Review of the Pleuronectidae of San Francisco

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 69

Table ofMeasurements—Cont'mued.

70 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

iu(lifferentgeuera fromthose in

wMch

tliey

were

placed

by

tbeiroriginal describers,and, misled apparently

by

Girard'sinsufficientdescriptions, characterizes

two

additional species from specimens

which

reallybe- longedtoforms described

by

that author. Finally, Prof.T.Gillreviews thelabors of his predecessors,reclassifies the entu'e group, arranging

them on

a

more

definitesystem,

and

mentions in all seventeenspecies, includingtliePleiironectesquadrituherculaiiis

and

Fleuronectescicatricosus of Pallas,thePleiironectes glacialisofKichardson

{=

franklinii Giiuther),

and two

supposed

new

species,bothofwhich, however,areapparently

synonymous

with

two

of Girard's species; Faroj)hryskubbardiwith Faro- plirysvetulus Gir.,

and

Metoponops cooperiwiththe Fsetticlitliys sordidiis of the

same

author. Itwillthus

be

perceived that considerable confu- sionexisted

among

ourflat-fishes;

and

iuthe endeavor to identify the variousspecies described \sythese authors

among

the examplesin the

Mus.

Cal.

Acad.

Sci.,

and

to pick

them

out

among

thefreshfishes,as theylay,exposedforsale,inthe

markets

of

San

Francisco,Isoon found thatthe descriptions of external characters already published

needed

revision

and

amplification,

and

thatthe task of identification

was

ren- dereddifficult

by

the great variation inthe

number

ofthe dorsal

and

analfin-rays,inthewidthof theintei^ocularspace,

and

inthe lengthof thepectorals,infishes

which

evidentlybelonged tothe

same

species.

A new and abundant

species,with constant characters

by

which it

couldreadilybedistinguishedfrom the oneAvith

which

it

had

probably

been

hithertoconfounded,

was

also discovered. It

was

atthattime

my

intentiononlytotake afewadditional notes

upon

the

known

species,

and

publish

them

together with adescription ofthe

new

form; but,at thesuggestionof Prof.D.S.Jordan,ofIndianaTJniversity,Bloomington, Ind.,

who

isat thistime preparing

an

ichthyologyofthe UnitedStates,

which

will includeallthePacificCoastspecies,Iimdertookthe task of redescribing

and more

thoroughlycharacterizingall the

known

forms belongingto thefamilythatoccurinthe

markets

of

San

Francisco.

Cy

repeated visits to the markets,

extendmg

over a period of six months,^I

have

verifiedthe occurrence hereof

aU

the species hitherto

described^rom

this coast, with the exception ofthe

more

northern FleiironecTcsfranliinn,

and

the possibleexception ofthe Pallasian spe- ciesquadrituberculatus

and

cicatricosus.

Two new

speciesof rare occur- rence,

and

belongingtoa group not hilherto

known

tobe foundinoiu' Raters,

have

alsobeen

added

tothe fauna; butasfive

nominal

species are eliminated,the total

number

of valid forms occurring here^isonly thirteen.

My method

ofprocedure has

been

to write afull description

from

the specimensinthe possession ofthe California

Academy

of Sciences, and'^then to incorporatewith it the results ofnotes taken from fresh individuals, altering

and

addingso as to includethe rangeof variation.

The

descriptionsare not, therefore,fromtypes,but from

an

examination of severalspecimens,

and

a comparisonofthesewithseveral others.

To

the descriptions

measnrements

of severalspecimens(except inthecase of

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 71

onerare species) are

appended

;thosetaken from^tliepreservedspecimens

and

fromthe fresh individuals in

my

possessionbeing supplemented

by

otherstakenfromindi\ddualsastheylayonthestalls.

The measurements

arefollowed

by remarks upon

the variation of individuals,

by

the

enum-

erationof

two

or threeobvious distinguishing characters,

and by

such notes

upon

the localities,comparative abundance, &c., ofthe various formsas I

have

beenable tocollect. Igreatlyregret

my

^inabilityto

do much

atpresent

toward

the elucidation ofthehabits, food,

and

distribu- tionofthe several species.

The

classification adopted is,with oneor

two

exceptions,that

which

will be followed

by

Professors

Jordan and

Gilbert in theirforthcoming

work

;*

and

Itake this occasion to

thank them

forthevaluableaidthey

have

rendered

me by

^sending

me

^acopy of that portion of theirmanuscript,

and on

various occasionstendering

me

valuableinformation.

To

conclude,I

have

taken everycare to

guard

againsterror,butI

am aware

thatitis i^ossible that

some

of

my

conclusions

may be open

to criticism.

I

have

avoided burdening

my

descriptionswith full

synonymy and

references,contentingmyself with the already given enumerationofthe

works

in

which

earlierdescriptions will befound,

and

with the mention of the original

name

ofeachspecies.

SYNOPSISOFTHEGENERA ANDSPECIES.

*Moutlilarge, thebroadflatmaxillaryextendingtobelowtbeeye; teeth nearly equalon bothsidesofthejaws.

a. Ventralfinsbothlateral,neither ofthemonthe ridge of theabdomen.

(HIPPOGLOSSINJS.)

h. Bodydextral,eyesandcoloronthe rightside,

c. Lateralhne witha semicircular arch in front^;dentitionstrong;lower pha-

ryngeal teeth intwo rows HippovtLOSSUS.

1 vulgarisf

cc. Laterallinenearly straight;teethrather small;scalesmoderate,ciliated.

X.Noaccessorylateral line; dorsalcommencingovereye.

(, HiPPOGLOSSOIDES.

2.Eyeslarge;lowerjawscarcely projecting .jordani.

XX.

An

accessorylateral line;dorsalcommencingbeforetheeye.

^ PSETTICHTHYS.

3. Anteriorrays of dorsalproduced;eyes small melanostictus.

1)h. Bodysometimessinistral,sometimesdextral;dentitionstrong;lateral linewith a semicircular arch in front ParalichthYS.

4.Accessoryscalesnumerous^;scales ciliate maculosus.

aa. Ventralfinofthe colored sideinsertedonthe ridge of the abdomen; body

sinistral

(llHOMBmM.)

Lateralline nearly straight; no vomerine teeth; dorsal rays all sim-

ple CiTHARICHTIIYS.

5. Scales almostmembranous;interocularspaceconcave sordhlus.

** Mouthsmall,the shortnarrowmaxillary rarelyreachingbeforethefrontofthe eye;teethmostlyonthe blindside;bodydextral.

(PLEUrxONECTINJi.)

*ASynopsis of the Fishes of the UnitedStates.

=

Bulletin

XVI

of theUnited States NationalMuseum.

72 PROCEEDINGS OP UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

d. Laterallinesimple,nearlystraight.

/. Dorsalfiuverylong,ofmore thanninety rays; bodyelongate;scales

smooth Glyptocephalus.

6.Teeth forminga sharp cutting edge, not developed atalloncolored side

;pectoral of colored sidenotproduced pacificus.

7. Teeth forminga blunt edge, continuedmore than half-wayalong coloredside;pectoralof colored sideproduced zacMrua.

ff. Dorsaltinmoderate;scalesdeveloped as scatteredstellatetubercles.

Platichthys.

8. Eyes andcolorsometimesonright,sometimesonleftside.

stellatus.

dd.Laterallinewithanaccessory dorsal branch.

e. Teethslender,acute,inseveralseries;lateral linenearly straight;body

deep, short;lipsthick Pleuronichthys.

