KEY TO GENERA
la Snout distinctly hooked; mouth inferior, markedly
contorted; C completely separate from D
and A ......................................................... Heteromycteris
1 b Snout not or only slightly hooked; mouth slightly
contorted; C separate from or joined to D and A ......... ........... 2
2a D and A with a pore on each (upper and lower)
side of almost every fin ray; C separate from D
and A ............................................................. Pardachirus
2b No pores along D and A rays ............................................. 3
3a D and A more or less continuous with C; last D and A
rays not much shorter than anterior rays ............................... 4
3b C completely separate from D and A, or last D and
A rays joined basally by membrane to C base but
noticeably shorter than anterior rays ...................... .............. 9
4a Left P rudimentary or absent; maximum size of fish less
than 20 cm; body with blackish brown bars............................ 5
4b Both P well developed; maximum size of fish 40·80 cm;
no dark bars on body ........................................................ 6
5a Scales rough, distinctly ctenoid; 1st D ray not
enlarged ................................................................ Zebrias
5b Scales smooth, cycloid or weakly ctenoid;
1st D ray enlarged .................................................. Aesopia
6a P ~ length of head or longer, right P longer
than left ........................................................ Austroglossus
6b P subequal, less than l) of head length ............ .. .................... 7
7a Anterior nostril of blind side a small, thin tube
(not enlarged); .................................................... Synaptura
7b Anterior nostril of blind side distinctly enlarged ..................... 8
8a Anterior nostril of blind side a fringed rosette
close to posterior nostril ............................................. Pegusa
8b Anterior nostril of blind side cup-like, edged with short
papillae, surrounded by a bare area of skin
and well separated from posterior nostril ........... Synapturichthys
9a P completely absent ............................................. Parachirus
9b P present, at least on right side .......................................... 10
lOa Left P rudimentary or absent; right P well
developed ........................................................ Monochirus
lOb Both P well developed .......... ,.......................................... 11
11a Body depth 3.1·3.5 in SL; LL describes an angular
S·shaped path on upper rear part of head ............... Dicologlossa
lIb Body depth 2.2·2.7 in SL; LL not curved
backwards on head ............................................ .. ....... Solea
Genus Aesopia Kaup, 1858
Anterior nostril tube on right side fleshy, very short, that
of blind side much longer. Body scales smooth. P small,
each with 10-15 simple rays; D and A rays branched; 1st D
ray thickened and elongated; C completely joined to D and
A; Crays 11-16; V separate from A and genital papilla, each
with 4 simple rays. Monotypic?
262: SOLEIDAE (SOLES)
262.1 Aesopia cornuta
Kaup, 1858
Unicorn sole
Eenhoring-tongvis
Aesopia comuta Kaup, 1858: 98 (India ?); Barnard, 1925: 409; Ochiai,
1963: 61 *. Coryphaesopia comuta bamardi Chabanaud, 1934: 430 (off
Amatikulu, Natal; 26 fms). Coryphaesopia comuta: Smith, SFSA No.
319*.
D 69·79; A 59·66; P 11·15; LL 90·100; vertebrae 46. Body depth 2.7·3.0
in SL.
Greyish or brown, with 15-16 dark bars, edged with
black, the 1st 3 on head; C blackish, with some pale spots.
Attains 22 cm. Natal to Mozambique; Red Sea, India,
Japan.
262.1 Aesopia cornuta: 11.5 cm (after Ochiai, 1963).
Genus Austroglossus Regan, 1920
D and A joined to C; right P longer than left, more than
>2 head length. Anterior nostril of right side tubular, rear
nostril between front of eyes. Body scales ctenoid. V
rudimentary, of 4 rays. D, A and C rays branched. Two
species, both endemic to southern Africa.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Right P longer than head; head 5.5·7.0 in SL ... .. ........ A. pectoralis
Ib Right P shorter than head; head 4.4·5.0 in SL ........... A. microlepis
262.2 Austroglossus microlepis
(Bleeker, 1863)
West coast sole
Weskus-tongvis
Synaptura microlepis Bleeker, 1863: 456 (Cape of Good Hope).
Austroglossus microlepis: Smith, SFSA No. 326; O'Toole, 1977*;
Brownell, 1979: 11 *.
D 82·100; A 65·78; P 10; LL 170·180; vertebrae 55·57. Body depth
3.0-3.7 in SL.
