MEGRIM. 
429 
longitude mandibular rnquat. Color corporis translucidi in 
latere oculari cinereus", maculis et punctis fuscis conspersus. 
Rhombus arnoglossus , Yarr., Hist. Brit. Fish., ed. 2, vol. II, 
p. 345. 
Pleuronectes conspersus , Canestr., Arch. 1. c., p. 10, tab. I, 
fig. 2; Gthr, 1. c., p. 416; Steind., 1. c.; Mor., 1. c., 
p. 329: Gigl., 1. c. 
Megrim , Couch, Fish. Brit. Id., vol. Ill, p. 177, tab. CLVIII. 
Rhombus soleceformis , Malm, Forh. Skand. Naturf. M. Stockh. 
1863, p. 413; Gbgs , Boh. Fn. {Arnoglossus) p. 519; Gbgs, 
Naturli. Mus. Arsskr. Ill (1881), p. 24. 
Arnoglossus laterna , Coll., Forh. Vid. Selsk. Christ. 1874, 
Tilliegsh., p. 140; ibid. 1879, No. 1, p. 77; Day, Fish. 
G:t Brit., Irel ., vol. 2, p. 22, tab. XCIX, fig. 2; Coll., 
N. Mag. Naturv. Christ., Bd. 29, p. 101: Lillj., Sv., Norg. 
Fisk., vol. II, p. 329. 
Obs. Among the fishes of the Mediterranean Canestrini in 
1861 distinguished between two species within the limits fixed by 
his predecessors for Pleuronectes arnoglossus. The first, which was 
adopted by Gunther under the name of Arnoglossus laterna, without 
spots on the fins and with the length of the lower jaw at least V 8 
of that of the body, was stated by Canestrini to be common in the 
Gulf of Genoa during winter, but rare during summer, from the 
month of April. The second, Pleuronectes ( Arnoglossus ) conspersus, 
with the vertical fins punctated with brown and with the length of 
the lower jaw less than ’/ 8 (sometimes 1 / , ji) of that of the body, he 
stated to be a common summer-fish in the same vicinity, but rare in 
winter. The Royal Museum has acquired from the Mediterranean one 
specimen of the first form, 97 mm. in length, which was taken in 
March, 1874, off Salerno by Professor C. Loven, and two specimens 
of the latter, respectively 97 and 111 mm. long, which were taken 
in October, 1856, off Venice by Professor 0. Sandahl. On comparing 
these forms with each other and with two Scandinavian specimens — 
the first 114 mm. in length and taken off Torrboskar (the Skaw) in j 
July, 1878, during the expedition of the gunboat Gunhild, the second [ 
116 mm. long and taken during the summer of 1879 at the zoo- j 
logical station of Kristineberg in Bohuslan — we find the same ques- j 
tion before its as that we have had to deal with in our treatment of 
the relation between Pleuronectes glacialis and PI. cicatricosus or 
between Drepanopsetta platessoicles and Drep. limandoides 1 ' . The 
one form has a deeper body and a shorter head, thus representing 
partly the female characters and partly a more advanced stage of 
development. That the two forms of the European Megrim are also 
geographically distinct, at least to a certain extent, appears not only 
from Canestrini’s observation that they repair to the fishing-grounds 
at different seasons of the year — a fact which may indicate that they 
must be regarded, generally speaking, as inhabitants of distinct locali- 
ties — but also from the circumstance that the one form, Bonaparte’s 
and Canestrini’s PI. arnoglossus, has probably never been found in j 
Scandinavia, perhaps not even in Great Britain — at least to judge 
by Yarrell, Couch, and Day - — though Moreau states that he ob- 
tained it off Havre. As in the case of the Rough Dab, however, we 
here, too, allow the older specific name to do duty for both forms, 
especially as this name was adopted by Walbaum with references to 
the works of both Rondelet and Ray. and thus may be applied in 
all probability to both forms. 
The European Megrim attains a length of from 
17 to 19 cm., the depth of the body, which is greatest 
at about the end of its first third, being at most 36 % 
of the total length or 45 % of the length from the 
snout to the base of the caudal tin. In the Scandi- 
navian form the greatest depth is, as a rule, more than 
32 % c of the former length or 38 % of the latter. Thus, 
the form of the body, as well as the close proximity 
to each other of the vertical tins on the tail, most re- 
minds us of the Soles, a circumstance which led Malm 
to call the species soleceformis. But the body is thin- 
ner than that of the Scandinavian Solea, the thickness 
of the head across the opercula, in spite of the fact 
that this is the thickest paid of the body, measuring 
only about 5 % of the length of the body or between 
1 4 and 1 5 1 / 2 % of its greatest depth. The chief sin- 
gularity in the appearance of the fish is also its trans- 
parency. The body being so thin, we can easily under- 
stand one of the circumstances pointed out by Rox- 
delet'* as characteristic of the Megrim, namely that 
it requires no more boiling than nonnat*. Its trans- 
parency is further enhanced by the texture of the scaly 
covering. Most of the scales of the body, especially 
on the trunk and the hind part of the head, are com- 
paratively large, thin, and deciduous. On the eye side 
they are ciliated at the hind margin, on the blind side 
smooth-margined. The lateral line is distinct only on 
the eye side, and forms a sharply marked arch above 
the abdominal region. More firmly attached, small 
scales, ciliated at the outer margin, cover the dorsal 
and anal fins, the ventral fin of the eye side and the eye 
side of the snout. The caudal fin, on the other hand, 
is covered with small scales, on the eye side ciliated, 
but on the blind side smooth-margined. On the first 
three fins the scales are set in a single row on each 
ray, while the branched rays of the caudal fin are 
furnished ’with a row for each branch. On the eye 
side the maxillary bone and the branch of the lower 
° Fusco-argillaceus, sec. Malm. 
b Cf. also the relation between Beryx decadactylus and B. splendens (p. 68, above) or between Brarna longipinnis and Br. Rail 
(p. 80, Obs., above). In the present case too, strange to say, we find parallels between very closely related Atlantic and Pacific forms. 
c In Collett’s smallest specimen, 79 mm. long, the greatest depth of the body according to his measurements was 31*6 % of the 
length of the body. 
d Statim atque ignem vidit coctus est, quemadmodum aphya. 
e Cf. above, p. 264. 
