﻿FISHES. 
  

  

  245 
  

  

  Such 
  examples 
  as 
  are 
  completely 
  coloured 
  on 
  both 
  sides 
  have 
  

   tubercles 
  on 
  both 
  surfaces. 
  If, 
  however, 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  ordinary 
  

   white 
  colour 
  is 
  still 
  in 
  evidence, 
  the 
  tubercles 
  are 
  not 
  present 
  

   on 
  such 
  white 
  patches. 
  Another 
  peculiarity 
  in 
  this 
  species, 
  

   which 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  observed 
  mentioned 
  by 
  any 
  author 
  whose 
  

   works 
  I 
  am 
  acquainted 
  with, 
  is 
  that 
  sometimes 
  when 
  the 
  fish 
  

   are 
  normally 
  coloured, 
  they 
  are 
  as 
  thickly 
  studded 
  with 
  

   tubercles 
  on 
  the 
  under 
  surface 
  as 
  they 
  always 
  are 
  upon 
  the 
  

   upper, 
  and 
  in 
  such 
  cases 
  these 
  tubercles 
  stand 
  much 
  higher 
  

   and 
  sharper, 
  assuming 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  spines. 
  

  

  The 
  Turbot 
  is 
  also 
  subject 
  to 
  a 
  peculiar 
  form 
  of 
  malfor- 
  

   mation, 
  i.e., 
  the 
  anterior 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  dorsal 
  fin 
  being 
  free 
  from 
  

   the 
  head, 
  thus 
  making 
  a 
  deep 
  notch 
  immediately 
  above 
  the 
  

   eyes. 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  a 
  general 
  belief 
  that 
  this 
  malformation 
  is 
  

   only 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  specimens 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  that 
  are 
  coloured 
  on 
  

   both 
  sides, 
  but 
  this 
  is 
  a 
  mistake. 
  After 
  years 
  of 
  observation, 
  

   I 
  find 
  that 
  this 
  cleft 
  between 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  the 
  dorsal 
  fin 
  

   occurs 
  as 
  frequently 
  in 
  specimens 
  having 
  a 
  white 
  and 
  coloured 
  

   side 
  as 
  in 
  those 
  coloured 
  on 
  both 
  sides 
  ; 
  but 
  I 
  have 
  noticed 
  

   that 
  the 
  cleft 
  is 
  often 
  more 
  pronounced 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  than 
  in 
  

   the 
  former. 
  

  

  Rhombus 
  laevis, 
  Rondel. 
  Brill. 
  " 
  Silver 
  Fluke." 
  "Pearl 
  

   Turbot" 
  " 
  Bastard 
  Turbot." 
  

  

  Taken 
  by 
  trawl 
  in 
  considerable 
  numbers 
  upon 
  the 
  " 
  Aber- 
  

   deen 
  Bank 
  " 
  and 
  upon 
  " 
  Smith's 
  Bank," 
  in 
  the 
  Moray 
  Firth, 
  

   and 
  other 
  places 
  along 
  the 
  east 
  coast. 
  As 
  many 
  as 
  five 
  

   hundred 
  and 
  twenty 
  have 
  been 
  landed 
  by 
  one 
  vessel 
  at 
  

   Aberdeen 
  Market, 
  and 
  from 
  one 
  to 
  four 
  hundred 
  have 
  often 
  

   been 
  brought 
  in. 
  

  

  Genus 
  ZEUGOPTERUS, 
  Gottsche. 
  

   Zeugopterus 
  unimaculatus, 
  Bay. 
  Eckstrom's 
  Topknot. 
  

  

  "In 
  Montrose 
  Museum." 
  (Howden.) 
  "Rare 
  in 
  Caithness." 
  

   (Peach.) 
  

  

  Zeugopterus 
  punctatus, 
  Collett. 
  Muller's 
  Topknot. 
  

   " 
  Black 
  Hairy 
  Fluke." 
  

  

  " 
  Rarely 
  seen, 
  except 
  during 
  stormy 
  weather." 
  (Parnell.) 
  

  

  