Branchiostegus, Rafinesque, 1815

Hiramatsu, Wataru, Vinh, Chu Tien & Endo, Hiromitsu, 2019, Branchiostegus biendong, a New Tilefish from Vietnam (Perciformes: Branchiostegidae), Zootaxa 4661 (1), pp. 133-144 : 141-142

Key to the five species of Branchiostegus in Vietnam

1a Third pelvic-fin soft ray longest; pelvic fin longer than 13th dorsal-fin soft ray; predorsal ridge pale; caudal fin with scattered yellow bars and spots, sometimes forming yellow stripe ( Fig. 4A ).......................................... B. albus

1b Second pelvic-fin soft ray longest; pelvic fin shorter than 13th soft dorsal-fin ray; predorsal ridge dark; caudal fin with 4–6 distinct stripes ( Figs. 1 , 4B )............................................................................. 2

2a Scales on cheek covered with thin skin; silver triangular-shaped blotch on posterior rim of eye............... B. japonicus

2b Scales on cheek exposed; no triangular-shaped silver blotch along posterior rim of eye.............................. 3

3a Six scale rows on cheek; dorsal-fin membrane with black stripe overlapping yellow coloration along dorsal margin; silver cheek with yellow blotch below eye; black blotch at tip of upper caudal fin............................... B. biendong n. sp.

3b Eight or more scale rows on cheek; color not as above........................................................ 4

4a Cheek yellow with one silver bar; HL usually more than 26% in SL; dorsal fin yellowish with yellow margin; no black blotches on dorsal-fin membrane; no stripes on sides of body................................................... B. auratus

4b Cheek pink with two silver bars; HL usually less than 26% in SL; a series of black blotches on dorsal-fin membrane between rays; two yellow stripes on side of body......................................................... B. argentatus

Figures

FIGURE 1. Branchiostegus biendong n. sp., in fresh, VNMN-F 2017. 001, holotype, male, 209 mm SL., Quy Nhon, Vietnam, photographed by W. Hiramatsu.

FIGURE. 4. A. Branchiostegus albus, BSKU 92864, 224 mm SL, B. Branchiostegus japonicus, BSKU 92582, 231 mm SL, collected from Tosa Bay, Japan. Photographed by N. Nakayama.