Munroe: Systematics of western Atlantic Symphurus 
101 
Table 29 
Morphometries for holotype (USNM 55573) and 30 additional specimens of Symphurus jenynsi, including holotypes of S. bergi 
(USNM 76852) and S. meridionalis (MCN 2401), herein regarded as junior subjective synonyms. (Abbreviations defined in meth- 
ods section; SL is expressed in mm; measurements 2 to 14 are thousandths of SL; 15 to 21 are thousandths of HL; n = no. of 
specimens measured). 
Character 
jenynsi 
holotype 
bergi 
holotype 
meridionalis 
holotype 
n 
Range 
Mean 
SD 
1. SL 
168 
174 
173 
31 
60.6-319.0 
150.0 
50.33 
2. BD 
255 
292 
286 
31 
231-328 
256.8 
19.75 
3. PDL 
27 
31 
39 
31 
26-51 
38.8 
5.70 
4. PAL 
171 
197 
187 
31 
161-239 
202.9 
17.85 
5. DBL 
973 
969 
961 
31 
949-974 
961.2 
5.70 
6. ABL 
796 
816 
813 
31 
753-840 
793.3 
22.34 
7. PL 
48 
— 
58 
31 
48-72 
57.8 
5.52 
8. PA 
— 
— 
41 
31 
30-74 
49.4 
10.93 
9. CFL 
73 
— 
81 
31 
61-111 
83.5 
10.93 
10. HL 
155 
156 
166 
31 
133-202 
170.6 
12.97 
11. HW 
201 
206 
204 
31 
185-231 
203.4 
10.68 
12. POL 
107 
112 
74 
31 
69-140 
109.1 
14.92 
13. UHL 
120 
127 
130 
31 
116-147 
132.0 
8.10 
14. LHL 
89 
98 
86 
31 
72-101 
86.2 
7.22 
15. POL 
690 
717 
442 
31 
442-717 
638.3 
60.73 
16. SNL 
199 
191 
265 
31 
191-269 
237.2 
18.06 
17. UJL 
199 
217 
237 
31 
191-268 
231.0 
13.89 
18. ED 
84 
88 
77 
31 
74-95 
84.4 
5.41 
19. CD 
230 
239 
286 
31 
164-370 
249.6 
35.61 
20. OPLL 
249 
— 
286 
31 
177-329 
267.6 
31.45 
21. OPUL 
199 
- 
216 
31 
185-308 
234.9 
29.41 
22. UHL 
774 
812 
784 
31 
672-1016 
777.9 
79.47 
23. LHL 
575 
629 
516 
31 
434-642 
507.2 
40.45 
nating with similar number of darkly pigmented fin 
rays along most of length of dorsal and anal fins. 
Caudal fin uniformly dusky, dark brown, or black 
throughout nearly entire length, distalmost tips of 
caudal-fin rays, however, whitish. 
Size and sexual maturity (Fig. 9GJ Symphurus 
jenynsi is the largest symphurine tonguefish, attain- 
ing a maximum length of ca. 319 mm. Menezes and 
Benvegnu ( 1976) reported several individuals exceed- 
ing 250 mm and noted that this is the largest 
tonguefish occurring in Brazilian waters. Of 64 speci- 
mens for which size-related life history information 
was available, 35 were males, 22 females, and 7 were 
juveniles (sex unknown). Females (58.1-250 mm) 
were somewhat larger than males (32.2-200 mm). 
Sex of the largest specimen (319 mm) examined could 
not be determined because of degraded internal or- 
gans. Based on reproductive stages of females, sexual 
maturity occurs at a relatively large size in S. jenynsi. 
Although no gravid females were found, 17 females 
larger than 115 mm were mature with elongate ova- 
ries. Only one (224 mm) contained developing ova. 
Ovaries of the six smallest females (58.1-87.7 mm) 
were immature and just undergoing elongation. 
Geographic distribution (Fig. 49J In temperate 
waters of the western South Atlantic (Menezes and 
Benvegnu, 1976; Menni et al., 1984) from southeast- 
ern Brazil (usually south of 28°S latitude) to about 
El Rincon central Argentina (ca. 39°33'S; INIBEP 
uncat. collections [Diaz de Astarloa 2 ]), just south of 
Bahia Blanca. Only two lots examined were collected 
north of Florianopolis, Brazil (28°21'S): one at 26°14'S 
(off Parana), the other at 22°27'S (near Cabo Frio). 
Lahille (1939) reported collecting some S. jenynsi 
from off San Bias, Argentina (40°30'S). The majority 
of specimens examined in the present study were 
caught between Santa Catarina and Uruguay. 
Bathymetric distribution Although S. jenynsi has 
been collected from a relatively wide range of depths 
2 Diaz de Astarloa, J. 1995. Departamento de Ciencias Mari- 
nas, Facultad de Ciencias, Exactas y Naturales, Universidad 
Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, (7600) Mar del Plata, 
Argentina. Personal commun. 
