D I S C O V E R   L I F E      Home • IDnature guides • Global mapper • Search • Help

• eyes: left side
• pelvics symmetrical position
• ll: both sides
• ll: branch under eye if arched over pectoral

FLOUNDERS, SANDABS

Distinguishing characteristics of this group of flounders include: eyes on the left side; border of the preoperculum free, not obscured by skin or scales; pelvic fin bases that are short and symmetrical or nearly so; pectoral fins present on both sides of body, with branched rays; lateral line very evident on both sides of the body, either straight or arched over pectoral, the latter with a branch under lower eye. Paralichthids often are sexually dimorphic in the length of their dorsal and pectoral fins.

There are eight genera (one endemic) and about 26 species (all endemic) in the tropical eastern Pacific, with about 16 genera and 98 species worldwide in tropical to temperate areas.

References

• Abbott, J.F., 1899., The marine fishes of Peru., Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 51:324-364.
• Ayres, W. O., 1859., On new fishes of the Californian coast., Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (Series 1), 2:25-32.
• Balart , E. F. , Castro-Aguirre , J. L. , Aurioles-Gamboa , D. , García-Rodriguez , F. and Villavicencio-Garayzar, C., 1995., Adiciones a la ictiofauna de Bahía de la Paz, Baja California Sur, México., Hidrobiologica, 5:79-85.
• Balart , E. F. , Castro-Aguirre , J. L. and De Lachica-Bonilla, F., 1997., Análisis comparativo de las comunidades ícticas de fondos blandos y someros de la Bahía de La Paz, B.C. S.. En Urbán Ramírez, J. y M. Ramírez Rodríguez (Eds.). La Bahía de La Paz investigación y conservación., Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur:177-188.
• Balart, E.F., Gonzáles-García, J. and Villavicencio-Garayzar, C., 2000., Notes on the biology of Cephalurus cephalus and Parmaturus xaniurus (Chondrichthyes: Scyliorhinidae) from the west coast of Baja California Sur, México., Fishery Bulletin, 98:219-221.
• Beebe , W. and Tee-Van, J., 1938., Eastern Pacific expeditions of the New York Zoological Society, XV. Seven new marine fishes from Lower California., Zoologica, 23:299-312.
• Breder, C.M. Jr., 1936., Scientific results of the second oceanographic expedition of the "Pawnee" 1926. Heterosomata to Pediculati from Panama to Lower California., Bull. Bingham Oceanogr. Collect. Yale Univ., 2(3):1-56.
• Béarez, P., 1996., Lista de los Peces Marinos del Ecuador Continental., Revista de Biologia Tropical, 44:731-741.
• Castri-Aguirre, J.L., Espinoza-Pérez, H. and Schmitter-Soto, J.J., 2002., Lista sitemática, biogeográfica y ecológica de la ictiofauna estuarino lagunar y vicaria de México. En: Lozano-Vilano, M. L. (Ed.). Libro Jubilar en Honor al Dr. Salvador Contreras Balderas., Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo León:117-142.
• Castro-Aguirre , J. L. and Balart, E. F., 1997., Contribución al conocimiento de la ictiofauna de fondos blandos y someros de la Ensenada de La Paz y Bahía de La Paz, B.C.S.. En Urbán Ramírez, J. y M. Ramírez Rodríguez (Eds.). La Bahía de La Paz investigación y conservación., Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur:139-150.
• Castro-Aguirre, J.L., 1999., Ictiofauna estuarino-lagunar y vicaria de México., Editorial Limusa S.A. de C.V.: 1-629pp.
• Cuesta, T.C., 1932., Lista de los peces de las costas de la Baja California., Inst. Biol. Mexico, Anal, 3(1):75-80.
• De la Cruz , J. , Galvan , F. , Abitia , L. A. , Rodriguez , J. and Gutierrez, F. J., 1994., Lista sistematica de los peces marinos de Bahia Magdalena, Baja California Sur (Mexico). Systematic List of marine fishes from Bahia Magdalena, Baja California Sur (Mexico)., Ciencias Marinas, 20:17-31.
• Eigenmann , C.H. and Eigenmann, R.S., 1890., Additions to the fauna of San Diego., Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (Series 2), 3:1-24.
• Eschmeyer , W. N. , Herald , E. S. and Hamman, H., 1983., A field guide to Pacific coast fishes of North America from the Gulf of Alaska to Baja California. Peterson Field Guide Ser. 28., Houghton Mifflin:336pp.
