280 



Fishery Bulletin 89(2), 1991 



Symphurus caribbeanus, new species 

 Figures 2, 4e, 5, 6d 



Synonymy 



Symphurus plagusia plagusia. Ginsburg 1951:220 (in 

 part) (Fox Bay, Panama; specimens in USNM 81654 

 included in account of S. p. plagusia). 



Symphurus plagusia. Austin and Austin 1971:38^(in 

 part) (Guayanilla, Puerto Rico; food habits; nine 

 specimens from UPRM 2926 belong to the new 

 species). 



Diagnosis A Symphurus with the following combina- 

 tion of characters: predominant 1-4-3 ID pattern; 12 

 caudal fin rays; unpigmented peritoneum; relatively 

 large eye (82-110 HL); no fleshy ridge on ocular-side 

 lower jaw; without a pupillary operculum; no small 

 ctenoid scales on the blind sides of the dorsal and anal 

 fin rays; dorsal fin rays 89-96, usually 92-96; anal fin 

 rays 74-80; total vertebrae 48-51, usually 49-50; 78-89 

 scales in longitudinal series; relatively short jaws usual- 

 ly extending to the vertical line through the posterior 

 margin of pupil of lower eye or occasionally extending 

 to the vertical through posterior margin of lower eye; 

 dorsal fin origin usually reaching, or occasionally slight- 

 ly anterior to, vertical line through front margin of 

 upper eye; ocular surface dark-brown to almost yellow; 

 usually with 10-15 narrow, irregularly complete, sharp- 

 ly contrasting, dark-brown crossbands on head and 

 trunk; outer surface of ocular-side opercle without dark 

 blotch; inner lining of opercle and isthmus heavily 

 pigmented on ocular side, unpigmented on blind side; 

 entire dorsal and anal fins with alternating series of 

 blotches and unpigmented areas. 



Description A medium-sized tonguefish attaining 

 maximum lengths of approximately 122 mm SL. ID pat- 

 tern usually 1-4-3 (67/82), less frequently 1-3-3 (8), 1-3-4 

 (23), or 1-4-4 (2) (Table 1). Caudal fin rays usually 12 

 (78/82), less frequently 11, 10, or 13 (Table 2). Dorsal 

 fin rays 89-96, usually 92-96 (Table 3). Anal fin rays 

 74-80 (Table 4). Total vertebrae 48-51, usually 49-50 

 (75/79) (Table 5); abdominal vertebrae 3 + 6. Hypurals 

 4. Longitudinal scale rows 78-89 (Table 6). Scale rows 

 on head posterior to lower orbit 17-22, usually 19-21 

 (Table 7). Transverse scales 36-44 (Table 8). 



Proportional measurements appear in Tables 18 and 

 19. Body relatively deep (277-320 SL, x 301); with 

 greatest depth in anterior one-third of body followed 

 by relatively rapid taper posteriorly. Preanal length 

 191-261 SL, x 223; somewhat shorter than body 

 depth. Head relatively short (185-224 SL, i 199); 

 considerably shorter than body depth. Head relatively 

 wide (220-268 SL, x 240); greater than head length 

 (HW/HL 1.1-1.3, x 1.2); lower head lobe (84-111 SL, 



Table 18 



Summary of morphometries expressed in thousandths of 

 standard length (except SL in mm) for the holotype (USNM 

 313487) and 20 paratypes of Symphurus caribbeanus. (Ab- 

 breviations defined in Methods section.) 



x 99) considerably narrower than upper head lobe 

 (152-184 SL, x 165). Lower opercular lobe of ocular 

 side (241-348 HL, x 292) considerably wider than 

 upper opercular lobe (162-277 HL, x 199). Postorbital 

 length 119-143 SL, x 134. Snout moderately long 

 (193-255 HL, x 218) and pointed (Fig. 4e), covered 

 with small ctenoid scales. Anterior nostril usually not 

 reaching anterior margin of lower eye when depressed 

 posteriorly. Dermal papillae well developed on blind 

 side of snout and chin regions, but not particularly 

 dense. Jaws relatively short; upper jaw length 195-253 

 HL, i 231; posterior extension of maxilla usually 

 reaching to vertical line through posterior margin of 

 pupil or occasionally posterior margin of lower eye. 

 Ocular-side lower jaw without distinct, fleshy ridge 

 near posterior margin (Fig. 4e). Chin depth 227-305 

 HL, x 260. Lower eye moderately large (82-110 HL, 

 x 97); upper eye usually slightly anterior to lower 

 eye; eyes not covered with scales; usually 1-3 small 

 ctenoid scales in narrow interorbital space. Pupillary 

 operculum absent. Length of dorsal fin base 952-972 

 SL, x 964. Dorsal fin origin (Fig. 4e) usually reach- 

 ing, or occasionally slightly anterior to, vertical line 

 through front margin of upper eye; predorsal length 

 29-48 SL, x 36. Length of anal fin base 751-820 SL, 

 x 781. Scales absent on blind sides of dorsal andjinal 

 fin rays. Pelvic fin relatively short, 51-75 SL, x 63; 

 longest pelvic fin ray usually reaching base of first or 



