Dog tongues (fish)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dog tongues
Symphurus thermophilus

Symphurus thermophilus

Systematics
Spinefish (Acanthopterygii)
Perch relatives (Percomorphaceae)
Carangaria
Order : Carangiformes
Partial order : Flatfish (Pleuronectoideo)
Family : Dog tongues
Scientific name
Cynoglossidae
Jordan , 1889

The dog tongues (Cynoglossidae ( Gr .: kyon = dog, glossa = tongue)) are a family from the order flatfish (Pleuronectiformes). They live worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions in the sea and in the brackish water of estuaries . Five species live in fresh water. Many species are fished commercially. In the North Sea occurring dog tongue ( Glyptocephalus cynoglossus ) does not belong to this family, but to the plaice (Pleuronectidae).

features

Dog tongues have a slim shape for flatfish. The very small, closely spaced eyes are on the left side of the body. The dorsal , the pointed caudal and the anal fin are fused to form a fin edge. The dorsal fin begins in front of the eyes. Pectoral fins are missing, only with Symphurus a fine membrane remains. The ventral fin on the underside has four fin rays on the center line of the body. The edge of the gill cover is hidden under the skin and scales. The number of vertebrae is 42 to 78, usually 9 to 10 trunk and 33 to 66 tail vertebrae. Most species stay under 30 centimeters, the largest becomes 48 centimeters long.

Systematics

There are two subfamilies, three genera and over 140 species:

Subfamily Cynoglossinae

In the subfamily Cynoglossinae, the head protrudes above the arched mouth. The lateral line organ is well developed, especially on the eye side. The ventral fin on the side of the eye has grown together with the anal fin. The species of the subfamily Cynoglossinae mostly live in shallow water, five mainly in rivers and three only in fresh water. The subfamily includes two genera with almost 70 species.

Subfamily Symphurinae

In the subfamily Symphurinae, the head does not protrude above the terminal mouth. The sideline is missing on both sides. The pelvic fins are separated from the anal fin. They mostly live in deep water, especially at depths of 300 to 1900 meters. The subfamily is monogeneric, so it contains only one genus, with around 75 species.

literature

Web links

Commons : Hundszungen  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files