• Findley, L.T., Hendrickx, M.E., Brusca, R.C., van der Heiden, A.M., Hastings, P.A., Torre, J., 2003., Diversidad de la Macrofauna Marina del Golfo de California, Mexico., CD-ROM versión 1.0. Projecto de la Macrofauna del Golfo .  Derechos reservados de los autores y Conservación Internacional.
• Fischer , W. , Krup , F. , Schneider , W. , Sommer , C. , Carpenter , K. E. and Niem, V. H., 1995., Guia FAO para la Identificacion de Especies de para los fines de la Pesca. Pacifico Centro-Oriental. Volumen III. Vertebrados - Parte 2., FAO3:1201-1813.
• Fowler, H.W., 1944., Results of the Fifth George Vanderbilt Expedition (1941) (Bahamas, Caribbean sea, Panama, Galapagos Archipelago and Mexican Pacific Islands). The Fishes., Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadel., Monographs, 6:57-529.
• Galván-Magaña, F., Gutiérrez-Sánchez, F., Abitia-Cárdenas, L.A., Rodríguez-Romero, J., 2000., The distribution and affinities of the shore fishes of the Baja California Sur lagoons. In Aquatic Ecosystems of Mexico: Status and Scope. Eds. M. Manuwar, S.G. Lawrence, I.F. Manuwar & D.F. Malley. Ecovision World Monograph Series., Backhuys Publishers:383-398.
• García-Rodríguez , F. J. and Aurioles-Gamboa, D., 1997., Contribución al conocimiento de la diversidad íctica en la Bahía de La Paz por … lobo marino de California, Zalophus californianus californianus. En Urbán Ramírez, J. y M. Ramírez Rodríguez (Eds.). La Bahía de La Paz investigación y conservación., Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur:151-162.
• Garman, S., 1899., The Fishes. In: Reports of an exploration off the west coasts of Mexico, Central and South America, and off the Galapagos Islands, ... by the U.S. Fish Commission Steamer "Albatross," during 1891. L.C.Z.L. Tannar, U.S.N. commanding XXVI., Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool., 24:432pp.
• Gilbert , C. H. and Scofield, N. B., 1898., Notes on a collection of fishes from the Colorado Basin in Arizona., Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 20:487-499.
• Gilbert, C.H., 1890., A preliminary report on the fishes collected by the steamer "Albatross" on the Pacific coast of North America during the year 1889, with descriptions of twelve new genera and ninety-two new species., Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 13:49-126.
• Gilbert, C.H., 1891., Scientific results of explorations by the U. S. Fish Commission steamer "Albatross". A supplementary list of fishes collected at the Galapagos Islands and Panama, with descriptions of one new genus and three new species., Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 13:449-455.
• Gilbert, C.H., 1897., Descriptions of twenty-two new species of fishes collected by the steamer Albatross, of the United States Fish Commission., Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 19:437-457.
• Girard, C., 1854., Enumeration of the species of marine fishes, collected at San Francisco, California, by Dr. C. B. R. Kennerly, naturalist attached to the survey of the Pacific railroad route, under Lieut. A. W. Whipple., Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 7:141-142.
• González Navarro , E. and Saldierna Martínez, R., 1997., Zooplancton de la Bahía de La Paz, B.C.S. (1990-1991). En Urbán Ramírez, J. y M. Ramírez Rodríguez (Eds.). La Bahía de La Paz investigación y conservación., Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur:43-58.
• Grove , J.S. and Lavenberg, R. J., 1997., The fishes of the Galápagos islands., Stanford University Press:863 pp.
• Gutherz, E. J., 1966., Revision of the flounder genus Ancylopsetta (Heterosomata: Bothidae) with descriptions of two new species from the Antilles and the Caribbean Sea., Bull. Mar. Sci., 16:445-479.
• Günther, A., 1864., Report of a collection of fishes made by Messrs. Dow, Godman and Salvin in Guatemala. Part first., Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1864(1):144-154.
• Hildebrand, S.F., 1946., A descriptive catalog of the shore fishes of Peru., Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus., 189:1-530.
• Hoshino, K. and Amaoka, K., 1999., Citharichthys gnathus, a new species of paralichthyid flounder (Teleostei: Pleuronectiformes) from the Galapagos Islands, eastern Pacific Ocean., Ichthyological Research, 46:371-375.
• Hubbs, C.L., 1916., Notes on the Marine Fishes of California., Univ. Calif. Pubs. Zool., 16:153-169.
• Jenkins , O.P. and Evermann, B.W., 1889., Description of eighteen new species of fishes from the Gulf of California., Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 11:137-158.