262.2 Austrog/ossus micro/epis: 14.5 cm SL (west coast of South Africa).
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la Snout distinctly hooked; mouth inferior, markedly
contorted; C completely separate from D
and A ......................................................... Heteromycteris
1 b Snout not or only slightly hooked; mouth slightly
contorted; C separate from or joined to D and A ......... ........... 2
2a D and A with a pore on each (upper and lower)
side of almost every fin ray; C separate from D
and A ............................................................. Pardachirus
2b No pores along D and A rays ............................................. 3
3a D and A more or less continuous with C; last D and A
rays not much shorter than anterior rays ............................... 4
3b C completely separate from D and A, or last D and
A rays joined basally by membrane to C base but
noticeably shorter than anterior rays ...................... .............. 9
4a Left P rudimentary or absent; maximum size of fish less
than 20 cm; body with blackish brown bars............................ 5
4b Both P well developed; maximum size of fish 40·80 cm;
no dark bars on body ........................................................ 6
5a Scales rough, distinctly ctenoid; 1st D ray not
enlarged ................................................................ Zebrias
5b Scales smooth, cycloid or weakly ctenoid;
1st D ray enlarged .................................................. Aesopia
6a P ~ length of head or longer, right P longer
than left ........................................................ Austroglossus
6b P subequal, less than l) of head length ............ .. .................... 7
7a Anterior nostril of blind side a small, thin tube
(not enlarged); .................................................... Synaptura
7b Anterior nostril of blind side distinctly enlarged ..................... 8
8a Anterior nostril of blind side a fringed rosette
close to posterior nostril ............................................. Pegusa
8b Anterior nostril of blind side cup-like, edged with short
papillae, surrounded by a bare area of skin
and well separated from posterior nostril ........... Synapturichthys
9a P completely absent ............................................. Parachirus
9b P present, at least on right side .......................................... 10
lOa Left P rudimentary or absent; right P well
developed ........................................................ Monochirus
lOb Both P well developed .......... ,.......................................... 11
11a Body depth 3.1·3.5 in SL; LL describes an angular
S·shaped path on upper rear part of head ............... Dicologlossa
lIb Body depth 2.2·2.7 in SL; LL not curved
backwards on head ............................................ .. ....... Solea
Genus Aesopia Kaup, 1858
Anterior nostril tube on right side fleshy, very short, that
of blind side much longer. Body scales smooth. P small,
each with 10-15 simple rays; D and A rays branched; 1st D
ray thickened and elongated; C completely joined to D and
A; Crays 11-16; V separate from A and genital papilla, each
with 4 simple rays. Monotypic?
262: SOLEIDAE (SOLES)
262.1 Aesopia cornuta
Kaup, 1858
Unicorn sole
Eenhoring-tongvis
Aesopia comuta Kaup, 1858: 98 (India ?); Barnard, 1925: 409; Ochiai,
1963: 61 *. Coryphaesopia comuta bamardi Chabanaud, 1934: 430 (off
Amatikulu, Natal; 26 fms). Coryphaesopia comuta: Smith, SFSA No.
319*.
D 69·79; A 59·66; P 11·15; LL 90·100; vertebrae 46. Body depth 2.7·3.0
in SL.
Greyish or brown, with 15-16 dark bars, edged with
black, the 1st 3 on head; C blackish, with some pale spots.
Attains 22 cm. Natal to Mozambique; Red Sea, India,
Japan.
262.1 Aesopia cornuta: 11.5 cm (after Ochiai, 1963).
Genus Austroglossus Regan, 1920
D and A joined to C; right P longer than left, more than
>2 head length. Anterior nostril of right side tubular, rear
nostril between front of eyes. Body scales ctenoid. V
rudimentary, of 4 rays. D, A and C rays branched. Two
species, both endemic to southern Africa.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Right P longer than head; head 5.5·7.0 in SL ... .. ........ A. pectoralis
Ib Right P shorter than head; head 4.4·5.0 in SL ........... A. microlepis
262.2 Austroglossus microlepis
(Bleeker, 1863)
West coast sole
Weskus-tongvis
Synaptura microlepis Bleeker, 1863: 456 (Cape of Good Hope).
Austroglossus microlepis: Smith, SFSA No. 326; O'Toole, 1977*;
Brownell, 1979: 11 *.
D 82·100; A 65·78; P 10; LL 170·180; vertebrae 55·57. Body depth
3.0-3.7 in SL.
262.2 Austrog/ossus micro/epis: 14.5 cm SL (west coast of South Africa).
869