9. Interocular space rather narrow, smooth,withoutndges. .guttulaius.

10. Lijisplicate;dorsalcontinueddownwardsonblindsideofhead

;

interocularspaceveiy narrow,forminga raised tubercularridge.

coemsus.

ee. Teethstraight,blunt,inacloserow,chieflydevelopedonblindside.

g. Scalescycloid,thoseoncheeks similar;lateral linenearlystraight.

Pauophrys.

11. Snout narrow; uppereye diverted obliquelyupwards vetulus.

gg. Scalesrough;lateral linearched;formoval Lepidopsetta.

12. Scaleson cheeksctenoid umbrosa.

13. Scalesoncheeks tuberculate hillneata.

All thespecies that I

have examined have

seven branchiostegals

on

eachside,

and

thelateral

hue

continuedtothe

end

ofthecaudal

on

both blind

and

coloredsides.

As

I

am

notfamiliarwith the Atlauticspecies, Icannot becertain

whether

these are to be considered asfamilychar- acters; theyare not

mentioned

in Gilnther's diagnosis of the Pleuro- nectidce.

HIPPOGLOSSUS

Cu\4er.

Mouth

^large,thelargebroad maxillaryone-third,ornot

much more

thanone-third, ofthe lengthofthe head. Teethof ui)per

jaw

inadouble series.

Eyes and

color

on

therightside. Gill-rakers short,compressed, widelyset.

Lower

pharyngealteeth in

two rows

;branchiostegals seven.

Ventrals lateral; caudal emarginate, theouter rays produced. Scales verysmall,notciliated. Laterallinewith asemicirculararchin front.

e

HIPPOGLOSSUS VULGARIS

Cu\ier{Tj.

{Hipimglossuavulgaris?Ajvea.) D.102. A.73. P.10. V.G.

The

fin-formulagivenaboveisthat ofAyres.

The

speciesis of rare occurrence onthispart of the coast,butisoccasionallybroughttomar- ket.

As

I

have

asyet only seen one specimen,orrather apartof one, asthe greateri)artofthe

body had

beencut

away and

sold

when

I

saw

it,Icannot pronounce as toits specific identitywith

S.

vuhjaris.

The

onlynotesIcould

make

wereas follows: Teethina double

row

inboth

PROCEEDINGS OP UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 73

jaws,with afewirregularteetli

between

tlierows,aboutequally devel-

oped

ou both sides, strong,numerous. BrancUiostegals seven. Inter- ocularspacewider than the lengthof the eye.

Caudal

with about 20 rays, theprincipalrayseachseveraltimesbifurcate,theposteriormar- gin nearlystraight.

Weight between

40

and

50 pounds. I

am

told that thisfishwillprobablybeof

more common

occurrenceastheseason advances.

Toward

the northernparts ofourPacific seaboard, at

Van-

couver'sIsland

and

along theshores of BritishColumbia, thehalibutis said tobequite

common, and

toattain a weightof 70 to100 pounds,or even more. Specimens from Alaska,I

am

told,

have been

identified

by

Dr.

Bean

withtheAtlantic

H.

vulgaris.

HIPPOGLOSSOIDES

^Gottsche.

Mouth

large; maxillary broad,flat,extending nearly^tothe centre of theeye; teethnearly equal on bothsides of thejaws,rather small, coni- cal.

No

teethon

vomer

or palatines.

Eyes and

coloronthe rightside.

Anteriornostrils

on

colored sidewith ashort tube,

on

blind sidewitha raised

margin

; lower pharyngealteeth in a single row. Dorsalcom-

mencing

over the

upper

eye; ventrals bothlateral; caudalentire, its middle rays produced. Scales of

moderate

size,

more

orless strongly ciliated; laterallinenearlystraight, simple. Branchiostegalsseven.

HIPPOGLOSSOIDES JOEDANI

Sp. UOV.

D.90-04. A.71-75. C. 2-15-2. P.13. A.6.

Dorsal

and

abdominaloutlinesequally

and

regularlycurvedfrom the lineofthe centre ofthe eyestothecaudal peduncle;

upper

outline of snout strongly curved, almost a quadrant, thejunction of this curve with the dorsal outline forming a concavity over the anterior half of the

upper

eye. Peduncleoftailwidening posteriorly, in its narrowest part from about f^tof^ofthegreatestdepthofthebody,

which

isalittle

over^tof^ofthetotallength; lengthofthe

head

from-fVtolessthan 4 of the ^total length; eye contained about 4i times; snout (measured from alinejoining the anterior marginsofthe orbits tothetipofthe

upper

jaw) 5i to 6 times in the length of the head. Posterior nos- trilsofboth sides situated

on

a linejoining the front marginsofthe orbits; anteriornostrilson both sideswitha raisedmargin, prolonged posteriorly into a linguiform flap; theposterior sub-elliptical, simi)le.

Lower jaw

not, or scarcely, projecting in theclosed

mouth

; itslower straightborderforming an obtuse angle withtheabdominaloutline,

and

itsprominent posterior extremity belowthe centre of the eye; a

knob

atthesymphysis. Cleftof

mouth

oblique, thetipofthepremaxillaries on a horizontal linewith the

upper margin

of the lower eye,

and

the posteriorbroad

end

ofthemaxillariesextendingtonearly the centre of the lower borderof thesame. Dentitionconsisting of

numerous

sharp, slender, conical recurvedteeth, in

an

irregular single

row

inthe

man-

74 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAP

^VTUSEUM.

dible,but forming a double

row

in tbe intermaxillaries. Frontteeth largestinbothjaws.

The

outer

row

intheintermaxillaries

much

larger than the inner,whichis formedofvery small teeth; but

most

of the outer

row

smallerthan thoseofthemandible.

The

teeth

on

thecolored sideof the upi^er

jaw

are

most numerous and

smallest.

Upper

pharyn- gealseach with

two

irregular

rows

of teeth,the hinderlargest, conical, sharp, recurved.

Lower

pharyngealseach with a single

row

of similar teeth.

Eyes

rather large, lateral, equal infront. Interorbital space rather narrow, equal in adults to aboutone-third ofthe loDgitudinal diameter ofthe eye. Gill-rakerslong

and

slender, those ofthe first branchial arch about equal in length to thewidthof theinterorbital space. Pectoral ofthe colored side scarcely\ofthe total length,or slightly

more

thanhalfthelengthofthe head,inserted levelwith the loAver eye,

and

consistingof13 rays,thefirst

two

simple, theothersoisce or twice bifurcate; the third raylongest,lower rays diminishingreg- ularly. Pectoral of the blind sideequalinwidthto that of coloredside, but only about § as long. Dorsal

commencing on

the dorsal ridge immediately over theanterior

margin

ofthe pupil,alltherayssimple, exceptthe

two

orthreelast,

which

(atleast in

most

examples)areonce bifurcate5 the rays from the 37th tothe50thhighest.

Anal

preceded

by

ahorizontal spine, thefirstrayimmediatelybehind averticalfromthe posterioraxilofthe pectoral; all itsrayssimple,thethreelastexcepted, coterminouswith thedorsal,raysfrom 30thto40thhighest. Posteiior

margin

ofcaudalentire,slightlyconvex, rays twiceor thrice bifurcate.

In large individuals,both the central

and

the outerraysare slightly produced,the centralmost. Veutralssmall,inserted in

advance

ofthe pectorals,the distance

between

the posterioraxiloftheformer

and

the anterioraxilofthelatter lessthanhalfthe widthof the pectoralbase

;

their tips extending

backwards beyond

the anus nearly to the anal spine; the first

two

rays simple, the others once or twice bifurcate.

Lateral linewithout abrupt arch, curving gentlydoAvnwardsfrom its origin tothe

median

lineofthesideofthe body,

which

itreachesata verticalfrom the tipofthepectoral; thencestraight to the

end

ofthe caudal.

