Symphurus polylepis Lee & Munroe, 2021
Small-scale tonguefish

Family:  Cynoglossidae (Tonguefishes), subfamily: Symphurinae
Max. size:  4.95 cm SL (male/unsexed); 3.48 cm SL (female)
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range 0 - 23 m
Distribution:  Western Pacific: Papua New Guinea.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal soft rays (total): 84-87; Anal soft rays: 68-74; Vertebrae: 46-48. is distinguished from all congeners by the combination of: ID pattern1-2-2-2-2 ; caudal-fin rays 12; vertebrae, 9 (3 +6) abdominal, 46-48 total; hypurals 4; D 84-87, A 68-74; longitudinal scale rows 88-94; transverse scale rows 32-34; scale rows on head posterior to lower orbit 17-19; fleshy ridge well developed on posterior part of ocular-side lower jaw; fleshy membrane covering both eyes; anterior margin of upper eye usually slightly in advance of anterior margin of lower eye; with fleshy flap continuous between ocular-side anterior nostril and anterior region of lower eye; upper head lobe is usually wider than lower head lobe; head length moderately long (HL = 21.9-23.8% of SL) and relatively large postorbital length (POL = 15.7-16.6% of SL, 69.3-73.3% of HL); preanal length relatively short (PAL = 23.5-24.6% of SL); snout short (SNL = 16.0-18.3% of HL, SNL/ED = 1.44-1.86), rounded to obliquely blunt anteriorly; head length usually shorter than head width (HW/HL= 1.02-1.14); dorsal-fin origin in posterior position at, or slightly posterior to, vertical through posterior margin of upper eye; predorsal length moderately long (PDL = 5.7-7.1% of SL; 24.4-31.4% of HL). Colouration: ocular side uniformly yellow to light-brown, blind side uniformly white, both sides with obvious dermal spots on bases of anteriormost dorsal- and anal-fin rays, and peritoneum bluish-black (Ref. 126065).
Biology:  More accurate information about geographic distribution, bathymetric distribution and substrata where this species is found needed to better understand the ecology, distribution and life history of this species (Ref. 126065).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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