''Cynoglossus capensis'', commonly known as the sand tonguesole, is a species of tonguefish. Sole at A-Frame DSC04159

Description

This slender wish grows up to long. It is pale brown with small brown spots and blotches, with paler sections in between. This colouration allows it to blend into the sea floor. As with other tonguefishes, the eyes are both on the left side of the body.

Similar species

This species may be confused with ''

Cynoglossus zanzibarensis ''Cynoglossus'' is a genus of fish in the family Cynoglossidae. Most species are indigenous to the Indo-Pacific region, but there are also a few in warmer parts of the East Atlantic. They are commonly found in shallow waters on a muddy or s ...

'', which has red spots on the dorsal and anal fins.

Distribution and habitat

It is commonly found in southeastern Atlantic Ocean off the south western coast of Africa from the Cunene River to the

Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...

. It is normally found at depths of no greater than , but it has also been reported on the continental slope.Fishbase
/ref> It has been recorded at depths of up to . It is most common in areas where the sea floor is covered in fine sand or mud.

Ecology

The sand tonguefish feeds on benthic invertebrates. It is known to be an important prey species for the

cape fur seal The brown fur seal (''Arctocephalus pusillus''), also known as the Cape fur seal, South African fur seal and Australian fur seal, is a species of fur seal. Description The brown fur seal is the largest and most robust member of the fur seals. ...

around Plettenberg Bay.

Fisheries

This species is targeted by sole fisheries, as well as being caught as

bycatch Bycatch (or by-catch), in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while fishing for specific species or sizes of wildlife. Bycatch is either the wrong species, the wrong sex, or is undersized or juve ...

by other demersal trawl fisheries.

Conservation

This species is currently listed as being data deficient by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

References

Cynoglossidae Fish described in 1858 Fish of South Africa Fish of Namibia Data deficient species {{Pleuronectiformes-stub