Number

of scales inlateral lineabout 96inaspecimen 0|in.

long.

No

accessoiylateral line,but a roAVofpores across cheek

and round

the lowereye. Scalesof colored side longer thanwide,rather small, distinctlyciliateontheirposteriormargins,

somewhat

deciduous;

uniform over the wholeofthe

body

opercles

and

checks,

and

continued forwards

on

the interorbital space to the anterior

margin

of theeye.

Jaws and

snout scaleless; scalesof blind side notciliated.

A row

of smallciliatedscalesalong each rayofthedorsal

and

anal

on

thecolored side,extending almostorquite to thetipsofthe rays;

none on

thefirst four dorsalrays; caudalwith smallscalesoncolored side; coloralmost uniform gray.

Each

scale has

two

transverse

bands

ofblackpoints, divided

by

a spotless bght-colored band; theciliated tipisalsolight, with afew black points. Fins nearly the

same

tintas the body,the

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 75 membrane between

theraysof dorsal

and

anal

becoming

slightlydarker towardsthetipsofthe rays.

Totallength, ininches Lengthwithout caudal Greatestdei)thofbody Lengthofhead

Widthfromtipof dorsalto tipof anal Longitudinal diameter of eye

Lengthofsnout,fromalinejoiningthefrontmargins oforbits luterocularspace

Lengthofpectoral,coloredside(probablymaimed) Lengthof pectoral,blindside

Lengthof ventral Origin of analtolateral line

Greatest distancefromanaltostraightpart oflateral Widthof peduncle oftail,narrowest part Height of centre rays of dorsal Lengthoflowerjaw

17^ 141

5|

i f i ly

1 31i 3ii

in

Although

this species isof quite

common

occurrence inthemarkets of

San

Francisco,itappearsto

have

hithertoescapeddescription, prob- ably on accountof its extei-nal resemblance to Girard's Psettichthys melanostietus,from

which

it isnotdistinguished

by

thedealers,

who

are able to discriminate

between most

ofthe other species.

With

several other kinds,it issold

under

the

name

of "Sole."

From

melanostietusit

may

be

known by

the

more backward

originof the dorsalfin,thefirst rays of

which

arelower than those nextfollowing;

by

the largereyes

and

rathernarrower interocular space; the absenceofan accessory dorsal branchtothe lateralline,

and

the

want

ofconspicuous bhickdots

on

the coloredside.

The

surfaceisdecidedlyless

rough

than that of melano- stietus,although the scales areciliated.

The number

of scales in the lateral line isratherditlicult tocount,butthere are aboutfourteen to

an

inch

m an example

liflong(caudal included).

1^0.1

had

90dorsal

and

71analrays; I^o. 2,D.94,A._72;

and

Xo.4,

D.93,A.75.

In the

stomach

of^o.2werethree half-digestedanchovies[Engraulis ringcns)

and

a shrimp-liliecrustacean {Ilippohjtc).

No.2

had

about42 teeth in themandible,

and

at least G2 intheinter- maxillaries, those

on

the colored side

most numerous and

smallest;

whilehi No. 4 the mandible

had

14 teeth

on

the blind,

and

11onthe colored side,the intermaxillariesabout 14

on

theblind,

and numerous

(ca.50) small teeth

on

thecoloredside,without countingthe inner

row

ofstillsmaller teeth.

From H.

limandoides

=

dcntattis,of the Atlantic, thepresentspecies diflersin

having more

dorsal

and

anal rays,

and

in thepresenceof

an

analspine.

76 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

I

have

taken theliberty to

name

thisspecies after

my

friend Prof.D.

S.Jordan,in

acknowledgment

ofthe assistance

and

adviceI

have

re- ceivedfrom him.

PSETTICHTHYS

Girard.

Mouth

large; maxillarybroad, flat, extending to the front of the pupil; teeth well develoi^ed

on

both sidesofthe jaws, iiTCgular. l^s"©

teeth

on vomer

or palatines.

Eyes and

color

on

the right side; ante- rior nostril on colored side tubular, that

on

blind side wdth a flap.

Lower

i)haryngeal teeth inasinglerow. Dorsal

commencing

in

advance

oftheuppereye; ventralslateral; caudalentire.

An

accessory lateral line

on

both sides of the bod}'; lateralline nearly straight. Scales ciliated. Brauchiostegalsseven.

The

onlyoneofGirard's original characters

which

remainstodistin- guishthis genus from HippogJossoidesis the

more

anterior

commence- ment

of the dorsal;asathorough examinationofspecimenslargerthan those described

by

thatauthor_(4fin.long)proves thatciliated scales are

common

tobothgenera.

The

presenceof

an

accessorylateral lineis,

however, acharacter

which

ajipearssufficienttowarrant theseparation ofthisformasagenusor sub-genus,sinceitisusedasageneric char- acterinthePleuronectinw.

PSETTICHTHYS iMELANOSTiCTUS

Girard.

D.78-88.

A.

58-62. C. 3-6-6-3. P.11. Y.6.

Body

elongated, narrow; dorsal

and

abdominal outlines regularly curved

and

nearly equalfrom

nape and

ventrals to caudal peduncle

;

curveofsnoutjoining that of

nape

overthe anterior half of theupper eye; abdominal outline from posterior

end

of mandible to ventrals nearly straight. Greatest depth contained in the total length from aboutthreetoalittle

more

than

two and

ahalftimes;

head

four to

Ave

timesinthe same.

Eyes

small,contained sevento eighttimes; snout (measured fromorbitof upi)ereyetotipof intermaxillaries)aboutfive timesinthe lengthofthe

head

_; peduncleof tailfromthree

aud

a half to fourtimesinthegreatestdepth. Anteriornostriloncolored sidewith ashort tube,theopening wide

and

anterior; that onblind sidewith a raised

margin

or short tube,prolongedposteriori}^_; posteriornostril

on

both sideswithoutflap,its posterior borderin

advance

of the anterior border ofthe orbit.

Eyes

equal in front, lateral; interocular space smooth,not elevated, of variable width.

Mouth

large,oblique; lower

jaw

considerablythe longer,itstip,in the closed moutji, levelwith the lower

margin

of the

upper

eye;aprominent symphysial

knob

;mandible joining theabdominaloutline at

an

obtuse angle. Posteriorextremity ofthe maxillary extending to avertical

drawn

from the front ofthe pupil. Teethrather small,in asingle

row on

bothsidesofboth jaws, conical,sharp, recurved,thoseinfront

much

thelargest inboth jaws,

and

thoseinthemandiblelargerthan those in the intermaxillaries(ex-

PROCEEDINGS OP UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 77

cept three or fourlai'gecaniuesiufront of thelatter). Teeth

on

colored side of

upper jaw

verysmall,numerous. Inadults about 33 teeth iu the mandible, 43-50 in the intermaxillaries.

A

^single

row

^{of six or}

sevensharp,conical, recurvedteeth

on

each

upper

pharyngeal^ lower pharyngeals very slender, each

armed

with a

row

of about twelve sleucier,sharp,recurvedteeth. Gill-rakers offirstbranchial arch about half the lengthofthe eyes, flexible,thoseofthe otherarches similar, butshorter. Originof dorsalalittlein

advance

oftheanterior

margin

ofthe

upper

eye,

and

immediately

above

the posterior nostrilof the blind side; its anteriorrays over the eyes

and on

the occiput higher thanthoseimmediately behind them, but not^quiteequalto the longest raysofthe central portion of thefin,

which

arefrom aboutthe thirtieth to the fortieth rays.

The

firstrayistwistedtotheleft,

toward

the nos- tril.

