Scophthalmus aquosus
Windowpane
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Pleuronectfiormes (Flatfishes)
Scophthalmidae (Turbots)
Scophthalmus
Scophthalmus aquosus (Windowpane)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Deep bodied, with branchial septum entire, anterior rays of dorsal fin branched, and small cycloid scales. Anterior nares on both sides of head have membranous flaps on posterior margin. Maxilla extends to middle or posterior section of eye. Anterior end of ocular-side maxilla possesses a bony tubercle. Jaw teeth are small, curved, and arranged in narrow bands. Gill rakers on first arch are slender and of moderate size and number 8 on upper limb and 22 to 26 on lower limb. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 28%–30%, snout length 6%–7%, orbit diameter 6%–7%, upper jaw length 12%–15%, ocular-side pectoral fin length 19%–22%, body depth 61%–68%. Pectoral fin on ocular side has 11 rays. Dorsal fin has 64 to 71 rays, with anterior rays relatively long, branched, and free of membrane over greater part of length. Pelvic fin on ocular side originates slightly anterior to its antimere and has 6 rays. Anal fin has 48 to 55 rays. Scales are small and cycloid. Lateral line is equally developed on each side and is strongly arched over pectoral fin. Precaudal vertebrae number 11, and caudal vertebrae number 23 to 25.
Ocular side is brown, with many dark and lighter spots on body and fins.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Florida
Single unverified record from the Gulf of Mexico off Texas (Baughman 1950)
Habitat Associations
Soft bottoms, to a depth of 46 m
Biology
Maximum known size is 450 mm TL
Occurs from shore to 45 m depth, occasionally in deeper water.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2021-02-12. Resilience: Medium (K=0.24; tmax=7;).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial.
References
Norman 1934
Baughman 1950
Gutherz 1967
Hoese and Moore 1977, 1998
Robins et al. 1986
Munroe 2002b
Scott, W.B. and M.G. Scott (1988) Atlantic fishes of Canada. Can. Bull. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 219:731 p.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Langton, R.W. and R.E. Bowman (1981) Food of eight Northwest Atlantic Pleuronectiform Fishes. NOAA Technical Report NMFS SSRF-749, U.S. Department of Commerce.
Patzner, R.A. (2008) Reproductive strategies of fish. pp. 311-350. In Rocha, M.J., A. Arukwe and B.G. Kapoor (eds). Fish reproduction: cytology, biology and ecology. Science Publisher, Inc. Oxford. 631 p.
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