Spotless Lefteye Flounder, Engyprosopon praeteritus (Whitley 1950)
Other Names: Speckled Flounder
A freshly caught Spotless Lefteye Flounder, Engyprosopon praeteritus, WAM P. 32685-001, 64.7mm SL, from Exmouth Gulf, depth 7-9 m. Source: Sue Morrison / Western Australian Museum. License: CC By Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
Summary:
A species of Engyprosopon with a narrowly concave interorbital space; no obvious sexual dimorphism; prominent snout; tip of palatine bone distinctly protruding into mouth; 3–6 non-serrate gill rakers on upper limb; caudal fin with pair of small, black submarginal blotches; dorsal and anal fins each with series of black spots.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2024, Engyprosopon praeteritus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 02 Jul 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/4679
Spotless Lefteye Flounder, Engyprosopon praeteritus (Whitley 1950)
More Info
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Distribution |
Shark Bay, Western Australia, to Emery Point, Darwin, Northern Territory, and possibly east to Bowen, Queensland. Elsewhere the species occurs in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. Inhabits soft sediment areas. |
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Colour |
Body pale brownish on ocular side, without distinct blotches or spots; margins of scale pockets highlighted, darker brown. Caudal fin with two distinct dark blotches close to middle of fourth rays from upper- and lowermost margins of fin; dorsal and anal fins with series of finer dark spots; pelvic fin on ocular side with small black spot; orbital membrane speckled. |
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Biology |
This species does not display sexual dimorphism in either external morphology or coloration. |
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Remarks |
In Australia this species has previously been referred to as Arnoglossus praeteritus and A. aspilos. |
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Similar Species |
Differs from other species of Engyprosopon in having a series of dark blotches on the dorsal and anal fins, and a pair of small black blotches on the caudal fin, and by lacking sexual differences in morphology and coloration. In Australia, Engyprosopon praeteritus is most similar to Engyprosopon bleekeri and E. osculus, in having a pair of black spots on the caudal fin. However, E. praeteritus differs in having a larger head (3.63–4.10 in SL vs 4.23–4.68), and in having gill rakers on the upper limb (3–6 vs absent). |
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Etymology |
The specific name is from the Latin praeteritus (= gone by, past), possibly in reference to the position of the lower eye being "more in advance of upper". |
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Species Citation |
Arnoglossus aspilos praeteritus Whitley 1950, Proceedings of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales 1948–49: 32, fig. 1. Type locality: between Cape Jaubert and Wallal, Western Australia. |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2024 |
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Resources |
Spotless Lefteye Flounder, Engyprosopon praeteritus (Whitley 1950)
References
Amaoka, K. & Last, P.R. 2014. The Australian sinistral flounder Arnoglossus aspilos praeteritus (Actinopterygii, Pleuronectiformes: Bothidae) reassigned as a valid species of Engyprosopon. Species Diversity 19: 91-96, https://doi.org/10.12782/sd.19.2.091
Amaoka, K. & Matsuura, K. 2020. Engyprosopon praeteritus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T143825390A143844587. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T143825390A143844587.en. Accessed on 27 February 2024.
Hensley, D.A. & Amaoka, K. 2001. Bothidae. pp. 3799-3841 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 6 pp. 3381-4218. (as Arnoglossus aspilos)
Larson, H.K., Williams, R.S. & Hammer, M.P. 2013. An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Northern Territory, Australia. Zootaxa 3696(1): 1-293 (as an Australian variant of Arnoglossus aspilos)
Larson, H.K. & Williams, R.S. 1997. Darwin Harbour fishes: a survey and annotated checklist. pp. 339-380 in Hanley, H.R., Caswell, G., Megirian, D. & Larson, H.K. (eds). The Marine Flora and Fauna of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia. Proceedings of the Sixth International Marine Biology Workshop. Darwin : Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory 466 pp. (as Arnoglossus aspilos praeteritus)
Whitley, G.P. 1950. Some rare Australian fishes. Proceedings of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales 1948–49: 32-34 figs 1-5 See ref at BHL
