Achirus declivis

Common Name

Plainfin Sole

Year Described

Chabanaud. 1940

Identification

Dorsal Fin: 55-60
Anal Fin: 43-46
Pectoral Fin: 5 (on eyed side)
Pelvic Fin: 5

Body deep and elliptical. Caudal peduncle relatively narrow (depth less than the distance from snout to preopercle). Distance across both eyes is equal to about two-thirds of jaw length. Patches of cirri present on body.

Color

Uniform light brown, sometimes with scattered dark blotches. Six dark vertical lines on body and four partial lines on head. Lacks spots on the dorsal, anal, or caudal fin. Pectoral fin dark. Blind side pale, sometimes with brown pigment on the caudal peduncle.

Size

Maximum size to 18cm SL.

Habitat

Coastal estuarine areas. Poorly known.

Range

Belize to SE Brazil, including Jamaica, Trinidad, and Puerto Rico.

References

Dennis, G.D., D. Hensley, P.L. Colin and J.J. Kimmel. 2004. New records of marine fishes from the Puerto Rican plateau. Caribb. J. Sci. 40(1):70-87.

Greenfield, D.W. and J.E. Thomerson. 1997. Fishes of the continental waters of Belize. University Press of Florida, Florida. 311 p.

Munroe, T.A. 2002. Achiridae (pp 1925-1933). In: Carpenter. 2002. The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae), sea turtles and sea mammals. FAO Species Identification Guides for Fisheries Purposes. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 5.