From

the centralrays thetindeclines regularly to^itstermination opposite to that oftheanal,

and

distantfrom the caudal abouthalfthe depthofits peduncle.

Anal

with

an

acutehorizontal spine,itsorigin oppositethe centre ofthe lengthofthe pectoral,

and

itslongestrays opposite to those of the dorsal. Peduncleofcaudal very sUghtlydilated at thebaseof thatfin,theposterior

margin

of

which

isconvex,

and

the principalrays onceortwicebifurcate, thefirstbifiu'cationataboutone- thirdof theirlength fromthe base. Pectoralof colored sidewith eleven rays,the rays,except the first two,once bifurcate; that ofthe blind side nearlyequalin size

and

similarly bifurcate. Ventralsinsertedwith their posterior axilabouthalfthewidthofthepectoralbasein

advance

of the anterioraxilof that^fin; their rays onceor twice bifurcate,

and

then- extremity

Mliug

short of the vent. Lateral

hue

very slightly raisedabove the pectorals,about 107-118scales

between

itsorigin

and

that of the caudal in a specimen eleven inches long.

An

^accessory

lateral

Une

along the baseofthe dorsal,ending about

under

the24th dorsal ray

on

the colored side,

and under

the 17th-20th

on

the blind side.

A

branch fromthisaccessorylinetothe

main

lateral lineat

back

ofhead; alineof pores, indistinctinsmall specimens,

more

distinct in lai-ger,can be tracedfr-omthe laterallineacrossthe cheekto thelower

margin

ofthe

upper

eye;

and

a little behindthe

end

of thisa

row

of pores branches

downwards around

^{the lowereye,ending oppositethe} posterior

margin

ofthepupil. Scalesverysmall, imbricate,^ciliate, ex- tending over

head and

gill-covers; snout

and

lower

jaw

scaleless. Free

end

ofeachscale tinmcate.

A

single

row

ofsmallscalesalong each ray ofthe dorsal

and

anal

on

the colored side,except

on

about the^first third ofthedorsal

aud

thefirst

two

oj three rays oftheanal. Caudal covered with smallciliated scales

on

thecolored sidealmostto thetip oftherays,

and

with

smooth

scales

on

the coloredside. Scales of blind sidesmooth,a

few

scaleson the basesof the central rayeof the dorsal

aud

analonthis side. Colorof right side ash-gray, interspersedwith

crowded

blackdots just large

enough

to

be

perceptiblewiththe

naked

eye;

numerous

black pointsontheexposed part ofeachscale.

When

78 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

freshtheground-tintislighter,

and

the blackpoints

mnch

lessdistinct thanafterexposuretotheair. Leftsideuniformwhite.

Dimensions.

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 79 Paralichthys maculosus

^Girard.

Uropsetta californica Gill, 1864.

HippoglossuscalifornicusAyres.

D.

G9-76.

A.

53-60. C. 3-12-3. P.10-12. Y.6.

Body

elongated, dorsal outlineforming a

low

regularcurve from the junction of thesnoutto thecaudal peduncle; snoutrather long, a slight depression overthe anteriorpartof the

upper

eye,

where

itjoins the dorsaloutline.

Abdominal

outUue from the extremityofthe mandible to the caudal peduncle forming a curve corresponding ^{to that of}the dorsaloutline. Greatest depth alittlelessthan_f; lengthof

head

about

-3^of the entire length; eye about ^{i-^,}snout-5^4 ofthe lengthofthe head; interocular space -^^-^ of the same; width ofcaudal peduncle about_{i of}the greatestdepth; gTcatest distance

from

anal to straight portion oflateral line less than the lengthof thehead. Anteriornos- trilsofbothsideswith atongue-liketlap

on

their posterior border; pos- terior nostrils patulous, small, slightly in

advance

of the orbit.

Eyes

equal infront,small, the

upper

well below^tliedorsal ridge, yet some-

what

directedupwards. Interocularspace smooth,flat,notelevated,a scarcely perceptible ridge

from

originoflateral

hue

touppereye,

where

itdivides,forming araised

margin

totheposterior portion of that eye;

ashort ridgeover the anterior part ofthe

upper margin

ofthe lower eye; in large individualsthe widthofthe interocularspace exceeds the lengthof the eye.

Mouth

large; maxillary reachingtoavertical

from

theposterior

margin

ofthelowereye,

and

toadistance

below

that eye exceeding itslongitudinal diameter.

Mandible

_{about fV}ofthelength of thehead,its tiplevelwiththe

upper margin

of the lower eye; its straightlower border formingavery obtuse angle with the abdominal outline; a shght symphysial prominence. Teethinboth

jaws

slender, acute, slightly recurved,about15inthe

upper and

8 in thelower

jaw

in individuals

under

^12"long, besides

numerous

rasp-like teeth in the hinder partofthe intermaxillary.

The

frontteeth inthe mandible are longer

and more

recurved thanthose farther back. First pair of

upper

pharyngeals a cushionof villiformteeth,with a

row

of about12 larger recurvedones; second

and

thirdharnpygealsunited,withthree or four irregular rowsof teethlike thelarger of thefirstpair; lower pharyn- gealscovered with^^lliformteeth. Gill-rakers offirstpair ofbranchial archesslender,flexible,nearlyaslongastheeye. Dorsal

commencing

«ver thefront

margin

ofthe

upper

eye; thefirstray^slightlytwistedto theleft; the length of the rays increasingbut slightly toitsgreatest heightinthecentre of ^itslength,

and

thence diminishing veryslowly, forming a

low

arch; thedistance

between

itstermination

and

the origin ofthe caudal about equalto thedepthofthe caudal peduncle; dorsal

and

analcoterminal.

A few

of the posteriorraysofthe dorsal

and

anal are bifiu-cate.

Anal

without spine,its originveryslightlybehind the verticalfrom theanterior axil ofthe pectorals,

and

formingalow arch similar to thatfin,thelongest raysequalinlengthto those of the dor-

80 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

sal.

Caudal

T^'itll

au

undulatingposteriormargin,tliecentralrays

and

outer rays

somewhat

produced; all the principal raysthree or

more

timesbifurcate.

The

longest dorsalrays areaboutthe30th-38th; the longest anal rays about the 15th-23d. Pectoral ofthe colored side abouthalfthelengthofthehead,

and

containedinthe totallengthbe-

tween

nine

and

tentimes; itsraysonceor twice bifurcate, thefirst

two

excepted; thethirdraylongest,thetwelfthabouthalfitslength; pec- toral of the blind sideconsiderablyshorterthanthat of coloredside; its

rays simpleor

some

of

them

once bifurcate. Ventrals inserted

more

thanthewidthofthebaseofthepectoral in front of thatfin,theirtips reachiugnearly tothefourthanal ray; theirlengthabouthalf,oralittle

more

thanhalf,that ofthe pectoral ofthecolored side; the four poste- rior rays once bifurcate. Scales of

body

small,veryfinely ciliate

on

their freemargin, covering the wholeof the

body and

the

head

tothe middle ofthe length of the interorbital space,

and

extending

up

the dorsal

and

anal rays nearlyto theirtips.

Some on

thebroad

end

ofthe maxillary.

Along

the free

margin

ofeach of the principal scales is

ranged avariable

number

of

much

elongated,narrow,accessoryscales, easily

rubbed

off. iiuuierous similar

supernumerary

scales

on

the dor- sal

and

anal rays. Scales of blind side smaller than thoseof colored side,smooth,with accessoryscalesasoncoloredside.

