50 
Fishery Bulletin 96(1 ), 1998 
Symphurus ginsburgi Menezes and 
Benvegnu, 11976 
(Figs. 7B, 18-21, 24-25; Tables 1-10, 15, 17J 
Ginsburg's tonguefish 
Symphurus pterospilotus (not of Ginsburg, 1951). 
Roux, 1973:175 (continental shelf, Brazil). 
Symphurus ginsburgi Menezes and Benvegnu, 
1976:146 (original description; counts, measure- 
ments, photograph, depth distribution, maturity 
data; southern Brazil). Menni et al., 1984:201 
(southern Brazil and Uruguay; based on Menezes 
and Benvegnu, 1976). Seret and Andreata, 1992:94 
(three specimens; southern Brazil; 248-262 m). 
Munroe, 1992:368, 376 (ID pattern; geographic, 
bathymetric distributions). Andreata and Seret, 
1995:590 (continental shelf, Brazil). 
? Symphurus civitatum (not of Ginsburg, 1951). Lazzaro, 
1977:69 (continental shelf, Uruguay; 184 m; speci- 
men not examined in present study). Menni et al., 
1984:201 (listed, Uruguay; based on Lazzaro, 1977). 
Symphurus plagiusa (not of Linnaeus, 1766). Seret 
and Andreata, 1992:94 (continental shelf, Brazil; 
three specimens; 200-217 m). 
Diagnosis Symphurus ginsburgi can be distin- 
guished from all congeners, except the western North 
Atlantic S. billykrietei and S. stigmosus, by the com- 
bination of predominant 1-3-2 ID pattern; 12 cau- 
dal-fin rays; 4 hypurals; 50-52 total vertebrae; 87- 
95 dorsal-fin rays; 74-81 anal-fin rays (73-81 re- 
ported by Menezes and Benvegnu, 1976); 87-94 
scales in longitudinal series; relatively large eye with- 
out pupillary operculum; narrow space between eye- 
balls within fleshy orbital sac; black peritoneum; 
teeth along entire margin of ocular-side jaws; absence 
of fleshy ridge on ocular-side lower jaw; absence of 
scales on blind sides of dorsal- and anal-fin rays; ocu- 
lar surface pigmentation yellowish to light brown 
usually with bold pattern of dark brown crossbands, 
but without darkly pigmented blotch on caudal re- 
gion of body; blind side uniformly whitish or yellow- 
ish, without pattern of pepper-dots; dorsal and anal 
fins with dark brown stripe along basal margin of fins, 
some specimens with series of several more darkly pig- 
mented fin rays alternating with series of lightly pig- 
mented fin rays of approximately similar size; and with 
small darkly pigmented spot on scaly portion (proxi- 
mal one-third) of caudal fin, but without distinct 
blotches or spots on distal two-thirds of caudal fin. 
Symphurus ginsburgi differs from S. billykrietei in its 
relatively larger eye, shorter trunk, longer head, longer 
postorbital length, longer snout, and longer upper jaw. 
Symphurus ginsburgi is readily distinguished from S. 
stigmosus by its pattern of crossbanding on the ocular 
surface (absent in S. stigmosus), in lacking darkly pig- 
mented blotches alternating with unpigmented or only 
lightly pigmented areas of somewhat greater size on 
the dorsal and anal fins (present in S. stigmosus ), and 
S. ginsburgi has a pigmented spot on the caudal-fin 
base that is lacking in <S. stigmosus. 
Description A diminutive species attaining maxi- 
mum sizes of ca. 90 mm SL. ID pattern usually 1-3-2 
