Munroe: Systematics of western Atlantic Symphurus 
137 
Correa et al., 1986:37 (Brazilian localities; com- 
mon names; figure). Garzon-F., 1989:158 (Bahia 
de Portete, Colombia; abundance). Munroe, 
1991:256 (Greater Antilles and Central America 
to southern Brazil; redescription, diagnosis, des- 
ignation of neotype; nomenclature; synonymy; 
counts, measurements, photograph; in key; bathy- 
metric distribution; size and sexual maturity). 
Munroe, 1992:371, 382 (ID pattern; geographic, 
bathymetric distributions). 
Symphurus plagusia plagusia. Ginsburg, 1951:199 
(in part; synonymized with Plagusia tessellata 
Quoy and Gaimard, 1824; description and diag- 
noses of subspecies; four species included in mate- 
rial studied). Cervigon, 1961:42 (Venezuela). 
Carvalho et al., 1968:22 (in part; Antilles, Central 
America to Brazil; brief description; in key). Palacio, 
1974:87 (in part; Colombia; counts; suggested re- 
examination of subspecies status). Lema and 
Oliveira, 1977:6 (Brazil; in key; suggested synonymy 
of Pleuronectes plagusia , Plagusia tessellata, and 
Symphurus civitatium). Soares, 1978:23 (in part; 
northern Brazil). 
ISymphurus plagusia (Linnaeus, 1766). Valdez and 
Aguilera, 1987:175 (in part; Gulf of Venezuela; 
description, figure). 
Misidentification Seret and Andreata, 1992:94 
(southern Brazil; 640 m; five specimens actually S. 
marginatus). 
Diagnosis Symphurus plagusia is distinguished 
from all congeners by the following combination of 
characters: predominant 1-4-3 ID pattern; 12 cau- 
dal-fin rays; 4 hypurals; 89-97 dorsal-fin rays; 73- 
81 anal-fin rays; 47-51, usually 49-51, total verte- 
brae; 79-89 scales in longitudinal series; absence of 
pupillary operculum; unpigmented peritoneum; 
fleshy ridge on ocular-side lower jaw; ocular-side 
dentary without teeth, or with short row of small 
teeth developed only on anterior one-half to one-third 
of jaw margin; anterior region of ocular-side premax- 
illa usually with small, mostly incomplete row of 
teeth along margin; relatively small, spherical eye 
(64-95 HL, x=82); moderately long jaws, usually 
extending posteriorly to vertical line through poste- 
rior margin of lower eye, less frequently to vertical 
through posterior margin of pupil or slightly poste- 
rior to posterior margin of lower eye; dorsal-fin ori- 
gin far forward, usually at vertical through anterior 
margin of upper eye, or with first and sometimes 
second rays inserting anterior to vertical through 
anterior margin of upper eye; scales absent on blind 
sides of dorsal- and anal-fin rays; ocular surface pig- 
mentation usually uniformly light brown or yellow- 
ish, occasionally with 8-14, narrow, faint crossbands, 
but without blotch on caudal region; outer surface of 
ocular-side opercle without black blotch, pigmenta- 
tion usually same as on body (some specimens with 
dusky blotch on upper opercular lobe as a conse- 
quence of pigment on inner lining of ocular-side 
opercle showing through to outer surface); inner lin- 
ing of ocular-side opercle and isthmus dusky to dark 
brown, that of blind side usually unpigmented or 
occasionally with small patch of pepper-dot pigmen- 
tation on ventral margin; blind side without pepper- 
dot pigmentation; dorsal and anal fins uniformly pig- 
mented, without spots or blotches and without pro- 
gressive darkening or alternating series of pigmented 
blotches and unpigmented areas posteriorly; caudal 
fin without spots or blotches. 
Description A medium-size species attaining maxi- 
mum sizes of ca. 130 mm SL. ID pattern usually 1-4-3 
(33/44 individuals), less frequently 1-3-3 (5), 1-3-4 
(3), or 1-4-2 (2) (Table 2). Caudal-fin rays usually 12 
(41/44), infrequently 10, 11, or 13 (Table 3). Dorsal- 
fin rays 89-97, usually 91-96 (Table 4). Anal-fin rays 
73-81, usually 75-79 (Table 5). Total vertebrae 47- 
51, usually 49-51 (39/44 specimens) (Table 6). 
Hypurals 4 (43/43). Longitudinal scale rows 79-89 
(Table 7). Scale rows on head posterior to lower orbit 
18-22, usually 18-20 (Table 8). Transverse scales 35- 
43 (Table 9). 
Proportions of morphometric features presented in 
Table 38. Body relatively deep, with greatest depth 
in anterior one-third of body; body depth tapering 
fairly gradually posterior to midpoint. Preanal length 
shorter than body depth. Head wide, somewhat nar- 
rower than body depth. Head length usually much 
shorter than head width (HW:HL=1.2-1.3, x=1.2). 
Lower head lobe narrow, its width nearly equal to 
postorbital length; considerably narrower than up- 
per head lobe. Lower opercular lobe of ocular side 
considerably wider than upper opercular lobe. Snout 
moderately long, somewhat square (Fig. 60), covered 
with small ctenoid scales. Dermal papillae well de- 
veloped on snout and chin regions on blind side of 
body. Anterior nostril on ocular side short, when de- 
pressed posteriorly, usually falling just short of an- 
terior margin of lower eye. Jaws long; maxilla usu- 
ally reaching posteriorly to vertical through poste- 
rior margin of lower eye, less frequently only reach- 
ing to vertical through posterior margin of pupil or 
vertical slightly posterior to posterior margin of lower 
eye. Ocular-side lower jaw with distinct, fleshy ridge 
near posterior margin (Fig. 3D). Teeth well devel- 
oped on blind-side jaws. Ocular-side dentary with- 
out teeth or with short row of small teeth developed 
only on anterior one-half to one-third of margin; pre- 
