264 



Fishery Bulletin 89(2), 1991 



usually light- to dark-brown, occasionally with 6-14 nar- 

 row, dark-brown crossbands; outer surface of ocular- 

 side opercle without black blotch, pigmentation usual- 

 ly same as that of body (some specimens with dusky 

 blotch on upper opercular lobe as a consequence of pig- 

 ment on inner lining of ocular-side opercle showing 

 through to outer surface); inner lining of ocular-side 

 opercle and isthmus usually heavily pigmented, that of 

 blind side usually unpigmented. Dorsal and anal fins 

 considerably darker posteriorly, without an alternating 

 series of pigmented blotches and unpigmented areas. 



Description A medium-sized tonguefish reaching 

 maximum lengths of approximately 152 mm SL. The 

 usual ID pattern (Table 1) is 1-4-3 (127/177 specimens), 

 less frequently 1-4-2 (19/177) and 1-5-2 (7/177). Caudal 

 fin rays usually 12 (163/171), infrequently 11 (Table 2). 

 Dorsal fin rays 86-93 (Table 3). Anal fin rays 70-78 

 (Table 4). Total vertebrae 46-50, usually 47-49 (170/ 

 174) (Table 5); abdominal vertebrae 3 + 6. Hypurals 4. 

 Longitudinal scale rows 66-83, usually 74-82 (Table 

 6). Scale rows on head posterior to lower orbit 16-20, 

 usually 17-19 (Table 7). Transverse scales 26-39, usual- 

 ly 31-38 (Table 8). 



Proportional measurements appear in Tables 12 and 

 13. Body relatively deep (247-328 SL, x 307) with 

 greatest depth in anterior one-third of body. Preanal 

 length 147-238 SL, x 202. Head moderately short, 

 170-219 SL, x 191; considerably shorter than body 

 depth. Head wide (212-271 SL, * 238); usually great- 

 er than head length (HW/HL 1.0-1.5, x 1.2); lower 

 head lobe (87-118 SL, x 104) narrower than upper 

 head lobe (139-184 SL, x 159). Lower opercular lobe 

 of ocular side (253-388 HL, x 321) considerably wider 

 than upper opercular lobe (178-329 HL, x 230). Post- 

 orbital length 117-187 SL, x 134. Snout relatively 

 short (169-231 HL, x 206), somewhat square (Fig. 

 4b); covered with small ctenoid scales. Anterior nostril, 

 when depressed posteriorly, not reaching anterior 

 margin of lower eye. Dermal papillae well developed 

 on blind side of snout and chin regions. Jaws relative- 

 ly short; upper jaw length 181-289 HL, x 228; pos- 

 terior extension of maxilla usually reaching to vertical 

 line through middle of pupil of lower eye or sometimes 

 to vertical through posterior margin of pupil of lower 

 eye. Chin depth 225-331 HL, x 268. Ocular-side lower 

 jaw with distinct, fleshy ridge near posterior margin 

 (Fig. 4b). Lower eye relatively small (70-110 HL, x 

 88); upper eye slightly anterior to lower eye; eyes not 

 covered with scales; usually only 1-3 small ctenoid 

 scales in narrow interorbital space. Pupillary oper- 

 culum absent. Length of dorsal fin base 925-982 SL, 

 x 963. Dorsal fin origin (Fig. 4b) usually situated at 

 vertical line anterior to front margin of upper eye; oc- 

 casionally dorsal fin origin only reaching vertical line 



through front margin of pupil of upper eye; predorsal 

 length 22-46 SL, i 34. Scales usually absent on blind 

 sides of dorsal and anal fin rays; occasionally with 1-3 

 small scales at proximal bases of fin rays but without 

 scales on distal portions of fin rays. Pelvic fin length 

 49-85 SL, x 63; longest pelvic fin ray usually reaching 

 base of first or occasionally second anal fin ray; pelvic 

 to anal fin distance 33-74 SL, x 45. Posteriormost 

 pelvic fin ray connected to body by delicate membrane 

 terminating immediately anterior to anus or occasional- 

 ly extending posteriorly almost to origin of anal fin base 

 (membrane torn in most specimens). Caudal fin rela- 

 tively short, 87-124 SL, x 109. 



Teeth well developed on blind-side jaws. Dentary on 

 ocular side with single, mostly incomplete row of 

 slender teeth on anterior one-third of jaw. Premaxilla 

 on ocular side with only short row of teeth on anterior 

 one-third; or occasionally lacking teeth altogether. 



Scales large, ctenoid on both sides of body. 



Pigmentation Body coloration generally similar for 

 both sexes (dichromatic differences in pigmentation are 

 discussed below). Ocular surface light- to dark-brown; 

 sometimes with dark-brown crossbands continuous 

 across the body. Crossbands, when developed, narrow, 

 6-14 in number, sometimes sharply contrasting (espe- 

 cially in mature females), otherwise faint and barely 

 perceptible against dark body coloration. Crossbands 

 not continued onto dorsal and anal fins. First band 