Caudal

covered withscales

on

bothblind

and

colored sides;

some

infrontof the central raysof dorsal

and

aual

on

blindside. Lateralline,insnuiU individuals, containing about 100scales

between

its origin

and

thatof the caudal,

and

raised

above

the pectoral into abold arch ofa diameter exceeding the lengthofthe pectoral,

and

a heightabout equalto thelengthofthe ventral. Colordark reddish

brown

to slatygray above, whitishbelow

;

usuallyfive small light bluish spots along the dorsal region,

and

four alongtheabdominal. Inlarge individuals,the spots are obsolescent or wantiug.

TotalItngtb, ininches Ix'ngtliwithout caudal Greatestdepth ofbody Lengthofhead

Greatest distance of analtostraightpart oflateral line.

Tipoflowerjawtooriginofanal Longitudinal diameter of eye Interocularwidth

Lengthofsnoutfromtippereye Lengthoflowerjaw Lengthof pectoralofcoloredside

Lengthof pectoral of blindside ^

Lengthof ventrals Lengthofarch oflateralline Else of arch oflateral line Widthofcaudalpeduncle Longestdorsalray Longest analrav

No.l. Ko.2. No.3. No.4. No.5.

10

^ n

2i

i

1 IS

12i 103

2J 24 -16

i

H

ii f It's

I

n

in

4 2^

2J 2J-

3

Ih r%

h%

21/s

5J

f 1 2i 2J 1/5

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 81

This is not ofvery frequent occurrenceinour markets, althoughit

canscarcelybecalledrare. Itattains alarger size than

any

other of ourspecies except,thetrue Hippof/lossus,

and

itisprobablythiscircum- stance,togetherwithits elongatedform, that has ledthefishermen to

name

itthe

"Bastard

Halibut."

Large

specimens are sold

under

this

name,

but

immature

individuals are retailed as"Turbot."

The

largest I

have

yetseenweighed,respectively,43

and

5Spounds,

and

thelatter

measured

about4feet10 inches in length

when

entire. Itisverysel-

dom

taken in thebay,

and

is said tobo of

more

frequent occurrence southwards than northwards, butIcannotatpresentascertainitssouth- ernrange.

From

^itsoccurrenceat

Monterey

itisoften calledthe

Mon-

terey halibut. Itissaid tobe atough, coarsefish. It is taken as far north as

Tomales

Bay. Nos.1,2, 3,

and

4 (of

which

the dimensions are given) are young* alcoholic specimens in the

Museum

of the Cal.

Acad.^Sci.,

and

theirdorsal

and

analfin-raysAA^ere,respectively,D.76,

A.

60; D. 70,A.55; D.70,

A.

55;

and

D.71,

A.

53. No. 5

had

69 dor- sal

and

53 anal rays.

Some

specimens

have

afeAvjiores

on

theocci^mt behind

and

above the horizonofthe

upper

eye, running-

downwards and backwards

towards thelateralline.

The number

of scales inthe lateral line isverydifiicult tocount.

From

all the other Californian species withlarge jaws,it

may

be

known by

itselongateform

and

boldlyarched lateral line.

I

have

for

some

time suspectedthat Uropsetta californica(Ayres)Gill,

and

ParalichthysmaculosusGirard,wereidentical,

and

IthinkthatIcan

now

demonstratetheir identity

beyond

reasonabledoubt.

My

suspicion arose as follows:

The

largespecimensofthe

Monterey

halibut,weighing*

40-50 pounds,areconsidered

by

allthedealers tobeofthe

same

speciesas thesmallspecimens,and,from theirgeneralsimilarity,nodoubt as to theiridentitywitheachother

and

with Uropsetta californica arose in

my

mind

until,

on

criticallycouiparing asmall individualwithGirard's de- scrii)tionofP.viaciilosus, Ifoundthatitagreed withthelatter inevery particularexceptinitssinistral eyes

and

color.

Now

arose

two

ques- tions^: 1st.

Were

the large individuals reallyspecificallyidenticalwith the smallonesf 2d.

Was

thereadextral form,and,ifso,

was

the dex- tralform adistinctspeciesf

I

have

not yet

had

theopportunitytotakefull

measurements

of afull-

grown

individual, asallthelargeonesI

have

seen

were

cut

up

beforeI

examined

them, butI

have

thefollowing- reasons togive for includiug- allunder onespecies

:

1st.

The

formofthecaudalfin

and

the outline of the posterior]}artof the

body

are alike in large

and

small sinistralindividuals; theformer havingthesinuousposteriormargin,withthe central

and

externalrays l)roduced,described

by

Girardas characteristic ofP. macuJosus.

2d.

The

smaller sinistral individualsagree with Ayres'sdescription of Hlppoglossus₍Uropsetta)cali/ornicus,except in theform of thetail,

which

is

shown

as slightlyconcavein Ajtcs'sfigure (Proc. Cal.

Acad.

Proc.Nat.

Mus.

79 6

July 9,18 79.

82 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

ii, 18G0,fig.10).

The

^figureisbut asketcli,

and

isinaccurate in

many

respects.

3d.

The

larger individuals are always sold as"halibut," attain the dimensionsof the true halibut,

and

areevidentlyidenticalwith Ayres's species.

4th.

The

smallsinistralindividuals

have

all the characters ofPara-

liclitliyfimaculosKsGir.,excei)t the position of the eyes

and

color,

and some

differenceinthecolorofthespots.

These

reasons,although theypoint strongly

towards

identity,do not proveit;butI

have

latelyi)rocured

an

individual (No.5)

which

has the characteristicsofAyres's species,yet isdextral,thus agreeingexactly withthat ofGirard; so thatIcan

now add

to

my

reasons

—

5th.

A

sjiecimen ofdimensions intermediate

between

that of Girard

(7'long)

and

thelargeindividuals before

mentioned

has thecharacters of U. californica,butisdextral, as stated

by

Girardin hisdescription of P. maculosm. Inthis specimen,the interorbitalareaisproportionally

much

widerthanin the smaller examples, exceeding the longitudinal diameteroftheeye;

and

the

row

of spotsalongthedorsal

and

abdomi- nal outlines, so evident in the small individuals, is almost obsolete, tracesofoneor

two

of theposteriorones beingallthatisleftofthem.

The

principalcaudal raysare

many

times dichotomized, the baseofthe fin isfleshy,

and

its scalycovering is very conspicuous;

some

ofthe raysoftherightpectoralaretwicebifurcate; abouteight oftheposte- riorraysofthedorsal

and

analare bifurcate; each rayof the dorsal

and

anal(except the

most

anterior

and

posterior)is seen tohave,

upon

its anteriorface,aroAVofi^rincipal scales,

and numerous

accessoryscales, allresembling thoseofthebody,butsmaller; eachscaleofthe

body

is

seen tobe followed

by

several

supernumerary

scales arranged

around

itsposterior

margin

;

and

thepectoral of thecolored side has only ten rays; that oftheblind side eleven.

As

thisis theonlydextral

exam-

j)leoutofabout tenindividuals that

have come under my

observation, I

am

inclined to believe that dextralspecimens arecomparativelyrare, at least

on

this part ofthe coast.

As

the generic

name

Faralichthys has precedence over thatof Uropseita,it

must

be retained for the spe- cies,

which must

henceforthbe

known

asFaraUchthj maculosus.

CITIIARICHTnYS

Blocker.

Mouth

large,thebroad,flatmaxillary

more

thanone-thirdthelength ofthe head,

and

extendingtobelowthe pupil.

Eyes and

coloron theleft side. Teeth in both

jaws

in a single series, unequal in size, nearly equallydeveloped

en

both sides ofthe

jaws

;

no

vomerineor palatine teeth.

Lower

pharyngeal bones with asingle

row

ofteeth. Gill-rakers lanceolate.

Branch

iostegals seven. Dorsal fin

commencing on

the snout; dorsal

and

analrays simple; ventralfinof colored side inserted

on

the ridge of the

abdomen.

