Genus: Syacium, Sand Flounder, Flounders

SYACIUM

FLOUNDERS

Eyes on left side; mouth of moderate length, ends under mid-eye; jaws on blind side not arched; fixed teeth in 2 rows in upper jaw, 1 row lower jaw, front teeth enlarged; pectoral fins on both sides of body, with branched rays; pelvic fins symmetrically positioned on belly, base of eye-side fin on body midline, short bases; urinary papilla on blind side, immediately behind anus; lateral line well developed on both sides, not extending onto head, starts at corner of operculum, relatively straight, no branch under lower eye; scales very rough in eye-side, smooth an blind side.

A genus with 8 species found on both side of the Atlantic, western Indian Ocean as well as eastern Pacific; 1 endemic and 2 W Atlantic species in our region.