khaki flounder

description

Laeops variegate (not of Franz): Chen & Weng, 1965: 69. Laeops nigrescens (not of Lloyd): Chen & Weng, 1965: 64. Specimens examined. NMMB-P 21087 (1, 130.8), Dong-gang, Mar. 30, 2014; NMMB-P 22229 (1, 149.2), Donggang, 21 Jan. 2015; NMMB-P 23185 (1, 125.5), Ke-tzu-liao, 22 Apr. 2014; NMMB-P 23188 (1 female, 134.5), NMMB-P 23268 (4, 121.2 – 130.7), 18 Mar. 2016; NMMB-P 23269 (5, 120.3 – 139.9), Dong-gang, 28 Feb. 2016; NMMB-P 23270 (1, 132.2), Ke-tzu-liao, 28 Feb. 2016; NMMB-P 23280 (1, 120.0), Dong-gang, 16 Apr. 2016; NMMB-P 23283 (4, 103.2 – 128.5), Ke-tzu-liao, 3 Apr. 2016; NMMB-P 24846 (1, 148.3), Ke-tzu-laio, 2 Apr. 2015. Large among of specimens deposited in NMMB-P. Diagnostic features. D 103 – 117; A 87 – 92; P 12 – 15; C 2 – 3 + 11 – 13 + 2 – 4 = 17; LLs 90 – 105; GR 0 – 5 + 5 – 8 = 6 – 12; ert. 11 – 12 + 39 – 42 = 50 – 53. Body elongated and strongly compressed, greatest near anterior 1 / 4 part of body, its depth highly variable (28.5 – 36.9 % SL). Caudal peduncle narrow, its depth 5.7 – 6.8 % of SL. Head extremely small, head less than 1 / 2 of body depth (14.9 – 18.4 % SL); front of head almost straight or with shallow concavity above middle of upper eye. Snout extremely

The lefteye flounder family Bothidae (Order Pleuronectiformes) of Taiwan

discussion

Remarks. Laeops tongkongensis Chen & Weng, 1965 is synonymized with Laeops kitaharae (Smith & Pope, 1906) based on the examination of the type specimens of both species for this study. We cannot separate L. tongkongensis from L. kitaharae based on the diagnosis of both species provided in the key of Chen & Weng (1965). The body depth of type series of L. tongkongensis are 28.3 – 29.8 % SL versus 34.5 % SL in holotype and 28.5 – 36.9 % SL in Taiwanese specimens of L. kitaharae. The head length of type series of L. tongkongensis are 15.5 – 16.2 % SL, versus 17.2 % SL and 14.9 – 18.4 % SL, respectively, of Laeops kitaharae. Moreover, both species could not be discriminated in counts and other morphometric characters. As a consequence, L. tongkongensis is recognized as a junior synonym of L. kitaharae. In addition, eight species in the genus Laeops were reported from Taiwan (Chen & Weng, 1965). They probably also represent Laeops kitaharae, which is known for its broad morphological variations in proportional measurements (Amaoka, 1969). The pictures of L. kitaharae shown by Shen & Wu (2012) represent a reversal specimen of Plagiopsetta glossa.

The lefteye flounder family Bothidae (Order Pleuronectiformes) of Taiwan

distribution

Distribution. Western and southwestern Taiwan; South China Sea to southern Japan, and Korea (Amaoka, 2016).

The lefteye flounder family Bothidae (Order Pleuronectiformes) of Taiwan