Lateral line nearly straight. Scales moderate.

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 83

Metoponops Gill is evidently identical with Citharlchthys. All the cliaractersusuallyconsideredgeneric agree;

and

thespecificcliaracters given (Proc.

Acad.

jSTat. Sci. Phil.1804:,198) arethose

which

properly belong to CitharichtJn/s sordidus Girard. Girard's description, taken

froiJian

immature

individual5^in.long,isin

many

respects defective;

that ofGill approaches

much

nearer to completeness, but,as it

was

taken froma single sun-driedspecimen,it

shows

characters

which

arise fromthe drying.

CixnARiciiTiiYS

SORDIDUS

(Girard) Giinther.

FsctticldhjjssordidusGirard, D.92-99.

A.

72-81. C. 3-11-3. P.13. V.^6.

Outlineof

body

sub-ellipsoid,but thedorsal

and

abdominaloutlines not correspondent,thehighestpoint oftheformersituatedoverthetip ofthepectoral,whilethelowestpoint ofthelatteris

below

thebaseof the

same

fin.

Snout

almost continuous with thedorsaloutline,

which

risesrapidly to thehighest point in aboldcurve,

and

thencefallswith a gently sigmoid curvaturetothecaudal peduncle.

Abdominal

outline almoststraight totheventrals,thence witha slightsigmoid curve

around

the lowestpoint to thecaudalpeduncle.

Thus

thehinder partof the

body

tapersgraduallyinaline

which becomes

slightlyconcave,bothabove

and

below,asitapproaches the caudal peduncle. Greatestdepthof

body

contained 2^^times; lengthofthe

head

4|^-timesinthe greatestlength

;

longitudinal diameterofeye about-|,snout (measuredfrom the lower eye) about ^ofthelengthofthe side of the head. Distancefromorigin of anal to lateral line slightly in excess of the length ofthe

head

;

peduncleoftail short,abouti ofthe greatestwidth, slightlywidening

toward

caudal.

Eyes

elliptical,large,the

upper

turned

somewhat

upward, thelowerlateral,

and

about iofitslongitudinaldiameterin

advance

of the

upper

; interocularspac3 equaltoabouthalf the transversediameter of the eye,

and made

to appear narrower

by an

elevated ridge,which,

commencing on

thecheeks,passes along theposterior lower

margin

of the

upper

eye, descends obliquely to the

upper margin

ofthe lower orbit,

and

continuestothe intermaxillary.

A

lessprominentridgealong thelower

margin

of the

upper

eye,

merging

intheprincipal ridge

where

it

commences

todescend.

Thus

theanterior

and

larger portion of thein- teroculararea isconcave, l^ostrilsofcolored side in a

hue

with the

upper margin

ofthe lower eye; anterior nostrils ofbothsideswith a long

narrow

liapinfront; posterior simple.

The

anteriornostrilof the colored sidehas alsoaraised margin, prolonged

somewhat

posteriorly.

Mouth

large,oblique_;extremityofthemandibleslightly projecting,

and

on alevelwith the

upper margin

ofthe pupil of thelower eye

when

the

mouth

isclosed.

The

lower borderofthemandible almostinastraight linewiththe anteriorpartoftheabdominaloutline. Posteriorextremity ofthe maxillary extending to avertical

drawn midway between

the

84 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

centre

and

thefront ofthepupil of thelowereye. Teethslender, acute, incurved, closely set at regular distancesfrom eachother,graduallyin- creasing insizeforwards; about equal^insizeon both^{sides of}bothjaws,

and

extendingthefulllengthofthe

gape on

bothsides.

Upper

phar^^l- gealseach witha singlerow^ofG-8slender, rather long, sharp,recurved teeth; lower pharyngeals each with a single functional

row

of sinnlar teeth,allbut

some

ofthe

most

anteriorburiedinthe

gum

^{almostto their}

points; lower pharyngeal bones separate, Gill-rakers of 1st pair of branchial arches about equalⁱⁿlength to the width oftheinterocular space, rather^stiff; thoseof the otherarches gradually diminishing^tothe fourth;spinuloseon^their

upper

edge. Dorsalarising alittlebefore the anteriorrimofthe upperorbit,closebehind theposterior nostril ofthe blind side; graduallyincreasing inheight toabout the 38th-48th^rays,

which

are behind the highest point^{ofthe dorsal outline,}

and

thence rapidlydecreasing;thelastrayssmall

and

closelyset.

Anal

arising ver- ticalwiththe posterioraxilofthebaseofthepectorals; itslongestrays (23d-27th)

somewhat

deeper than thoseof the dorsal are high.

From

these rays the depthof the fin diminishes rapidly to its termination opposite that of the dorsal; the posterior rays,likethoseof thatfin,very small

and

closelyset.

No

^analspine visible externally. Posteriormar- ginofcaudal almoststraight

when

closed, butslightly

wedge-shaped

;

thecentre rays longest,

when opened

out; principalraysbifurcate three times. Pectoralofleftor colored side about ^of the total length,

and

consisting of thirteen rays,^all,except thefirst three, once bifurcate

;

fourthraylongest. Pectoralof right side§-t^{of the}lengthofthatof the colored side^; rayssimple. Ventrals short,but broad atbase

and

broadly

rounded when

opened,their tips extending

beyond

the third analray,

and

the posterior

margin

of theirbasesituatedalittleanterior totheanterioraxilofthe pectoral. Ventralof the colored side

on

the abdominalridge; rayssimple. Lateral linealmoststraight, yet rising

somewhat

anteriorly; very ^distinct; tubes simple.

Number

of scales

between

baseofcaudal

and head

05-70.

No

hnesofpores on head.

Scales rather large, very thin

and

flexible, deciduous, almost

mem-

branous,

smooth

; thefree

end

truncate,each pocketofthe dermisbor- dered

by

a delicate

membrane

ofdarkercolor than thescale,

and

often

broken up

into tags;

engaged

portion of scale with slight radiating stria).

Those

of tlie anterior portion are as deep as long, or even deeper;thoseoftheposteriorpartof the

body and

of thecaudal peduncle are

more

orlesselongated.

The

scalesvary

much

in size

and

shape

;

thelargest areon the abdominal region behind

and

belowthe pectoral;

thesmallest around the eyes

and on

the interorbitalspace, snout,

and

lower

jaw;

the

two

latter onlypartiallycovered with scales. Dorsal

and

anal with a

row

ofsmallscalesalong each ray

on

thecoloredside.

Caudal

scaly at the base,

and

with the

membrane between

tlie rays coveredAvithscalesonbothsides. Scales of blind side similar tothose of colored. Color dull reddish yellow; the outlineofe.ach scale ren- dereddistinct

by

the

margin

of darker

membrane

behind each ^scale

;

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 85

verticalfinsofa uniform dark slatytint. Colorof blind side uniform creamy.

Totallength, ininches Lengthwithout caudal

Greatest distance fromoriginofanalto lateral lino.

Greatest depth ofbody Lengthofhead

Lengthofpectoral,coloredside Lengthofpectoral,blindside Lengthofveutrals Longitudinal diameter of eye Lengthofsnout,fromlower eye

^Vidth of interocularspace,about Longestdorsalray

Lengthoflowerjaw

WidthofjjeduncleoftaU,narrowest part

^'umberof dorsalrays Numberof analrays

lOJ

-•i-

2-1

ih

H H

h'^

91g 8i

H

Is ii s§

T5

a

99 81

Three other specimens, thefin-raysof

which were

counted,

had

respect- ivelyD.95,A.72^; D.93,

A.

70,

and

D.98.

Girard gives the

number

of dorsal rays as 82, while

none

of the specimens

which

I

have examined have

lessthan 92.

As

therangein

number

of dorsal

and

anal fin-raysisconsiderable in the individuals I

have

examined,it is quite possible that

some may have

asfewas 82 dorsalrays; but thecloseagreementin the

number

of analrays found

by

Girard

and by

myselfleads

me

to supi)Ose that the

number

82is a typographicalerror.

This isa tolerably

common

species in our markets, but is usually taken outside ofthe bay. I

have

not yet seen

any

exceeding 12-14 inches in length.

From

Xo.5

was

taken a specimenofEngraulisringens,

which

it

had

onlypartiallyswallowed

when

caught;thetail

hanging

outofthemouth.

The

Engraulis thus appears to be afavorite articleoffood withat leastthree ofourlarge-mouthedfiat-fishes. Thisspecies

may

bereadily recognized

by

itssinistral coloration

and

eyes,its

smooth

scales,dirty yellowcolor,

and

thegradualtapering of the

body

into thecaudalpeduncle, with a concave curve on bothdorsal

and

abdominal outlines. Unlike FlatichthyssteUatits

and

Paralichthys maculosus, this speciesappearsto beinvariablysinistral.

GLYPTOCEPHALUS

Gottsche.

Form

extremely elongated;

mouth

small,theshort,

narrow

maxillary scarcelyreaching thefront

margin

of theeye; teeth

most

developed

on

the blind side, incisor-like,broad, equal,forming a continuouscutting edge. !N"ovomerineor palatine teeth.

Upper

pharyngeal bones each with

an

obliquely transverse

row

ofabout nine bluntly conical teeth;

lower pharyngeals with asingle

row

of similarteeth. Brauchiostegals seven.

Eyes and

color

on

the rightside. -Anteriornostrilswith ashort

86 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

tube,prolongedposteriorly. iSToaccessorylateral line; lateral linevery nearlystraight. Dorsalfiuverylong,of

more

than ninety rays;scales smooth.

Anal

with orwithout a spine; caudal convex

on

posterior margin.

The

following

two

speciesareseparated

by

well-markedcharactersfrom eachother; but ^I

have

not considered itnecessaryto use a different generic

name

for G.zacMrus^in

which

theanalis preceded

by

aspine,

and

the teeth arecontinuedfarther

on

theblindside.

GLYPTOCEniALUS TACIFICUS

Sp.nov.

D.99-104.

A.

80-87. P. 10-12. V.G. 0. 3-8-8-3.

Form

elongateellii^soid,dorsal

and

abdominaloutlinescurvingregu- larly

and

similarly from

head

to caudal peduncle,

which

slightly in- creases inAvidtliposteriorly.

Snout

continuous withdorsaloutline,but ylightly

more

curved; lower

margin

of

head

straight. Greatestwidth contained about 3f^,

head more

than5timesin thetotallength,orthe former about2t^

and

thelatterabout 4^ timesinthelength without the caudal.

Eyes

about\-4-; snout (measured from tlie lower eye)^-\of thelengthofthehead. Anteriornostrilon bothsidestubular,thetube short,itsposterior

margin produced

intoaflaj)_; posteriorwithoutflap.

Nostrils small;hinder

margin

of posteriornostrilaboutverticalwith the anterior

margin

oftheui^i^er orbit.

Lower

eye

somewhat

in

advance

of the upper,

which

reachesthe dorsalprofileatitsanteriorextremity. lu- terorbitalspacea very narrow,smooth,

somewhat

elevatedridge of bone.

Cleftof

mouth

nearlyequal

on

bothsides,verysmall,oblique; the

max-

illaryreaching butlittle

beyond

averticalfrom the anterior

margin

of thelowereye,

and

scarce so far as averticalfrom that ofthe upper.

Tipof

mandible

levelwith thecentreofthelowereye,

and

scarcely pro- jecting in the closed mouth. Lips tolerablyw^ell developed. Teeth broad,thin, incisor-like,forming a continuous sharpcuttingedge along theblind side ofboth jaws, butinboth endingrather abruptlybefore reaching thecoloredside.

Twelve

teeth inthelower

and

nineortenin the

upper

jaw; thoseattheanterior

commencement

ofthe

row

slightly smallerthanthe others.

Upper

pharyngeal bones with 5-9 sharpconi- calteeth

on

each,the anteriorwith thegreatest

number;

lowerpharyn- geal teeth in

two

rows,sharp, conical,thoseofthe inner

row

largerthan thoseoftheouter,exceptinfront,

where

there are a fewlarger teeth;

equalin size inbothrows. Gill-rakers short, slender,flexible,lanceo- late. Dorsal

and

anallong

and

low,similar,coterminous,fleshyatbase

;

the rayssimple, theirtips free. Dorsal

commencing

opposite the centre ofthepupil of the

upper

eye,thelongestrays a^littlebehind thecentre ofthelengthofthefin,

and

_{about ^}of thewidthofthe

body

inlength.

5^0spine before anal,thefirst rayof

which

isonlyalittlei)osterior to the hinderpectoralaxil,

and

itslongestraysopposite

and

equaltothose ofthe dorsal. Distancefrom the

end

ofthedorsal

and

analfinstothe caudal equal toabouthalf the depthofthe caudal peduncle. Caudal w^iththree orfouraccessoryrays

on

eachside,notvery wide;posterior

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 87

raargin slightly

convex when

opened, theprincipalraystwice bifurcate.

Pectorals small; that of colored sidecontained about 8^ times ^{in the} total length; rays twelvein

number,

^{oncebifurcate. Pectoralof blind} side scarcely three-fourths aslongas that ofthecolored side;raysnine orten,

some

of

them

bifurcate. Veutrals verysmall, insertedabout the widthof thepectoralbasein

advance

of the anterior axil of thatfin

;

theirlength contained

more

thanlive timesin that of thehead. Late- ral linestraight,passing alongthe

median

lineof theside of the

body and

of the caudal,about 140scalesfrom itsorigin totliebaseof that

lin. Scalesvery small,smooth,

becoming

smaller alongthe dorsal

and

abdominal margins;smaller scalescontinuingfor

some

distance

upwards and downwards on

thebasesofboththe dorsal

and

anal,

upon

bothblind

and

colored sides, especially

upon

the latter,

where

scales cover the wholesurtace

between

a.swell as

upon

therays.

The

^{basesofthepec-}

torals

and

caudal are also covered withscales

on

bothsides.

On

the fore part of the anal,thescales^reaclitothetipsof the rays.

The

^scales

upon

thefinsare

much

smaller than those

upon

the body. Scales

on

blind sidesmooth; snoutscaleless. Color nearly uniform dark blackish gray; the scales covered ontheir exposed portionwitli black points,

which

cannot be distinguished

by

the

naked

eye. Blind side

opaque

white,with

numerous

small black dots evenlydistributed. Fins oncol- oredsidewith the

membrane

lightslate-color,sprinkled with small black dots; therays

and

scales ofthe

same

color asthe body. Distalmargins ofallthefins considerablydarker.

The

black dots extendtotheinte- riorof themouth, covering tliehyoidsurfaces,

and

thepharyngealteeth aretipped with reddish orange.

Dimensions.

