702 
Fishery Bulletin 96(4), 1 998 
Figure 8 
Dorsal aspect of anterior margin of upper orbit, illustrating the structures for mesethmoid 
and suture between mesethmoid and prefrontal of the blindside. (A) Eopsetta grigorjewi , 
UMMZ 159590; (B ) Hippoglossoides elassodon, NMC 61-0117; (C ) Lepidopsetta mochigarei , 
UMMZ 159575; (D) Pleuronectes putnami, ROM 232214. me = mesethmoid; pfb = prefron- 
tal (blind side); pfo = prefrontal (ocular side). Scale bars are 2 mm. 
cording to three synapomorphies (Fig. 6): increase 
in number of abdominal vertebrae to more than 12 
(23); lunate-shaped caudal fin (24); and presence of 
fimbriation on dorsoposterior opercular margin (22, 
Fig. 2B). These characters are found to have a high 
degree of homoplasy within the Pleuronectidae. The 
fimbriation pattern of the opercular margin (22 ) ap- 
pears in all other species of Pleuronectidae, except 
in Eopsetta and Lyopsetta that comprise the next two 
lineages. An increase in the number of abdominal 
vertebrae (23) is also observed in other subfamilies 
and the lunate-shaped caudal fin ( 24 ) is not observed 
in all members of this lineage; a reversal is hypoth- 
esized for Verasper. Monophyletic status of this clade 
is suspect. The low proportion of derived character 
states inherent for basal lineages provides little 
support for monophyly and intrarelationships for 
these taxa. Analysis of morphological characters that 
are homoplastic at the familial level, but not so at 
lower levels of universality, might clarify both the 
monophyletic status of this subfamily and its 
intrarelationships. 
Intrarelationships of Hippoglossinae 
Genus Reinhardtius This genus contains three 
species: R. hippoglossoides, R. evermanni (not exam- 
ined), and R. stomias , characterized by four 
synapomorphies (Fig. 11): gill rakers absent on fourth 
ceratobranchial (21); migrated eye is situated near 
dorsal midline of cranium, so that it is visible from 
blind side (25); more than 35 caudal vertebrae (26); 
and dentary foramen absent on blind side (27). 
Flomoplasy observed for these characters is ob- 
served in unrelated pleuronectid taxa and does not 
