Species: Gymnachirus texae, Fringed Sole

Gymnachirus texae (Gunter, 1936)

Fringed Sole

Body oval; eyes small, on right side; snout rounded; mouth small, arched, a little below snout; lips fleshy; rear edge of preopercle covered with skin; gill openings wide, united before pelvic fins; dorsal origin ~before level of eye; pelvic on eye side fused to anal; pectorals present or absent; no scales, body covered with loose skin, with long cirri on pale spaces between dark bars; lateral line from head to tail, straight, 5-9 (usually < 8) accessory lines across main line on right side, 3rd accessory LL 27-38 (21-48) pores.

Eye side of adults with 25-49 (usually >30) dark narrow (1/2 width of pale interspaces) complete and partial cross bars across body and dorsal and anal fins; tail with 4-6 complete and incomplete crossbars. Juvenile may be all dark.

Reaches 15 cm.

Lives on soft bottoms, entering brackish water.

Depth range: 20-187 m, usually 55-90 m.

The Gulf of Mexico and the NW Caribbean.