Engyprosopon

Engyprosopon is a genus of flatfishes in the family Bothidae. These fishes are commonly known as “righteye flounders” because their eyes are located on the right side of their body. They are found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.

Largescale flounder – Engyprosopon grandisquama

Characteristics

Members of the genus Engyprosopon are typically small to medium-sized fishes, with most species reaching lengths of 10-25 cm. They possess a characteristically flattened body shape, with both eyes located on the same side of the head. The blind side of the body is often pigmented, while the eyed side is usually brightly colored and patterned. The mouth is located on the eyed side and is usually protrusible. They have a relatively small, dorsal fin that extends along the entire length of the back, and a similar-sized anal fin on the ventral side. Their pectoral fins are usually small and located near the head.

Environments

Engyprosopon species are primarily found in sandy and muddy bottoms of coastal waters, often near coral reefs or seagrass beds. They are also found in estuaries and lagoons. These fishes are demersal, meaning they live near the bottom of the ocean. They are often found buried in the substrate, with only their eyes protruding. This camouflage helps them ambush prey, which consists primarily of small invertebrates and fish.

Species

The genus Engyprosopon contains a number of species, including:

  • Engyprosopon annularis (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Engyprosopon argentatus (H. M. Smith, 1902)
  • Engyprosopon argyropleura (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon atlanticus (Fowler, 1934)
  • Engyprosopon brachioma (Jordan & Evermann, 1898)
  • Engyprosopon caninus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon capensis (Smith, 1931)
  • Engyprosopon clarus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon cornutus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon cyanopterus (Bleeker, 1853)
  • Engyprosopon cyprinoides (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Engyprosopon dentatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Engyprosopon dubius (Whitley, 1931)
  • Engyprosopon emarginatus (Peters, 1869)
  • Engyprosopon erythrinus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon fasciatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon fimbriatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon flavomaculatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon grandisquamis (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon grayi (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon guentheri (Steindachner, 1883)
  • Engyprosopon haighlandi (Fowler, 1934)
  • Engyprosopon hamiltoni (Fowler, 1934)
  • Engyprosopon heptagonus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon hoskyni (Whitley, 1931)
  • Engyprosopon indicus (Day, 1875)
  • Engyprosopon laticeps (Fowler, 1934)
  • Engyprosopon lazareti (Whitley, 1931)
  • Engyprosopon leptocephalus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon longifilis (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon maculatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon malabaricus (Day, 1875)
  • Engyprosopon marmoratus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon microcephalus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon modestus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon multimaculatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon nigromaculatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon ocellatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon oligospilus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon ornatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon parvulus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon pauciradiatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon pectoralis (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon phanerops (Jordan & Starks, 1904)
  • Engyprosopon pictus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon platycephalus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon pleurogramma (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon polygramma (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon punctatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon quadricornis (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon radiatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon reticulatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon rhombus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon robustus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon rosaceus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon rufus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon sainthillensis (Whitley, 1931)
  • Engyprosopon scopula (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon semisquamatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon serratus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon similis (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon smithi (Fowler, 1934)
  • Engyprosopon stellatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon striatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon subocellatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon taeniatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon tanakae (Jordan & Snyder, 1901)
  • Engyprosopon tumidus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon unicolor (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon variabilis (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon venustus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon vermiculatus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon verrilli (Goode & Bean, 1885)
  • Engyprosopon vinctus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon violaceus (Günther, 1862)
  • Engyprosopon zebra (Günther, 1862)

References

For more information on the genus Engyprosopon, refer to the following sources: