416 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
landers call it Fly dm and Heilag-fiske “ (Holy-fish). 
Hence, according to some, are derived both the German 
Heiligbutt and the Swedish Helgefiundra. Others h de- 
rive this Swedish name from Helgoland in Norway — 
but the Norwegians themselves generally call the spe- 
cies Qveite or Helleflyndre. Others again' write Hdlle- 
flimdra, and derive the name from lidllar. In Bohuslan, 
according to Malm, the Halibut is generally called 
Halle fish. 
Genus PLATYSOMATICHTHYS. 
Body still more elongated and fleshy than in the preceding genus. Eyes set on the right side and far apart from 
each other. Jaws and pharyngeals armed with pointed , for the most part straight teeth , set in two rows, with 4 
large canines in the front of the inner row, on the intermaxillary hones, in a single row in the lower jaw and 
on the lower pharyngeals. No palatine or vomerine teeth. The dorsal fin begins behind, the upper eye, which is 
set at the dorsal margin of the head. Hind margin of the caudal fin concave. No anal spine. 
Scales small and cycloid. Lateral line almost straight. 
This genus also contains only one species; but its 
place in the system is justified partly by the narrow, 
single row of teeth on the lower pharyngeals and partly 
by its position as an intermediate form between Hippo- 
glossus, Atherestes and Psettodes, which by the situation 
of the eyes indicates the original form common to 
them all. Platysomatichthys is the least asymmetrical 
of the Flatfishes, retaining the upper eye at the dorsal 
margin of the head and even in specimens at least 18 
cm. long, only half transferred to the eye side. Both 
sides of the body, too, are almost equally fleshy, and 
the blind side is only slightly fainter in colour than 
the eye side. 
a Olafsen, Eeise giennem Island, p. 358. 
1 Qvensel, Vet.-Akad. Handl. 1806, p. 226. 
0 Nilsson, iSkand. Fn. Fisk., p. 634: “It is said especially to haunt those spots in deep water where springs of fresh water occur. 
These spots, which are discovered by the Norwegian fishermen by the common method of taking bearings ( taga met), are known by them as 
Hcillir (holes), and they believe that it is from its habit of frequenting these holes that the Halibut has received the name of Halleflynder, 
whence the Swedish Halleflundra ." 
