Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Symphurus atramentatus
lenguada arco iris, lenguada hua, Spotfin tonguefish, halfspotted tonguefish
Size: To lengths of 13 cm. Elongate oval-shaped with obvious scales; close-set, tiny spherical eyes on left (upper) side above twisted mouth; single, small ventral fin bellow gill plate opening; no pectoral fins. Shades of brown to reddish brown and green.
Habitat: Coastal waters between the intertidial and 60 m, occasionally deeper. Inhabit a wide range of substrata, including clay, mud and mud-silt, sand, shell, coral rubble, gravel and small rocks
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Teleostei
Order
Pleuronectiformes
Suborder
Pleuronectoidei
Family
Cynoglossidae
Genus
Symphurus
Species
atramentatus
Taxon category: Accepted
Origin: Native
Distribution: Eastern Pacific, from Baja California and the Gulf of California to Islas Lobos de Afuera (Peru), also Cocos and Galapagos, Southern Baja and Gulf of California to Peru and Galápagos Islands.
- Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
- Constant, P. (2007) Marine Life of the Galapagos. The Diver's guide to Fishes, Whales, Dolphins and marine Invertebrates, 307 pp.
- Grove, J.S. Lavenberg, R.J. (1997) The Fishes of the Galapagos Islands. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. 862 pp.
- Humann, P. Deloach, N. (2003) Reef Fish Identification - Galapagos. New World Publication, Inc. Florida USA & Libri Mundi, Quito, Ecuador, 226 pp.
- IUCN (2010) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 April 2010.
- IUCN (2023) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2022-2 Https://www.iucnredlist.org
- McCosker, J.E. Rosenblatt, R.H. (2010) The fishes of the Galápagos Archipelago: an update. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sc., Ser. 4, vol. 61, Suppl. II, no. 11: 167-195.
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This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Symphurus atramentatus", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7812. Accessed 31 October 2026.