Patterns of Ambicoloration in Carrot Tonguesole Cynoglossus dubius (Cynoglossidae)

Abstract

Abstract The present study documents nearly complete and partial ambicoloration in Carrot tonguesole, Cynoglossus dubius Day, 1873. Nearly complete ambicolored fishes exhibited an additional lateral line on the blind side whereas, partially ambicolored specimen lacked this feature. The ambicolored area covered approximately 49 and 80% of the body surface in partially and nearly complete ambicolored specimens, respectively. Radiographs did not reveal any vertebral abnormalities in the examined specimens. Our findings indicate that additional lateral line observed in the blind side of ambicolored C. dubius complicates the identification of flatfishes based on morphometric traits alone.