Abstract
Symphurus atramentatus is described from larval to juvenile stages based on 30 specimens from the Gulf of California. Eleven larvae (preflexion, flexion, and postflexion) and three juveniles were cleared and stained to obtain the number of proximal dorsal-fin pterygiophores in each of the anterior first five interneural spaces and the number of hypural elements. Meristic features were nine precaudal vertebrae, 49–51 total vertebrae, 91–97 dorsal rays, 75–79 anal rays, 12 caudal rays, and four hypural elements. All specimens had a 1-3-3-2-2 ID pattern. The combination of these characterstics confirm that the specimens belong to Symphurus atramentatus. Pigmentation pattern of S. atramentatus from preflexion to postflexion stage consists of one dashed line of pigments on the base of the anal fin pterigiophores. In posflexion larvae, a dashed line of pigments appears on the base of the anal rays, on the dorsal margin of the body, on the lateral midline of the body, in the base of the first 15 dorsal rays, and on the base of the last 25 dorsal rays. In preflexion larvae, the ventral margin of the intestine had three or four blotches, which coalesce to form a continuous dotted line in postflexion larvae. Five elongated dorsal fin rays are present from preflexion to postflexion stages, which in the juvenile stage had a similar size with the rest of the adjacent rays.References
Aceves, M.G. (1992) Análisis espacio temporal de la distribución y abundancia de larvas de lenguados en el Golfo de California, periodo 1984–1986. Masters Thesis. La Paz, Baja California Sur, México, 62 pp.
Aceves M.G., González, E. & Saldierna, R.J. (1999) Larval development of Symphurus williamsi (Cynoglossidae: Pleuronectiformes) from the Gulf of California. Fishery Bulletin, 97, 738–745.
Ahlstrom, E.H. (1972) Kinds and abundance of fish larvae in the Eastern Tropical Pacific on the second multi-vessel EASTROPAC survey and observations on the annual cycle of larval abundance. Fishery Bulletin, 70, 1153–1242.
Ahlstrom, E.H. (1976) Maintenance of quality in fish eggs and larvae collected during plankton hauls. In: Steedman, H.F. (Ed.) Zooplankton Fixation and Preservation. UNESCO Press, Paris, pp. 313–318.
Ahlstrom, E.H., Amaoka, K., Hensley, D.A., Moser, H.G. & Sumida, B.Y. (1984) Pleuronectiformes: Development. In: Moser, H.G., Richards, W.J., Cohen, D.M., Fahay, M.P., Kendall, A.W. & Richardson, S.L. (Eds.), Ontogeny and Systematics of Fishes. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Special Publication Number 1. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas, pp. 640–670.
Beltran-Leon, B.S. & Rios-Herrera, R. (2000) Estadios Tempranos de Peces del Pacífico Colombiano, Tomo 2. Instituto Nacional de Pesca y Acuacultura. Buenaventura, Colombia, 727 pp.
Charter, S.R. & Moser, H.G. (1996) Cynoglossidae: tonguefishes. In: Moser, H.G. (Ed.) The Early Stages of Fishes in the California Current Region CALCOFI ATLAS 33. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas, pp 1408–1413.
Evseenko, S.A. (1990) Unusual larvae of the marine tonguefish, Symphurus sp. (Cynoglossidae), from central waters of the eastern Pacific. Journal of Ichthyology, 30, 148–154. Traslated from Voprosy Ikhtiologii, 30, 682–686.
Evseenko, S.A. & Shtaut, M.I. (2000) Early stage of development of two species of tongue sole Symphurus chabanauidi and Symphurus prolatinaris (Cynoglossidae, Pleuronectiformes) from central eastern Pacific. Journal of Ichthyology 40, 751–761. Translated from Voprosy Ikhtiologii, 40, 792–803.
Kramer, D., Klain, M.J., Stevens, E.G., Thraikill, J.R. & Zweifel, J.R. (1972) Collecting and Processing Data from Fish Eggs and Larvae in the California Current Region. U. S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Technical Report NMFS Circular, 370, 38 pp.
Mahadeva, M.N. & Munroe, T.A. (1990) Three new species of symphurinae tonguefishes from tropical and warm temperate waters of the eastern Pacific (Symphurus: Cynoglossidae: Pleuronectiformes) Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 103, 931–954.
Moser, H.G. (1981) Morphological and functional aspects of marine fish larvae,. In: Lasker, R. (Ed). Marine Fish Larvae: Morphology, Eecology and Relation to Fisheries. University of Washington Press, Seattle. Pp. 89–131.
Munroe, T.A. (1990) Symphurus melanurus Clark, 1936, a senior synonym for the eastern Pacific tonguefishes, S. seychellensis Chabanaud, 1955 and S. sechurae Hildebrand, 1946. Copeia 1990, 229–232.
Munroe, T.A. (1992) Interdigitation pattern of dorsal-fin pterigiophores and neural spines, an important diagnostic character for Symphurine tongue fishes (Symphurus: Cynoglossidae: Pleuronectiformes). Bulletin Marine Science, 50, 357–403.
Munroe, T.A., Krupp, F. & Schneider, M. (1995) Cynoglossidae. In: Fischer, W., Krupp, F., Schneider, W., Carpenter, K., Summer, C. & Niem, V. (Eds.), Guia FAO para la identificación de especies para los fines de la pesca. Pacifico Centro-Oriental. Vol II. Vertebrados-Parte 1. Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations, Rome, pp. 1039–1059.
Munroe T.A. & Mahadeva, M.N. (1989) Symphurus callopterus (Cynoglossidae, Pleuronectiformes), a new deepwater tonguefish from the eastern Pacific. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 102, 458–467.
Munroe, T.A. & Nizinski, M.S. (1990) Symphurus melasmatotheca and Symphurus undecipleurus (Cynoglossidae, Pleuronectiformes), two new eastern Pacific tonguefishes with eleven caudal-fin rays. Copeia, 1990, 985–996.
Munroe, T.A., Nizinski, M.S. & Mahadeva, M.N. (1991) Symphurus prolatinaris, a new species of shallow-water tonguefish (Pleuronectiformes: Cynoglossidae) from the eastern Pacific. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 104, 448–458.
Pérez, M.J. & Findley, L.T. (1985) Evaluación de la Ictiofauna acompañante del camarón comercial capturado en las costas de Sonora y norte de Sinaloa. In: Yañes, A.A. (Ed.), Recursos pesqueros potenciales de México: la pesca acompañante del camarón. Programa Universitario de Alimentación. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Instituto Nacional de la Pesca. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México , México, D.F., pp. 201–251.
Potthoff, T. (1984) Clearing and staining techniques. In: Moser, H.G., Richards, W.J., Cohen, D. M., Fahay, M.P., Kendall, A.W. & Richardson, S.L. (Eds.), Ontogeny and Systematics of Fishes. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Special Publication Number 1. Allen Press, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. pp. 35–37.
Van der Heiden, A.M. (1985) Taxonomía, Biología y Evaluación de la Ictiofauna Demersal del Golfo de California. In: Yañez-Arancibia, A. (Ed.), Recueros Pesqueros Potenciales de México: La Pesca acompañante del camarón. Instituto Nacional de Pesca. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. México, D.F., pp. 149–194.