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Bengal tongue sole (Cynoglossus cynoglossus) — Cynoglossidae

Bengal tongue sole

Cynoglossus cynoglossus
Family: Cynoglossidae
LC · Least Concern

The Bengal tongue sole (Cynoglossus cynoglossus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Cynoglossidae that grows up to 20 cm.

Length
20 cm
Water
Brackish
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The Bengal tongue sole is a tongue sole from coastal, estuarine and fresh water of the Indo-West Pacific, mainly around the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta. The species grows to about 20 cm and has an oblong, tongue-shaped, strongly flattened, brown body with both eyes on the same side. As a bottom-dweller it lies half-buried in sand and mud bottoms of shallow water and river mouths and searches for small worms and crustaceans. It is a local food fish. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Bengal tongue sole?

The Bengal tongue sole has a flattened, disc-shaped body, is mainly brown and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Bengal tongue sole live?

The Bengal tongue sole lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Bengal tongue sole get?

The Bengal tongue sole grows to a maximum of about 20 cm. On average the species is around 13 cm.

Is the Bengal tongue sole dangerous to humans?

No, the Bengal tongue sole is harmless to humans.

Is the Bengal tongue sole edible?

Yes, the Bengal tongue sole is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Bengaalse tongschar verified
English name
Bengal tongue sole verified
Scientific name
Cynoglossus cynoglossus
Family
Cynoglossidae
Other names
Bengal tongue sole; Gangetic tonguesole; Gangetic tongue-sole; Indian turbot verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
20.0 verified
Average length (cm)
12.5 verified
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

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

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Netvisserij sourced
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

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

Same genus Cynoglossus

More from the family Cynoglossidae

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