330 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
b. Scales present, ctenoid; caudal somewhat confluent with dorsal. 
c. Left ventral rudimentary, with 2 rays Apionichthys 
bb. Scales none; caudal free from dorsal and anal Gymnachirus 
Cynoglossinje: 
If. Soles with eyes on left side, not separated by a bony ridge. Body elongate, more or less lanceolate in outline, with 
color on left side. 
cl. Ventral fin of eyed side only present, free from anal; no pectoral fins; no lateral line; head without fringes. 
Symphurus, 1(H) 
Genus 159. ACHLRUS Lacepede. American Soles. 
Eyes and color on the right side. Body oblong, bluntly rounded anteriorly. Head small; eyes 
small, close together, upper eye in advance of lower, the two separated by a bony ridge; mouth small, 
somewhat turned toward colored side; nasal flaps present, nostril of blind side fringed; lip of colored 
side fringed; teeth very small, on blind side only ; gill-openings rather narrow, but confluent below, not 
reduced to a slit; branchiostegal region scaled. Head closely scaled everywhere, scales on colored side 
similar to those on body, those of nape and chin much enlarged; scales on blind side anteriorly with 
their pectinations more or less produced, forming cirri; scales of both sides extremely rough, extending 
on fins. Lateral line straight, simple; edge of preopercle covered by scales. Dorsal beginning on 
snout, low in front and thickly scaled, its rays divided; anal fin similar, without spine; caudal tin free, 
convex; caudal peduncle very short and deep; pectoral fin of left side wanting, that of right side small 
or obsolete; ventral rays 3 or 4, ventral fin of colored side long, connected with anal by a membrane. 
This strongly marked genus contains numerous species, all very closely related, and nearly all 
American. It, has been united by Dr. Gunther with Solea, but for no good reason, as the number of 
vertebra; is very much fewer than in the European soles, and the right ventral fin is decurrent along 
the abdomen and united with the anal in the American soles, while it is short and wholly free in all 
the European forms. The two groups belong in fact to distinct subfamilies. It is also worth noticing 
that, the name Achirus is prior in date to that of Solea. The species with rudimentary pectoral fins have 
been set apart 1 >v Dr. Bean to form the genus Baiosloma, but, the very slight development of these organs 
in some of the species and the evidently very close relationship of them all lead us to regard Baiosloma 
as a subgenus only. If we follow Kaup in restricting the name Achirus to the Asiatic group called 
Pardachirus, the present, genus would receive the name of Trinectes. It seems to us, however, that both 
Lacepede and Cuvier regarded the species called by us A. jasciatus as the type of their genus Achirus. 
Baiostoma: 
a. Pectoral fins small, present at least on right side. 
b. Pectoral fins present on both sides, that of left side rudimentary, of a single ray; of eyed side with about 3 rays. 
r. Dorsal rays GO to G7; anal rays about 48. Color brownish, irregularly spotted with darker, and with about 10 black 
vertical lines crossing lateral line achirus 
cc. Dorsal rays 53 to 57. Color olivaceous inscriptus, 281 
bb. Pectoral of right side only present. 
d. Dorsal rays 50 to 58; anal rays 38 to 48. 
r. Pectoral fin of 4 to 6 rays, considerably longer than eye; body with 8 to 10 narrow, vertical dark bars, these some- 
times obsolete with age lineatus, 282 
Achirus: 
aa. Pectoral fins wholly wanting; dorsal rays 50 to 55; anal rays 37 to 46; right lower lip fringed; left nostril with 
some fringes; depth l.S in length; head 4; none of scales of eyed side with hair-like appendages. Color dusky- 
olive, more or less mottled with about 8 dark vertical stripes, these varying very much in width and number; 
caudal spotted fasciatus 
281. Achirus inscriptus Gosse. 
Head 3.75 in body; depth 1.75; D. 53 to 57; A. 40; scales 75 to 80;- interorbital width less than 
eye; upper eye in advance of lower. Pectoral present on each side, that of left side rudimentary, 
usually of a single ray; that of eyed side with about 3; left ventral with 1 or 2 small rays, in some 
specimens entirely absent; right ventral joined to anal. Scales smaller and less rough than usual in 
this genus, those of nape scarcely enlarged on eyed side, those of blind side much fringed; scales of 
colored side with scattered hair-like appendages, some black, others pale. Vertebrae 8 +20 = 28. 
Color, olivaceous; head, body, dorsal, and anal fins covered with a network of dark lines; traces 
of about 8 dark cross-streaks sometimes present,; caudal base dusky. One specimen, 46 mm. long, from 
Palo Seco, has the color rather darker than usual, dark network so distinct that lighter ground-color 
shows as distinct light-gray spots; large round black spots scattered over side and vertical fins; no cross- 
streaks; caudal very pale with but a trace of dusk}’ markings. Another individual, from San Antonio 
