FOURTEEN TELEOSTEAN FISHES AT BEAUFORT, N. C. 
467 
evident, for the anal, but not a third one, and no definite modes are shown for the 
dorsal. The width of the interorbital, too, has been used as a distinguishing character. 
The variations in the interorbital width are extremely great. The writers are unable, 
however, to find any correlation between this character and fin-ray counts, and it is 
believed that the differences probably are only individual variations. 
Color markings generally are helpful in separating dentatus from albiguttus, yet 
they are not infallible and must not be relied upon too strongly. Usually dentatus 
bears ocellated spots, the three posterior ones being the most distinct. Furthermore, 
they form an almost perfect equilateral triangle. One of the three ocellated spots is 
situated on the lateral line and forms the anterior apex of the triangle, and the other 
two spots, respectively, are situated under the bases of the dorsal and anal and in 
each case about twice the diameter of the eye from the posterior end of the fins. 
However, not infrequently the ocellated spots are missing, and specimens of dentatus 
resemble albiguttus in color. Rarely the reverse is true, for now and then specimens 
are seen with definite ocellations, which upon the examination and enumeration of 
the gill rakers and fin rays appear to be albiguttus. 
Uu 
U. 
o 
Q; 
uj 
Oj 
s: 
55 
Figure 81.— Frequency distribution of dorsal rays in 277 specimens of Paralichthys. Graph based on Table 11 
It is evident from the foregoing discussion that the separation of the local species 
of summer flounders, even with adult specimens, sometimes is difficult. It is not 
surprising, therefore, that the young (larvae) are even more difficult and, according 
to the present studies, inseparable. 
The species of the genus Paralichthys known as summer flounders, or southern 
flounders are recorded from the Atlantic coast of the United States from Maine to 
Texas. P. dentatus ranges farthest northward and is recorded from Maine (occurring 
only as a straggler north of Cape Cod), and it probably ranges to Florida, its southern- 
most range not having been definitely determined. The other locally represented form 
has been recorded by several authors under the name lethostigmus from as far north 
as New York. However, Fowler (1906, p. 395), who states that dentatus is the most 
important flounder on the coast of New Jersey, does not record any other species 
of Paralichthys from that State. Hildebrand and Schroeder (1928, pp. 165-167), 
who examined large catches of Paralichthys from Chesapeake Bay, found dentatus 
only, notwithstanding that an earlier author (Smith, 1907, p. 388) had reported 
lethostigmus as common in Chesapeake Bay. The northernmost records of lethostig- 
