Speckled Tongue Sole

Description: Characterized by tan body color with elongate brown dashes, concentrated on head and along dorsal and ventral margins of body; caudal rays 8; midlateral line scales 71-78; eyed side with three lateral lines, 12-14 scale rows separating middle and upper lateral lines; head length 19.4-21.6% SL; eye diameter 10.8-15.4% head length; interorbital space 2.1-7.1% head length; tubular anterior nostril on ocular side, in front of eye; absence of posterior nostril on eyed side; rounded snout, 25-30.4% in head length; short rostral hook, not extending to vertical through front of anterior nostril; maxillary extending to below posterior half of lower eye; ctenoid scales on eyed side, cycloid to weakly ctenoid on blind side; blind side without lateral line; depth of body 25.4-28.6% SL (Ref. 90102).

Dorsal soft rays (total): 100 - 105; Analsoft rays: 79 - 87; Vertebrae: 50 - 52

Inhabits sand and silt bottoms of coastal seas, rarely seen near reefs (Ref. 90102).

fisheries: of no interest

Cynoglossus itinus (Snyder)

Trulla itina Snyder, 1909:609 [type-locality: Naha, Okinawa, Japan].—Jordan, Tanaka, and Snyder, 1913:337.—Kamohara, 1952:58.—Kuroda, 1954:66.

Cynoglossus itinus.—Ochiai, 1959:200; 1963:79, pl. 17: fig. 1.

Cynoglossus punctatus Shen, 1969:21, figs. 9–19 [type-locality: Hong Kong].

DESCRIPTION.—Based on 8 specimens, 99.5–131.0 mm SL.

Depth of body 25.40–28.64 (M = 27.07), length of head 19.44–21.61 (M = 20.56) percent of standard length. Diameter of eye 10.87–15.38 (M = 13.22), interorbital space 2.08–7.14 (M = 4.35) percent of length of head. Anterior nostril on ocular side tubular, in front of lower eye, posterior nostril absent. Snout rounded, 25.0–30.43 (M = 27.24) percent of length of head, rostral hook short, not extending to vertical through the front of anterior nostril. Maxillary extending to below posterior half of fixed eye; angle of mouth extending to below vertical from middle of fixed eye, much nearer to tip of snout than to branchial opening, tip of snout to angle of mouth 36.54–45.24 (M = 40.55) angle of mouth to branchial opening 55.77–69.05 (M = 61.34) percent of length of head.

Scales: Ctenoid on ocular side including those on lateral lines; on blind side, cycloid on head and weakly ctenoid on body.

Lateral-Line System.—Three lateral lines on ocular side, dorsolateral line slightly undulated, runs backward along the dorsal contour of body, entering dorsal fin usually along 20th dorsal ray counted from the rear, midlateral line with 71–78 (M = 74) scales, 12–14 (M = 13) scales between them; ventrolateral line present. No lateral line on blind side.

Interlinear scale rows 12 13 14

Frequencies 4 3 1

Fins: Dorsal with 102–103 (M = 102) rays, anal with 83–86 (M = 84) rays, caudal 8 in 3 specimens (radiographs).

Vertebrae: 50–52, comprising abdominal and 41–43 caudal elements in 3 specimens (radiographs).

Coloration: Upper side light brown with blackish blotches, blind side yellowish in preserved specimens.

Size: Largest specimen examined, 141 (131 + 10) mm, is from Miya Aichi, Japan, KU 16057.

DISTRIBUTION.—Japan and Hong Kong.

DIAGNOSIS AND

分布於西北太平洋區，由日本至南中國海。台灣東北部及澎湖海域有產。

小型魚類，通常以底拖網捕獲，一般以加工製品食之或製成飼料，數量較少，不具經濟價值。

體長舌形，極側扁；兩眼均位於左側。鼻孔單一。口小，下位，口裂弧形；口角緣近於吻端；成魚上頜向後達下眼後緣之後，小魚則未達前緣；眼側無齒，盲側具細小絨毛狀齒；鋤骨與腭骨無齒。眼側唇緣無觸鬚或穗狀物。鰓膜與峽部分離。眼間隔處具鱗片；眼側被櫛鱗，盲側被弱櫛鱗，但兩側頭部被圓鱗；眼側具3條側線；側線鱗數68-78。背鰭、臀鰭與尾鰭相連；無胸鰭；腹鰭與臀鰭相連；尾鰭尖形；背鰭軟條數 99-144；臀鰭軟條數 79-87；腹鰭軟條數 4；尾鰭軟條數 8-10；脊椎骨數50-54。幼魚眼側淺褐色具黑斑，成魚具深褐斑。

棲息於近海大陸棚泥沙底質海域。以底棲之無脊椎動物，如多毛類及甲殼類等為食。