Genus Samariscus Gilbert, 1905
About 14 species, 1 in our area.
260.5 Samariscus triocellatus
Woods, 1966
PLATE 135
Threespot flounder
Driekol-botvis
Samariscus triocellatus Woods, 1966: 66, Fig. 149 (Bikini Atoll, Marshall Ids.); Winterbottom, 1978: 53; Smith, 1980: 175.
D 62-70; A 47-56; P 4 (not counting nubbin at base of 1st ray); LL 71-76
(82-87 reported by Winterbottom, 1978); GR rudimentary. Depth
2.4-3.1, head 3.6-4.3 in SL.
Body brown mottled with irregular darker and pale
markings; 2 or 3 dark-edged ocelli along LL, 1st at tip of P,
last at base of C; P blackish distally; D and A with minute
black dots; C with dark spots. Attains 7 cm. Coral reef
habitats at Sodwana Bay; western Pacific and Hawaii.
Family No. 261: CYNOGLOSSIDAE
Tonguefishes
by P.C. Heemstra
Linkeroog-tongvisse
Eyes on left side of head. Pectoral fins absent; dorsal and
anal fins confluent with caudal; dorsal fin origin at or in
front of fixed (lower) eye. Preopercle margin covered by
skin.
Tonguefishes are found in warm waters of all oceans
(between 40° latitudes). Most species occur in shallow water
or estuaries; they are adept at burrowing in sand, for which
their very compressed bodies are well suited. A recent revision of the genus Cynoglossus (Menon, 1977) recognises 3
genera in this family, with something over 100 species.
Scales of the middle lateral line are counted from the vertical branch on the head.
KEY TO GENERA
la Mouth inferior; "snout" (front part of head)
produced, hooked over lower jaw; LL present,
d~OO~~~cl~ .............................................. 2
Ib Mouth terminal; snout not hooked over lower jaw;
no LL ................................................................ Symphurus
2a Lips on ocular side of head distinctly fringed ............ Paraplagusia
2b Lips not fringed .................................................. Cynoglossus
Genus Cynoglossus Hamilton-Buchanan, 1822
Pelvic fin connected to A; teeth only on right (blind) side
of jaws. Menon (1977) recognises 49 species; most occur in
the Indian and western Pacific oceans, a few off west Africa;
9 species in our area. Smith (SFSA No. 339) includes C.
261: CYNOGLOSSIDAE (TONGUEFISHES)
lingua (Hamilton-Buchanan) from our area, based on C.
hunteri von Bonde, 1925. The original description of C.
hunteri (from a 78 mm specimen) does not agree completely
with any of our species or with that of C. lingua given by
Menon (1977: 65). As the holotype and only known specimen of C. hunteri is apparently lost, we must regard this
name as a nomen dubium.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Usually 8 Crays; 2 nostrils and usually 2 LL's on ocular
side; no LL on blind side ..................................................... 2
Ib Usually 10 (sometimes 8 or 9) Crays ..................................... 3
2a Eyes contiguous; 10-12 scale rows between dorsal
and middle LL; 64-66 scales in middle LL ................ C. acaudatus
2b Eyes with distinct interspace; 14 or 15 scale
rows between LL's; 74-80 scales in middle LL ............. C. gilchristi
3a Two LL's on both sides of body; 2 nostrils on ocular side ............ 4
3b No LL on blind side of body ................................................ 5
4a 10-12 scale rows between LL's; snout length
(from front of head to lower eye) 9-11 % SL ............. C. attenuatus
4b 16-18 scale rows between LL's; snout 6.7-8.0%
SL ..................................................................... C. lachneri
5a One nostril on ocular side; rostral hook not reaching
past nostril; usually 3 LL's on ocular side of body ..................... 6
5b Two nostrils on ocular side; scales ctenoid on both sides
of body ........................................................................... 7
6a A 92-103; D 116-124 ....................................... C. zanzibarensis
6b A 81-88; D 103-110 ............................................... C. capensis
7a Snout short, 2.9-4.3 in head; rostral hook not
reaching past anterior nostril; angle of mouth
closer to front of head than to gill opening ............. C. durbanensis
7b Snout long, 2.1-3.2 in head; rostral hook extending
to below lower eye; angle of mouth closer to gill
opening than to front of head ............................................... 8
8a Usually 2 LL's on ocular side; 12-14 scale rows
between LL's; middle LL with 72-94 scales ...................... C. !ida
8b Usually 3 LL's; 18 or 19 scale rows between dorsal
and middle LL, latter with 111-114 scales ................... C. marleyi
261.1 Cynog/ossus acaudatus
Gilchrist, 1906
PLATE 134
Natal tonguefish
Natalse tongvis
Cynoglossus acaudatus Gilchrist, 1906: 162, PI. 46 (off Tugela River,
Natal). Areliscus natalensis von Bonde, 1922: 23, PI. 4, Fig. 2 (Natal).
Cynoglossoides ecaudatus: Smith, SFSA No. 336*. Cynoglossus
ecaudatus: Menon, 1977: 52*.
D 108-110; A 86-87; C 8; vertebrae 52-53; middle LL 64-66. Two LL's
on ocular side, none on blind side; 2 nostrils on ocular side. Eyes contiguous; rostral hook ends in front of anterior nostril. Scales ctenoid on both
sides of body.
Upper side brown, with irregular dark bars and blotches.
Attains 14 cm. Natal to Somalia; also at Seychelles.