• Jimenez-Prado, P., Béarez, P., 2004., Peces marinos del Ecuador continental / Marine fishes of continental Ecuador., SIMBIOE/NAZCA/IFEA tomo 1 y 2.
• Jordan , D. S. and Goss, D. K., 1889., A review of the flounders and soles (Pleuronectidae) of America and Europe., Rept. U.S. Fisheries Comm., 14:225-342.
• Jordan , D.S. and Bollman, C.H., 1890., Descriptions of new species of fishes collected at the Galapagos Islands and along the coast of the United States of Colombia, 1887-88, by the U.S. Fish Commission steamer 'Albatross'., Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 12:149-183.
• Jordan , D.S. and Evermann, B.W., 1898., The fishes of North and Middle America: a descriptive catalogue of the species of fish-like vertebrates found in the waters of North America, north of the Isthmus of Panama. Part II., Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus., 47:1241-2183.
• Jordan , D.S. and Evermann, B.W., 1898., The fishes of North and Middle America: a descriptive catalogue of the species of fish-like vertebrates found in the waters of North America, north of the Isthmus of Panama. Part III., Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus., 47:2183-3136.
• Jordan , D.S. and Gilbert, C.H., 1880., Notes on a collection of fishes from San Diego, California., Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 3:23-34.
• Jordan , D.S. and Gilbert, C.H., 1882., Description of thirty-three new species of fishes from Mazatlan, Mexico., Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 4(1881):338-365.
• Jordan , D.S. and Gilbert, C.H., 1882., Descriptions of nineteen new species of fishes from the Bay of Panama., Bull. U.S. Fish Comm., 1:306-335.
• Jordan , D.S. and Gilbert, C.H., 1883., Catalogue of the fishes collected by Mr. John Xantus at Cape San Lucas, which are now in the United States National Museum, with descriptions of eight new species., Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 5(1882):353-371.
• Jordan, D. S., Gilbert, C.H., 1882., Descriptions of two new species of fishes (Sebastichthys umbrosus and Citharichthys stigmaeus) collected at Santa Barbara, California, by Andrea Larco., Proc. U. S. Natl. Mus. 5:410-412.
• Jordan, D.S., 1895., The fishes of Sinaloa., Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (Series 2), 5:377-514.
• Lopez , M. I. and Bussing, W. A., 1982., Lista provisional de los peces marinos de la Costa Rica., Revista de Biologia Tropical, 30(1):5-26.
• Love, M.S., Mecklenburg, C.W., Mecklenburg, T.A., Thorsteinson, L.K., 2005., es of the West Coast and Alaska: a checklist of North Pacific and Artic Ocena species from Baja California to the Alaska-Yukon border., U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, 288pp.
• Madrid Vera , J. , Ruíz Luna , A. and Rosado Bravo, I., 1998., Peces de la plataforma continental de Michoacán y sus relaciones regionales en el Pacífico mexicano., Revista de Biologia Tropical, 42(2):267-276.
• Meek , S.E. and Hildebrand, S.F., 1928., The marine fishes of Panama. Part III., Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser. Publ., XV:709-1045.
• Minckley, W.L., 2002., Fishes of the lowermost colorado river, its delta, and estuary: a commentary on biotic change. En: Lozano-Vilano, M. L. (Ed.). Libro Jubilar en Honor al Dr. Salvador Contreras Balderas., Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo León:63-78.
• Morales-Nin, B., 1994., Growth of demersal fish species in the Mexican Pacific Ocean., Marine Biology, 121:211-217.
• Murakami , T. and Amaoka, K., 1992., Review of the genus Syacium (Paralichthyidae) with the description of a new species from Ecuador and Columbia., Bull. Fac. Fish. Hokkaido Univ., 43:61-95.
• Nelson, J.S., 1984., Fishes of the World (Third edition)., John Wiley and Sons:523pp.
• Nielsen,., 1963., Notes on some Heterosomata (Pisces) from N-W South America with the description of a new genus and species and a new subspecies of Paralichthinae., Vidensk. Medd. Dansk Naturh. Foren. Kjob., 125:375-400.
• Orellana, J.J., 1985., Marine Fishes of Los Cóbanos: Fishes of El Salvador., Sigma Found:126pp.
• Osburn , R. C. and Nichols, J. T., 1916., Shore Fishes Collected by the 'Albatross' Expedition in Lower California with Descriptions of New Species., Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 35:139-181.
• Phillips, P. C., 1981., Annotated Checklist of Fishes at Jiquilisco Bay, El Salvador., Revista de Biologia Tropical, 29:45-58.
