FOURTEEN TELEOSTEAN FISHES AT BEAUFORT, N. C. 
479 
body has become more shapely; that is, it has acquired more nearly the form of the 
adult. The abdomen still protrudes quite prominently and, through its walls, the 
alimentary canal remains faintly visible. The filaments on the head are proportion- 
ately shorter and are becoming definitely merged with the dorsal fin, forming the 
anterior rays thereof. Color markings are less distinct than in smaller specimens. 
The eyes are proportionately 
much smaller in size and sym- 
metry no longer is complete, 
for the right eye is about 
one-half an eye’s diameter 
higher than the left one and 
also slightly in advance of it. 
The relative position of the 
eyes can be seen plainly be- 
cause of the transparency of 
the head. In all other re- 
spects the symmetry appar- 
ently remains as complete as 
in 5-millimeter specimens. A 
fairly accurate count of the 
vertebrae may be made at this 
size by staining and clearing 
specimens. In 11 specimens, 
7 millimeters in length and somewhat larger ones, the body vertebrae were constantly 
9 and the caudal ones ranged from 34 to 38. Since no other flatfish known from the 
vicinity of Beaufort has such a large number of caudal vertebrae this character is 
distinctive. (Fig. 94.) 
Specimens 10 millimeters long . — No pronounced differences between fish of this 
length and those of 7.0 millimeters are evident. The eyes still are on opposite sides 
of the head, and although 
the right one is situated 
higher than the left one 
comparatively little ad- 
vancement is evident in 
this respect over 7.0-milli- 
meter fish. The abdomen 
still protrudes rather 
prominently and the body 
in general is proportion- 
ate!}' deeper than in some- 
Figure 94. — SymphuTus plagiusa. From a specimen 7 millimeters long. Right eye has -what older fish A few 
begun migration. Its position is indicated in drawing . ’ . . 
filaments with bifid tips 
remain on the head. The mouth is terminal and only a little less oblique, and the 
characteristic curve of the premaxillaries of the adult is faintly developed. In fin ray 
and pigment development, no changes of importance are evident. A few scattered, 
dark spots, however, are present on the posterior part of the body. (Fig. 95.) 
Specimens 13 millimeters long . — The differences between 10 and 13 millimeter 
specimens are pronounced. In the larger specimens the eyes are close together on 
