Blackcheek Tonguefish

Eyed side dark brown, sometimes with narrow bars; large blackish patch on opercle.

Dorsal soft rays (total): 85 - 92; Analsoft rays: 69 - 72

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.

fisheries: minor commercial; price category: very high; price reliability: very questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this family

Western Atlantic: from New York south through the Florida Keys (USA), through the northern Gulf of Mexico to the Campeche Peninsula, Mexico, the Bahamas, and Cuba

benthic