Common Name
Hernandez's Tonguefish
Year Described
Saavedra-Díaz, L.M., T.A. Munroe and A. Acero P., 2003
Identification
Dorsal Fin Rays: 95-102
Anal Fin Rays: 80-86
Pectoral Fin Rays: none
Pelvic Fin Rays: 4
Caudal Fin Rays: usually 12, rarely 10, 11, or 13
Longitudinal Scale Rows: 77-86
Vertebrae(total): 51-54
Pterygiophore pattern (1st three interneural spaces): usually 1-3-2
Other diagnostic characters include: lack of a pupillary operculum, entire margin of ocular-side jaw with teeth, no fleshy ridge on ocular-side lower jaw, no scales on blind side dorsal/anal fin rays, 9 (6+3) abdominal vertebrae, 4-5 hypurals, and 13-16 post-orbital scales. (Saavedra-Díaz et al., 2003)
Color
Medium brown with no bands or stripes evident. Dark peritoneum/opercular area. Fins bluish-purple, darker at base. Caudal blotch is faint. Caudal fin colored like median fins but with a darker median band. Blind side has concentrated melanophores on the anterior two-thirds of the body, medium brown on posterior one-third, with metallic blue pigment evident on the anterior 2/3 of body (S. marginatus unpigmented on blind side).
Size
50-101 mm SL
Habitat
Outer continental shelf (138-301 m.)
Range Map
Range
So far only captured on the Caribbean coast of Colombia
References
Saavedra-Díaz, L.M., T.A. Munroe and A. Acero P. 2003. Symphurus hernandezi (Pleuronectiformes: Cynoglossidae), a new deep-water tonguefish from the southern Caribbean Sea off Colombia. Bull. Mar. Sci. 72(3):955-970.