Teleostei (teleosts) >
Pleuronectiformes (Flatfishes) >
Cynoglossidae (Tonguefishes) > Symphurinae
Etymology: Symphurus: Greek, syn, symphysis = grown together + Greek, oura = tail (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Linnaeus.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range 0 - 183 m (Ref. 26268), usually 1 - 30 m (Ref. 26268). Subtropical; 45°N - 15°N, 94°W - 65°W (Ref. 26268)
Western Atlantic: New York south through the Florida Keys (USA), through the northern Gulf of Mexico to the Campeche Peninsula, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Cuba.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 10.1, range 8 - ? cm
Max length : 21.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 52683)
Dorsal soft rays (total): 85 - 92; Anal soft rays: 69 - 72. Eyed side dark brown, sometimes with narrow bars; large blackish patch on opercle.
Very abundant in shallow coastal waters and estuaries. Found on soft muddy bottoms. Feeds mainly on small benthic invertebrates, principally small crabs, polychaetes, copepods, amphipods and ostracods.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray, 1986. A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p. (Ref. 7251)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 17.7 - 27.9, mean 24.4 °C (based on 406 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00457 (0.00370 - 0.00565), b=3.19 (3.13 - 3.25), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.2 ±0.40 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tmax=5).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (32 of 100).