Species: Symphurus arawak, Caribbean Tonguefish, Coral Reef Tonguefish

Symphurus arawak Robins & Randall, 1965

Coral Reef Tonguefish, Caribbean Tonguefish

Body highly compressed, elongate, oval, tapers to pointed tail; body relatively deep, deepest at front 1/3 of body; head long and wide; snout long and pointed; eyes small, close together, lower eye larger; no cover on pupil; front nostril on blind side a bump; mouth small, arched (strongly on blind side), at front or a little under snout; eye side lower jaw without fleshy crest; teeth well developed on all jaws; preopercle edge covered with skin; dorsal 70-76 rays; anal 55-61 rays; pectoral fins absent, represented by a fine membrane; only left pelvic fin present, 4 rays, on body midline, joined to anal fin by delicate membrane; dorsal and anal fins confluent with the pointed caudal fin; tail fin 12 rays; scales rough, on both sides; rays of dorsal and anal without scales on blind-side; 55-65 lateral scales; no lateral line.

Top side yellowish to whitish, 2-7 (usually 4-5) complete or incomplete diffuse dark bars on body, sometimes extending onto bases of fins; sometimes with short, incomplete crossbars forming 6-10 large, irregularly placed blotches; tail fin dark to black; blind side with small dark dots along trunk, best developed along fin bases and covering entire rear 1/3 of body; dorsal and anal pale at front, gradually shading to very dark at rear; lining of gut cavity without pigment.

Size: 6 cm.

Habitat: on reef rock and sand areas adjacent to coral reefs.

Depth: 3-39 m.

The Bahamas to the S Caribbean.