• Pérez-Mellado, J., Findley, LL. F., 1985., Evaluación de la ictiofauna acompañante del camarón capturado en las costas de Sonora y norte de Sinaloa, México. In Yáñez-Arancibia, A. (Ed.) Recursos pesqueros potenciales de México: La pesca acompañante del camarón., Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México: Cap. 5:201-254.
• Ramírez Rodríguez, M., 1997., Producción pesquera en la Bahía de La Paz, B.C.S.. En Urbán Ramírez, J. y M. Ramírez Rodríguez (Eds.). La Bahía de La Paz investigación y conservación., Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur:273-282.
• Ricker, K.E., 1959., Mexican shore and pelagic fishes collected from Acapulco to Cape San Lucas during the 1957 cruise of the "Marijean"., Univ. Brit. Columbia Inst. Fish., Mus. Contrib., 3:18pp.
• Rodríguez-Romero, J., Abitia-Cárdenas, L.A., Galván-Magaña, F., Gutiérrez-Sanchez, F.J., Aguilar-Palomino, B., Arvizú-Martínez, J., 1998., Ecology of fish communities from the soft bottoms of Bahía Concepción, México., Arch. Fish. Mar. Res., 46:61-76.
• Rojas , J. R. , Pizarro , J. F. and Castro, M.V., 1994., Diversidad y Abundancia íctica en tres áreas de manglar en el Golfo de Nicoya, Costa Rica., Revista de Biologia Tropical, 42:663-672.
• Rubio , R. E. A. and Estupiñan, F., 1990., Ictiofauna del Parque Nacional Natural Sanquianga, un Analisis de su Estructura y Perspectivas para su Manejo., Memorias del VII Seminario Nacional de las Ciencias y Tecnologías del Mar. Comisión Colombiana de Oceanografía. Bogota, Colombia., :660-670.
• Rubio, E.A., 1986., Notas sobre la ictiofauna de la Isla de Gorgona, Colombia., Boletin Ecotropica. Univ. Bog. Jorge Tadeo Lozano, 13:86-112.
• Rubio, E.A., 1988., Estudio taxonomico de la ictiofauna acompañante del camaron en areas costeras del Pacifico de Colombia., Memorias del VI Seminario Nacional de las Ciencias del Mar. Comisión Colombiana de Oceanografía. Bogota, Colombia., :169-183.
• Starks, E. C., 1906., On a Collection of fishes made by P. O. Simons in Ecuador and Peru., Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 30:761-800.
• Steindachner, F., 1867., Ichthyologische Notizen (5. Folge)., Anz. Akad. Wiss. Wien, 4:119-120.
• Steindachner, F., 1876., Ichthyologische Beiträage (III). Bemerkungen über Serranus nebulifer und S. clathratus sp. Gird., Sitzungsber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, 72:29-96.
• Steindachner, F., 1876., Ichthyologische Beiträge (V). I. Zur Fischfauna von Panama, Acapulco und Mazatlan., Sitzungsber. Akad. Wiss. Wien, 74:49-240.
• Tortonese, E., 1955., Descrizione di una nuova specie di Pseudorhombus del Peru., Doriana, 2:1-4.
• Van der Heiden , A. M. and Findley, L. T., 1988., Lista de los peces marinos del sur de Sinaloa, México., Anales del Centro de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia de la Universidad Autonoma Nacional de Mexico, 15:209-224.
• Van der Heiden , A.M. and Mussot-Perez, S., 1993., Dorsopsetta and D. norma, both Nielsen, 1963, junior synonyms of Cyclopsetta Gill, 1889, and C. querna (Jordan and Bollman, 1890) (Pleuronectiformes: Paralichthyidae)., Copeia, 1993:557-560.
• Van der Heiden , A.M. and Mussot-Perez, S., 1995., Citharichthys mariajorisae, a New Flatfish from the Shalow Coastal Waters of the Eastern Tropical Pacific (Pleuronectiformes: Paralichthyidae)., Copeia, 1995:439-446.
• Vega, A.J., Villareal, N., 2003., Peces asociados a arrecifes y manglares en el Parque Nacional Coiba., Tecnociencia, 5:65-76.
• Villareal-Cavazos, A., Reyes-Bonilla, H., Bermúdez-Almada, B. and Arizpe-Covarrubias, O., 2000., Los peces del arrecife de Cabo Pulmo, Golfo de California, México: Lista sistemática y aspectos de abundancia y biogeografía., Rev. Biol. Trop., 48:413-424.
• van der Heiden, A.M., Plascencia González, H.G., 2005., Etropus ciadi, a new endemic flatfish from the Gulf of California, Mexico (Pleuronectiformes: Paralichthyidae)., Copeia, 2005:470-478.