Taeniopsetta ocellata ( Günther, 1880 )

Amaoka, Kunio & Ho, Hsuan-Ching, 2019, The lefteye flounder family Bothidae (Order Pleuronectiformes) of Taiwan, Zootaxa 4702 (1), pp. 155-215 : 208

Taeniopsetta ocellata ( Günther, 1880)

Indo-Pacific ocellated flounder; ȇṯáĸľ

Figures 10 A–C; Table 12–13

Pseudorhombus ocellatus Günther, 1880:56 (Type locality: Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea).

Taeniopsetta ocellata: Norman, 1927:17 ; Ho et al, 2009:11.

Specimens examined. NMMB-P05155 (formerly THUP4171 , 1 female, 107.7), Dong-gang, 21 Mar. 1979 ; NMMB- P11513 (1, 70.4) , NMMB-P11514 (1, 66.5), Dong-gang, 27 May 2008 ; NMMB-P29264 (1, 65.7), Ke-tzu-liao, 3 Apr. 2018 .

Diagnostic features. D 87–95; A 73–78; P 12–14; C 3+11+3=17; LLs 102–104; GR 0+5–6=5–6; vert. 10+31– 32=41–42.

Body deeply ovate, deepest at middle of body (51.0–63.5% SL). Head slightly shorter than half of body depth (21.4–27.3% SL); front profile of head with slight concavity anterior to interorbital space. Snout length about half of eye diameter. Rostral spine on snout tip strong in males, absent or feeble in females and juveniles. Eye diameter longer than upper jaw. Strong orbital spines at anterior margin of eyes in males, none or feeble in females and juveniles. Interorbital space with low ridges separated by extremely narrow concavity.

Mouth small, upper-jaw length 5.7–8.0% SL, maxilla extending to or slightly beyond anterior margin of lower eye. Symphysial knob strong on lower jaw. Teeth on both jaws small, uniserial. Gill rakers on lower limb, short and slender, smooth; absent on upper limb.

Scales on both sides cycloid, small, not deciduous. Twelfth to 20th rays of dorsal fin and first to 7th rays of anal fin extended in males, but not in females. Pectoral fin on ocular side not elongated. Pelvic-fin origin below posterior margin of lower eye, length of fin base and ray on ocular side slightly longer than those on blind side; first ray on blind side opposite to second ray on ocular side.

Coloration. Ocular side of body light brownish red with 4 and 3 U-shaped dark blotches along dorsal and ventral margins respectively; 3 smaller, blotches above and below middle of lateral line; median fins with many dark brownish spots and streaks. Posterior half of body on blind side dark brown in males, light brown in females.

Size. Reaches 108 mm SL in Taiwan; up to 190 mm SL elsewhere ( Hensley & Amaoka, 2001).

Distribution. Southwestern Taiwan; Indian and Western Pacific oceans (southern Japan, Saya de Malha Bank, New Caledonia, Admiralty Islands) ( Amaoka, 2016).

Remarks. This species exhibits a distinct sexual dimorphism in the presence or absence of a rostral spine, orbital spines in front of the both eyes, the symphysial knob at the tip of the lower jaw, the length of the dorsal and anal fin rays and the body coloration of the blind side. Ho et al. (2009) listed this species for Taiwan based on a single specimen transferred from Tunghai University. We examined 3 additional juveniles from southern Taiwan.

Figures

FIGURE 10. A–C. Taeniopsetta ocellata, FRIP01118, 160 mm SL, ocular side (A) and blind side (B), photo taken by S.-C. Chaung; C. NMMB-P29264, 65.7 mm SL, juvenile. D–E. Tosarhombus octoculatsus, ca. 200 mm SL, specimen not retained.