865
About 14 species, 1 in our area.
260.5 Samariscus triocellatus
Woods, 1966
PLATE 135
Threespot flounder
Driekol-botvis
Samariscus triocellatus Woods, 1966: 66, Fig. 149 (Bikini Atoll, Marshall Ids.); Winterbottom, 1978: 53; Smith, 1980: 175.
D 62-70; A 47-56; P 4 (not counting nubbin at base of 1st ray); LL 71-76
(82-87 reported by Winterbottom, 1978); GR rudimentary. Depth
2.4-3.1, head 3.6-4.3 in SL.
Body brown mottled with irregular darker and pale
markings; 2 or 3 dark-edged ocelli along LL, 1st at tip of P,
last at base of C; P blackish distally; D and A with minute
black dots; C with dark spots. Attains 7 cm. Coral reef
habitats at Sodwana Bay; western Pacific and Hawaii.
Family No. 261: CYNOGLOSSIDAE
Tonguefishes
by P.C. Heemstra
Linkeroog-tongvisse
Eyes on left side of head. Pectoral fins absent; dorsal and
anal fins confluent with caudal; dorsal fin origin at or in
front of fixed (lower) eye. Preopercle margin covered by
skin.
Tonguefishes are found in warm waters of all oceans
(between 40° latitudes). Most species occur in shallow water
or estuaries; they are adept at burrowing in sand, for which
their very compressed bodies are well suited. A recent revision of the genus Cynoglossus (Menon, 1977) recognises 3
genera in this family, with something over 100 species.
Scales of the middle lateral line are counted from the vertical branch on the head.
KEY TO GENERA
la Mouth inferior; "snout" (front part of head)
produced, hooked over lower jaw; LL present,
d~OO~~~cl~ .............................................. 2
Ib Mouth terminal; snout not hooked over lower jaw;
no LL ................................................................ Symphurus
2a Lips on ocular side of head distinctly fringed ............ Paraplagusia
2b Lips not fringed .................................................. Cynoglossus
Genus Cynoglossus Hamilton-Buchanan, 1822
Pelvic fin connected to A; teeth only on right (blind) side
of jaws. Menon (1977) recognises 49 species; most occur in
the Indian and western Pacific oceans, a few off west Africa;
9 species in our area. Smith (SFSA No. 339) includes C.
261: CYNOGLOSSIDAE (TONGUEFISHES)
lingua (Hamilton-Buchanan) from our area, based on C.
hunteri von Bonde, 1925. The original description of C.
hunteri (from a 78 mm specimen) does not agree completely
with any of our species or with that of C. lingua given by
Menon (1977: 65). As the holotype and only known specimen of C. hunteri is apparently lost, we must regard this
name as a nomen dubium.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Usually 8 Crays; 2 nostrils and usually 2 LL's on ocular
side; no LL on blind side ..................................................... 2
Ib Usually 10 (sometimes 8 or 9) Crays ..................................... 3
2a Eyes contiguous; 10-12 scale rows between dorsal
and middle LL; 64-66 scales in middle LL ................ C. acaudatus
2b Eyes with distinct interspace; 14 or 15 scale
rows between LL's; 74-80 scales in middle LL ............. C. gilchristi
3a Two LL's on both sides of body; 2 nostrils on ocular side ............ 4
3b No LL on blind side of body ................................................ 5
4a 10-12 scale rows between LL's; snout length
(from front of head to lower eye) 9-11 % SL ............. C. attenuatus
4b 16-18 scale rows between LL's; snout 6.7-8.0%
SL ..................................................................... C. lachneri
5a One nostril on ocular side; rostral hook not reaching
past nostril; usually 3 LL's on ocular side of body ..................... 6
5b Two nostrils on ocular side; scales ctenoid on both sides
of body ........................................................................... 7
6a A 92-103; D 116-124 ....................................... C. zanzibarensis
6b A 81-88; D 103-110 ............................................... C. capensis
7a Snout short, 2.9-4.3 in head; rostral hook not
reaching past anterior nostril; angle of mouth
closer to front of head than to gill opening ............. C. durbanensis
7b Snout long, 2.1-3.2 in head; rostral hook extending
to below lower eye; angle of mouth closer to gill
opening than to front of head ............................................... 8
8a Usually 2 LL's on ocular side; 12-14 scale rows
between LL's; middle LL with 72-94 scales ...................... C. !ida
8b Usually 3 LL's; 18 or 19 scale rows between dorsal
and middle LL, latter with 111-114 scales ................... C. marleyi
261.1 Cynog/ossus acaudatus
Gilchrist, 1906
PLATE 134
Natal tonguefish
Natalse tongvis
Cynoglossus acaudatus Gilchrist, 1906: 162, PI. 46 (off Tugela River,
Natal). Areliscus natalensis von Bonde, 1922: 23, PI. 4, Fig. 2 (Natal).
Cynoglossoides ecaudatus: Smith, SFSA No. 336*. Cynoglossus
ecaudatus: Menon, 1977: 52*.
D 108-110; A 86-87; C 8; vertebrae 52-53; middle LL 64-66. Two LL's
on ocular side, none on blind side; 2 nostrils on ocular side. Eyes contiguous; rostral hook ends in front of anterior nostril. Scales ctenoid on both
sides of body.
Upper side brown, with irregular dark bars and blotches.
Attains 14 cm. Natal to Somalia; also at Seychelles.
865