424 
SCANDINAVIAN FISHES. 
each side and a pair of smaller ones, set close together, 
at the middle. 
In the European form the dorsal fin generally con- 
tains between 78 and 87 or 88 rays. It is highest 
at the middle (V 4 to 7 3 of the greatest depth of the 
body) and gradually decreases in height towards the 
ends, all the rays being simple. It begins somewhat 
over on the blind side, some distance at least in front 
of the middle of the eyes. Its rays curve, when de- 
pressed, towards the blind side, and as in the preced- 
ing species with the exception of the Sole the posterior 
rays show a decided tendency to lie in a forward di- 
rection. The anal fin begins a little behind the vent, 
just below the hind (lower) end of the base of the 
pectoral tin, and is as usual analogous to the dorsal 
fin in shape and in its backward extension. In the 
European form it contains 64 — 66 (exceptionally 60 or 
68) simple rays. The hind margin of the caudal fin 
forms an obtuse but distinct, projecting angle at the 
middle. This tin contains 18 rays, 6 or 2 simple ones 
above and below", and the latter rays are always con- 
siderably shorter than the others. The remaining 12 
(or 14) rays are only once branched, and as in all the 
Scandinavian Flatfishes except the Halibut, are not ca- 
pable of any considerable expansion. In the European 
form the pectoral fin of the eye side contains 10 or 
1 1 rays, all, or at least the outer ones, simple. In the 
latter case the middle rays are only very indistinctly 
branched at the tip. The pectoral fin of the blind side 
contains 9 or 10 rays, also simple, or still more in- 
distinctly branched than the rays of the corresponding 
fin on the eye side. We may find either 10 rays on 
both sides or 11 on one side and 10 or 8 on the other. 
On the eye side the length of the fin is about equal 
to, or in old females slightly less than, half the length 
of the head, and the 2nd or the 3rd ray is the longest; 
on the blind side the fin is considerably shorter, and 
the 5th and 6th rays are the longest. The ventral fin 
of the blind side is generally somewhat, though only 
slightly, longer than that of the eye side. In form the 
two ventral fins are alike, being rounded and contain- 
ing 6 simple rays, the 4th and 5th rays being the 
longest. They are inserted just in front of the per- 
pendicular from the anterior end of the base of the 
pectoral fins. The tips extend to the beginning of the 
anal fin or a little further back. The vent lies about 
half-way between the insertions of the ventral fins and 
the beginning of the anal tin, exactly at the ventral 
edge, but with a small anal papilla, curved obliquely 
backward towards the eye side. The anal spine projects 
forward, as usual, from the beginning of the anal fin. 
The scaly covering of the bod)- is abundant, most 
closely resembling that of the Dab. In this species, 
however, the scales are more uniform in size — though 
they are, as usual, somewhat larger on the hind part 
of the body and smallest on the head — and, therefore, 
arranged in more regular row's. At the middle of the 
body about 30 scales may be counted in an oblique 
row from the lateral line to the dorsal fin and about 
32 — 40 in a similar row to the anal fin. The scales 
are almost circular. The free (hind) margin is marked 
with two small notches, which leave a rounded, obtuse 
projection between them, and is set along the whole 
breadth of the scale with from 12 to 20 or more, fine, 
subulate spines, which diverge slightly from each other, 
and render the scales rather rough to the touch 'when 
stroked the wrong way. On the blind side, however, 
most of the scales are smooth, ctenoid scales occurring 
only on the hind part of the body and at the bases 
of the fins. On the eye side of the head only the nasal 
cavity, the tip of the snout, and the intermaxillary bones 
(and, of course, the eyes) are naked; but the carina 
between the eyes, as well as its continuation in front 
of them, the broad hind part of the maxillary bone, 
and at least the hind part of the branch of the lower 
jaw are furnished with small, spiny scales. On the 
blind side of the head, however, the maxillary bone, 
the lower jaw, and the preoperculum are also scaleless. 
All the fins on the eye side, as well as the blind side 
of the caudal fin, are generally furnished with two rows 
of scales on each ray; but in this respect there is con- 
siderable variation, the rule applying only to the middle 
parts of the fins. The lateral line is more than usually 
distinct and throughout the greater part of its course 
quite straight, though its first quarter forms a slight 
upward curve on the abdominal region. The lateral 
line advances over the caudal fin along the lower mar- 
gin of the sixth branched ray, or the ninth, if we 
reckon the upper supporting rays as well. 
The coloration of the right or eye side of the 
Rough Dab is an almost uniform grayish brown, more 
or less dark, and generally strewn with scattered, in- 
“ In all onr specimens of the European form the number of these simple rays is 3 above and 3 below; in a specimen of the Ame- 
rican form we find only 4 of these supporting rays, as the inner (hindmost) of them, above and below, is branched like the true caudal rays. 