Total lengthto tipof caudal,in iuclics Lengthwithoutcaudal,about

Greatest depth, about ^-

Lengthofhead

Lengthofpectoral,blindside Lengthofpectoral,coloredside Lengthof ventrals Diameter(longitudinal)ofeye Widthofinterorbitalspace

Lengthof snout, horizontal,fromlower eye Distancefromtipof mandibleto originof anal Widtlifromtipof highest rays of dorsalto tipsofdittoof

8rk

2i

anal

Widthofcaudal peduncleinnarrowest part

—

Lengthofsnoutfromlower eye

Distancefromtipof mandibleto originof anal Lengthwithoutcaudal,about

Widtlifromtipofdorsal to tipof anal rays Widthofcaudalpeduncle

Lengthoflowerjaw Origin of analto lateral line

Numberofdorsalrays Kumberofanal rays

10^

lis

h it

Xo.4. No.5.

n

88 PROCEEDINGS OP UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

The

scales

upon

the

body and

fins arehighlydeciduous,

and

thelat- erallineis

much

lessdistinctly

pronounced

thaninthe succeedingspe- cies.

Although

the lowestpairofbranchiostegalsis not easyto

make

out,I

have no

doubtthatsevenisthe correctnumber.

The

individual 10^^in length,iS'o.3, is the largest I

have

yet seen,

and

is probably adult. Inflavorthis fishisinferiortoG. zachirns. Thisspecies

was

cer- tainlynot broughtto

market

duringthewinter months. Ifirst

saw

it

March

15,

and

fiom thatdate to the

end

ofApril a

few have

usually

been

exposedforsale,butitcannotbesaid tobe abundant. Itis not taken within thebay.

The dark

color,elongatedform,

and

correspondinglylongdorsal

and

analfinsrenderthisspecieseasytodistinguishfrom every other except G. sachirus,fromAvhich it can be

known by

its short pectoral, entire

want

of teeth

on

coloredside,

and more

pointedformofthe frontpart ofthe head,as well as

by

theabsence of

an

anal spine. G.ijacifieus differsfromG. cynoglossus of theAtlanticinthegreater relativelength ofthe head, the smaller

number

of teeth in the upper jaw,

and

the smaller

number

of dorsal

and

anal rays.

Glyptocepiialus

zaciiirus sp.nov.

D.94-lOG. A.79-89. C. 5-G-7-4. P. 11-13. Y.«.

Body

elongate-ovate,theanterior portionoftheoval shorterthan the posterior; snoutdeclivous,almostvertical, its tiplevelwith the

upper margin

ofthe lowereye,

and

itscurve unitingwithoutsensibledepres- sionwith that ofthe

nape

; dorsal outline risingwith aregular gentle curve from the snouttoabout the twenty-seconddorsal ray,thencede- cliningvery gradually

and

regularlywith butslight cur\'ature to the caudal peduncle.

The abdominal

outline is almost straightfrom the

knob

ofthemandibletothe ventral; from thenceto the

end

of the anal curved ⁱⁿ the isame

manner

as the dorsal outline. Peduncle of tail slightlyexj)anded towards thecaudal,its leastwidth aboutone-fourth ofthe greatestdepthof thebody.

The

greatestwidthof the

body

is

contained from 3J^to3itimes,

and

thelengthof the

head

from about_5J^

to5i-times in the total length; the eye about _{3 J times,}

and

thesnout about 8 times in thelengthofthe head.

The

greatest distancefrom theanal to thelateralline is less than the lengthofthe head.

Eyes

large,elliptical, lateral,the lower in

advance

of the upper abouthalf the lengthofthepupil,

and

scarcelyreaching the dorsal profileante- riorly. Interocular space very narrow, about ^ of the longitudinal diameterofthe eye,smooth, not raisedabovethe eye in afresh fish.

A

^{slight ridgerises} at ^its posterior part, forms the lower posterior

margin

of the

upper

eye,

and

diesout

on

the cheek. Kostrilsofriglit side levelwith the upper

margin

of the lowereye; the anteriorwith ashort tube, the posterior with a raised margin,

and

vertical with the front

margin

of the lower orbit. Posterior nostril of blind side in

advance

of the eye; anterior nostril nearly as on colored side.

PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEQM. 89 The

^nostrils are small

and

inconspicuous.

Gape

of

mouth

very small

on

colored side,considerablylarger onthe

Mind

side.

On

the colored sidethecleftisnearerverticalthanhorizontal; theposterior

end

ofthe maxillary reachesverylittlebehind the anterior

margin

of the orbitof thelowereye,

and

the symphysisoftheintermaxillariesis aboutlevel withthe

upper

edgeofthe orbit.

Mandible

projecting in the closed mouth,short,not passing averticalfromthe front

margin

ofthepupil, with a prominent

knob

below the symphysis,

and

a smallerone atits posterior extremity. Teeth on both sides ofthe

jaws

throughout the fulllengthofthe gape,ina singlerow, broad, butthick,forming a blunt continuousedge,aboutthirty-four in thelower

jaw and

ratherfewerin the upperin

an

individual ll^^r' long. In

an example

14|'long there

were

14 teeth

on

the colored

and

20on the

bUnd

sideof themandible, thelatterthe larger; inthe intermaxillaries, 13 on thecolored

and

23

on

the blindside.

Each

lower pharyngeal withadouble

row

of teeth, theinner largerthanthe outer; thefour anterior teeth of the outer

row

conspicuouslylargerthanthose following.

About

12 teeth ineachinner row.

Upper

pharyngeals each withaclose-set

row

of G-7bluntconical teeth. Branchiostegals seven; gill-rakers few, flexible, very short.

Dorsal

commencing between

Ihe front of theorbit

and

the pupil,con- siderablybehindthe nostrils,long

and

low,formingacontinuousarch of slightly greatercurvaturethan thedorsaloutline,the longest rays in thecentral portion,

and

endingopposite tothe analatabouttwo-thirds ofthewidthofthecaudal peduncle from theoriginofthecaudal.

Anal

with ahorizontal spine, thefirstrayrather distantfromthe visible por- tion of the spine,

and

nearly the lengthofthe ventralbehind thepec- toralbase; similar to the dorsal.

Almost

alltheraysof dorsal

and

anal directedbackwards.

Caudal convex

onposteriormargin,rathernarrow, the rays oncebifurcate,sometimesbifurcateagainnear thetips. Pectoral of colored sideexceedingly long

and

lanceolate, aboutone-fourth ofthe totallengthofthefish; thefirstfiverayssimple,theothersoncebifur- cate.

Fourth

raylongest,fifth nearlyequal,sixth a littlelongerthan thethird,thence diminishingrapidly.

Usual

proportionofthefirstfour rays3-S-10-12. Pectoralof blind side lanceolate, rather

more

thanone- third ofthelengthof that ofthecoloredside,

and

formedof the

same num-

berof rays,thefirstfour simple,theothersonce forked; fourth

and

fifth rayslongest. Ventralsinserted so that theirhinderaxilisverticalAvith, oralittleposteriorto,the anterioraxilof the pectoral;theirtipsreaching tothefirstanalray;thefour posteriorrays oncebifurcate. Lateralline almost straight, risingvery shghtlyanteriorly,formedofa double

row

of tubes,about 138 in

number,

excluding those

upon

the caudal.

A

row

of similarpores

commencing

attheridge

under

the

upper

eye,

and

continuing

around

the lower eye almost to its frontmargin. Scales small,smooth,uniform over the body,

and

extending over the

head

to the snout,

on which

theyare smaller. Intermaxillaries

and

mandibles scaleless. Scales of blind side ^similar.

Caudal

scaly

on

both sides

;

90 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM.

110scales

on

tlie otherfins. Color imiformbroAMiish or cinereous; fins darker.

The

colorformed

by

minute dark spots

on

"the scales.

Mem-

brane

between

fin-raysclosely setwithdarkpoints. Blindside whitish, the

ground

tintclouded with

numerous

blackpoints.

Greatestlength, ininches Lengthwithout caudal Greatest depth ofbody

Greatest depth over dorsalandanalfins