Home · Cynoglossidae · Elongate tonguesole
Elongate tonguesole (Symphurus elongatus) — Cynoglossidae

Elongate tonguesole

Symphurus elongatus
Family: Cynoglossidae
LC · Least Concern

The Elongate tonguesole (Symphurus elongatus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Cynoglossidae that grows up to 24 cm.

Length
23.8 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
1.0–100.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Body shape
Flatfish
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The Elongate tonguesole is a tonguesole (Cynoglossidae) from sand and mud bottoms of the eastern Pacific. The species grows to about 10 cm and has a strongly flattened, tongue-shaped body with both eyes on the left side, a down-curved mouth and a finely mottled, brown upper side for camouflage. As a bottom-bound fish it lies half-buried and searches for small worms, crustaceans and molluscs. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Elongate tonguesole?

The Elongate tonguesole has a flatfish-shaped body, is mainly brown and shows a spots pattern.

Where does the Elongate tonguesole live?

The Elongate tonguesole lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Elongate tonguesole get?

The Elongate tonguesole grows to a maximum of about 24 cm. On average the species is around 14 cm.

Is the Elongate tonguesole dangerous to humans?

No, the Elongate tonguesole is harmless to humans.

Is the Elongate tonguesole edible?

The Elongate tonguesole is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Slanke tongschar sourced
English name
Elongate tonguesole sourced
Scientific name
Symphurus elongatus
Family
Cynoglossidae
Other names
Elongate tonguefish verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
23.8 verified
Average length (cm)
13.5 verified
Body shape
Flatfish sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Spots sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
100.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Symphurus

More from the family Cynoglossidae

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