Species: Symphurus urospilus, Spottail Tonguefish

Symphurus urospilus Ginsburg, 1951

Spottail Tonguefish

Body highly compressed, elongate, oval, tapers to pointed tail; body very deep; head moderately long and wide, much shorter than wide; snout rounded; eyes small, close-set, on left side, relatively large; a well developed cover for pupils; mouth small, curved, strongly so on blind side; lower jaw with a distinct fleshy crest on eye-side; eye-side upper jaw usually without teeth; preopercle edge covered with skin; dorsal fin 82-90 rays, its origin behind or over rear edge of top eye; anal fin 64-74 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 usually 11 rays; scales rough, on both sides of body; 67-82 lateral scales; eyes with 3-4 rows of small rough scales on front half; no lateral line.

Top side dark brown, with black scale edges and 4-11 (usually 6-10) well developed, complete, sharply contrasting crossbars; blind side creamy white, without dark dots; lining of gut cavity unpigmented; dorsal and anal fins uniformly dark brown; outer 1/2 of tail fin with a well developed ocellated round black spot.

Size: 18 cm.

Habitat: on live bottom habitats; not in estuaries.

Depth: 5-324 m, but rare below 40 m.

N Carolina to the N Caribbean.