American sole (Achirus mucuri)

Scientific name: Achirus mucuri Ramos, Ramos & Lopes, 2009

The American sole (Achirus mucuri) is a brackish-water fish of the family Achiridae.

Biology

Achirus mucuri is distinguished from all its congeners, except A. novoae, by possessing a connection on both the blind and ocular sides between the branchiostegal membrane and the isthmus, with the connection being slightly stronger on the blind side (vs. complete absence of connections between branchiostegal membranes and isthmus). Additionally, the species is distinguished from its congeners by having a light-brown body color, with regularly-scattered, minute, darkbrown blotches that are sometimes concentrated to form larger spots. Five specimens differed from the typical light-brown body color in having a brownish-gray background, and one specimen showed brownish-white body pigmentation. The new species differs from A. novoae by the presence of a large, ramified labial fimbriae (vs. simple, non-ramified, minute labial fimbriae in A. novoae) and by the shape of the infraorbital canal (extending around ventral margin of fixed eye) (vs. infraorbital canal that stops dorsal to fixed e

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Achirus mucuri
Family
Achiridae (American soles)
Order
Pleuronectiformes (Flatfishes)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
9.0
Environment
Marine; brackish; benthopelagic
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
South America: Brazil. Achirus mucuri is known only from the Mucuri River estuary, a small system situated between the Jequitinhonha and Doce rivers, south of Bahia state coast drainage, northeastern Brazil.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries:

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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