Species: Symphurus stigmosus, Blotchfin Tonguefish

Symphurus stigmosus Munroe, 1998

Blotchfin Tonguefish

Body highly compressed, elongate, relatively deep, deepest in anterior 1/3, tapers rapidly behind midpoint to pointed tail; head short, wide, shorter than wide; snout moderately short, rounded; small close-set eyes on left side; eyes large, round, contiguous, about same position; no cover for pupils; snout rounded; mouth small, curved, strongly so on blind side, reaches under just before front edge of pupil of lower eye; eye side lower jaw without fleshy crest; teeth well developed on both jaws, a complete row on top and bottom eye-side jaws; preopercle edge covered with skin; dorsal fin 93 (89-95) rays, its origin over front edge of top eye; anal fin 80 (78-81) 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 (11-12) rays; scales rough, on both sides of body; 98-100 lateral scales; eyes with 3-5 rows of scales on front half; blind side rays of dorsal and anal without scales; no lateral line.

Upper body uniform light brown; peritoneum black, visible through body wall on both sides; lower side pale; dorsal and anal fins with a dark brown stripe along entire basal 1/3 of fin, rear 2/3 of dorsal fin and rear ½ of anal fin with series of 5 (4-6) square dark blotches that are slightly smaller than pale interspaces, rear blotches larger; tail fin uniform clear.

Size: 13 cm.

Habitat: mud bottoms

Depth: 192-373 m.

The Bahamas to the central Caribbean.