FOURTEEN TELEOSTEAN FISHES AT BEAUFORT, N. C. 
465 
dentatus, while the other remains in doubt. We provisionally use for this entire group 
the name albiguttus, which is older than lethostigmus , because of the possibility that a 
further study, especially of specimens from the type localities, Pensacola and Jack- 
sonville, Fla., may show the two to be identical. In which case albiguttus, having 
priority, would stand. 
The most reliable character for separating the two locally represented forms which 
are recognized by us, is the number of gill rakers present on the lower limb of the first 
arch. That is, dentatus nearly always has a higher number of gill rakers than albi- 
guttus — the usual range for the first-named species being from 14 to 17 and for the 
latter 8 to 12. However, some overlapping occurs between the two ranges given, for 
some specimens which evidently are dentatus have only 13 or occasionally only 12 
gill rakers, whereas specimens, which appear to be albiguttus, sometimes have 12 and 
rarely 13 gill rakers. (See fig. 79.) The length and shape of the gill rakers generally 
NUMBER OF GILL RAKER S 
Figure 79.— Frequency distribution of gill rakers on the lower limb of first arch in 277 specimens 
of Paralichthys. Graph based on Table 11 
are of help in separating the specimens in which the counts overlap, for dentatus has 
longer, more slender and smoother gill rakers which are equal to one-half to two-thirds 
the diameter of the eye, whereas those of albiguttus usually are notably shorter, 
coarser, and dentate. 
Table 11. — Frequency distribution of dorsal rays, anal rays, ana gill rakers on the lower limb of the 
first arch, of respectively 277, 249, and 277 specimens of Paralichthys 
DORSAL RAYS 
Number 
Frequency 
Number 
Frequency 
Number 
Frequency 
72 
2 
80 
19 
i 88 
13 
73 
5 
81 
19 
| 89. __ 
29 
74 
7 
82_ 
9 
j 90 
8 
75 
24 
83 
19 
91. _ 
3 
76 
13 
84.. 
t6 
I 92__ 
4 
77 
15 
85 
|8 
i 93. _ 
6 
78 
10 
86_ 
15 
94 
79 
16 
87 
25 
95..., 
2 
