich. Span. u. Port. 1868, p. 48 ; Winther, Ich. Dan. Mar. 

 p. 37 ; Giglioli, Pesc. Ital. p. 38 ; Moreau, Poiss. France, iii, p. 338. 



Pleuronectes tuber culatus, Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 312 ; Turton, Brit. Fauna, p. 97. 



Pleuronectes cyclops, Donovan, iv, pi. xc ; Turton, p. 97; Jenyns, Manual, 

 p. 466 (Young). 



Platessa cy clops, Fleming, p. 199 (young). 



Rhombus aculeatus, Gottsche, Wiegm. Arch. 1835, p. 172. 



Psetta maxima, Swainson, Fish, ii, p. 302 ; Bonap. Pesc. Eur. 49 ; White, 

 Catal. p. 102 ; Mcintosh, Fish. N. Uist, P. Roy. Soc. Edin. V, 1862-66, p. 614. 



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



Turbot, Couch, Fish. Brit. Isles, iii, p. 155, pi. clxi. 



B. vii, D. 61-72, P. 11-12, V. 6, A. 45-56, C. 15-16, Vert. 12/19, Ccec. pyl. 2. 



Length of head 3|, of caudal fin 5J to h\, height of hody If to 2 in the total 

 length. Eyes — diameter 1/6 to 1/10 of the length of the head, 1 transverse 

 diameter apart, lower eye 1/2 a diameter in advance of the upper eye and If to 2£ 

 diameters from the end of snout. Not only does opaque and thick skin cover the 

 upper and lateral portions of the eye, hut it can raise a thick lower eyelid or else 

 depress the transparent portion of the globe below this fold of skin, while a portion 

 of the iris forms a semilunar veil at the upper part of the pupil. Cleft of mouth deep, 

 oblique, lower jaw the longer, the length of the maxilla is equal to half that of the 

 head. Teeth — small, numerous, and in several rows in both jaws. Fins — dorsal 

 commences on the snout in advance of the eyes, its rays are branched, at first low 

 they increase in length to just beyond the centre of the fin where they are about 

 half as long as the head from thence they gradually decrease, ending a very short 

 distance from the base of the caudal fin. Pectoral with branched rays, its length 

 equals two-fifths of that of the head. Ventral commences under the throat, its 

 rays simple, the longest equals two-thirds the length of the pectoral. Anal 

 commences slightly before the base of the pectoral, its rays increase in length to 

 the 18th or 20th which are nearly as high as the highest in the dorsal fin. Caudal 

 rounded. The skin on the coloured side is studded with numerous bony 

 tubercles, the blunt points of which are directed forwards, those on the head are 

 smaller thaa those on the body. Lateral-line — with a curve anteriorly, and 

 becoming straight opposite the posterior end of the pectoral fin. Colours — 

 superiorly sandy brown covered with more or less distinct dark spots and 

 blotches, these being likewise continued on to the fins, giving them a mottled 

 appearance. Under surface of the body white. 



Varieties in form. — Examples are occasionally met with having a notch or 

 depression at the summit of the head. Mcintosh (Fish. St. Andrew's) figures 

 an abnormal form, and in his account of the fish of North Uist, observes upon 

 one with an eye on either side of its head, as shown in Pleuronectes cy clops of 

 Donovan. Couch instances a turbot coloured on both sides, in which a process 

 3 inches in length, thin in substance and nearly as broad as a finger, projected 

 from before its eyes, and was not connected with the fin rays. 



In colour, varieties are numerous, there are such as are partially albinos : also 

 reversed and double ones. On August 2nd, 1874, a double one weighing 11 lb. 

 was taken at Montrose, where, remarks Mr. Johnson, " we see sometimes in the 

 course of the year two or three of them, and then for years won't see any." It 

 has been observed that these fish from our northern coasts and brought by the 

 Dutch, are darker than those from the S.W. coast of England. 



Names. — Turbot, formerly spelt turbolt. Rod, Orkneys. Poddan or roanfleulc, 

 barncoclv (from its round shape) and gunner-fleuh, or fleuk, east coast of Scotland. 

 Neill observes that it is termed rawnfleulc or "fleuk in roe," because it is deemed 

 best for the table when in "rawn" or "roe." Brat, turbrat or roddams, 

 Northumberland. In Cornwall, according to Borlase, it used to be termed 

 orett, in an old Cornish journal it is called luggatee. Birt- or byrte-fish or breat 



