MITCHILL ON THE FISHES OF NEW-YORK. 385 



Head sloping, gill-opening oblique, and eye round and large, like 

 most others of this genus. 



Skin scaleless. Back bluish. Sides and belly white and glossy. 

 Ventral fins exceedingly small. One dorsal fin, consisting of twenty- 

 two rays, 4hat divide into hairy threads. Five spinous processes, with 

 distinct insertions in front of it. One anal fin, composed of eighteen 

 capillary rays like the dorsal. Both are continued back to the root of 

 the tail. This is deeply forked, and is formed of about twenty-three 

 rays. 



Lateral line rather more like the letter Q+ than in the former spe- 

 cies ; for the curvature is complete, and in addition thereto, the straight 

 part is continued some distance along below it- 



The pectoral fin consists of seventeen rays, and is long and acumi- 

 nated. 



There are ho long rays to any of the fins, either above or below. 



FLEURONECTES. FLOUNDER. 



Generic character. 



Eyes both on the same side of the head. Body compressed, one side 

 representing the back, and the other the abdomen. 



The species of this genus have been distributed into two sections, 

 according to the position of their eyes ; one of the sections being 

 called dextrous, because the eyes of the fish inclined to the right ; while 

 the other was denominated sinistrous, by reason of their inclination to 

 the left. Bloch's rule to determine the situation of the eyes is a plain 

 and good one ; it is to raise the fish from his side, and place him erect 

 on his belly, with his tail toward the face of the observer. Then the 

 eyes are said to be on the right or left side, as the observer so situated 

 shall pronounce. 



51 



