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Ocellated tonguefish (Symphurus ommaspilus) — Cynoglossidae

Ocellated tonguefish

Symphurus ommaspilus
Family: Cynoglossidae

The Ocellated tonguefish (Symphurus ommaspilus) is a saltwater fish of the family Cynoglossidae that grows up to 4 cm.

Length
4.3 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
1.0–27.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless

Description

The ocellated tonguefish is a small tonguefish (Cynoglossidae) from warm coastal waters of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 4 cm and has an elongate, strongly flattened, leaf-shaped body with both eyes on the left side and one or more dark eyespots on the rear flank. As a bottom-dweller it lies half-buried on sand and mud bottoms and searches for tiny invertebrates. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Ocellated tonguefish?

The Ocellated tonguefish has a flattened, disc-shaped body, is mainly brown and shows a spots pattern.

Where does the Ocellated tonguefish live?

The Ocellated tonguefish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Ocellated tonguefish get?

The Ocellated tonguefish grows to a maximum of about 4 cm.

Is the Ocellated tonguefish dangerous to humans?

No, the Ocellated tonguefish is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Oogvlek-tongvis sourced
English name
Ocellated tonguefish sourced
Scientific name
Symphurus ommaspilus
Family
Cynoglossidae
Other names
Ocellated Tonguefish; Ocellated tonguefish verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
4.3 verified
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Spots sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
27.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

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

For anglers

Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. 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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