Species: Symphurus undecimplerus, Dark-cheek tonguefish, Imitator tonguefish
Symphurus undecimplerus Munroe & Nizinski, 1990
Dark-cheek tonguefish, Imitator tonguefish
Body highly compressed, elongate, oval, tapers to pointed tail; eyes small close-set, on left side, pupils with well developed covers; snout rounded; mouth small, curved, strongly so on blind side, short, not reaching rear of eye; margin of preoperculum concealed by skin and scales; dorsal origin ~ above upper eye; dorsal rays 97-105; anal rays 80-87; dorsal and anal fins confluent with the pointed tail fin; only left pelvic fin present, 4 rays, on body midline, joined to anal fin by delicate membrane; pectoral fins absent, represented by a fine membrane; tail with 11 rays; no lateral line; scales rough, on both sides of body; scales in longitudinal series 95-112.
Top side light to dark brown, becoming darker on rear ¼; 6-9 diffuse crossbars, many complete, most obvious in mid-body; dorsal and anal clear, last 1/3 darker than body; tail black; dark blotch on lower mid operculum; lining of gut cavity without pigment.
Size: 15 cm.
Habitat: sand and mud bottoms.
Depth: 15-55 m.
Southern Mexico to Peru.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Sand & gravel
- Mud
- Soft bottom only
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- No Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- No Data
- Mobile benthic worms
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Egg Type
-
- No data
- Pelagic larva
- Pelagic
- Global Endemism
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- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- East Pacific endemic
- All species
- Regional Endemism
-
- TEP endemic
- All species
- Continental TEP endemic
- Continent only
- Continent
- Mexican + Panamic provinces endemic
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 15
- Depth Range Min
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- 15
- Depth Range Max
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- 55
