Engyprosopon vanuatuensis, a new species of bothid flounder (Pleuronectiformes: Bothidae) from off Vanuatu, South West Pacific

A new bothid flounder, Engyprosopon vanuatuensis, is described on the basis of 15 specimens (9 males and 6 females, 41.1–55.8mm in standard length) collected from deep waters (163–165m) off Vanuatu Island in 1994 during the French exploratory cruise MUSORSTOM 8. The new species clearly differs from its congeners in having a short body, big eyes, large scales, and many gill rakers without serrations. Remarkable sexual dimorphism appears in interorbital width, anterior curve of head profile, rostral and orbital spines, length of ocular-side pectoral fin, small dots on eyes, and pigmentation of blind-side body.     

Long-term territoriality and mate acquisition in the lefteye flounder Engyprosopon grandisquama

Reproductive ecology and function of long-term territoriality in the lefteye flounder Engyprosopon grandisquama were investigated in the southwest of Kyushu Island, Japan. Field observations of marked individuals and monthly sampling suggested that the spawning season was from June to September with a peak in June–July. During the spawning season, males maintained their mating territories, although spawning behavior was not observed in August–September. Some males stayed until the next spawning season and then acquired more mates than newly appearing males, most of which could not acquire mates. Long-term retention of territory may be more advantageous for establishing a mating territory and acquiring mates in the next spawning season.     

土佐鳒鲆（Psettina tosana） ——中国大陆新记录种和丝指鳒鲆 （P. filimana）的有效性厘定

依据《中国动物志: 硬骨鱼纲 鲽形目》,本研究近年在中国大陆从东海至南海海域采集到14尾样品,前期鉴定为鲆科（Bothidae）鳒鲆属（Psettina）的丝指鳒鲆（P. filimana Li &Wang, 1982）,但同时发现这些样品也具有土佐鳒鲆（P. tosana Amaoka, 1963）的主要特征。因此,有必要明确这些样品种名以及丝指鳒鲆和土佐鳒鲆之间的关系。为了准确的鉴定这些样品,本研究采用和模式标本形态特征比较分析以及COI分子条形码K2P遗传距离比较的方法进行鉴定。首先将采集样品的29个形态特征分别与21或25个丝指鳒鲆或土佐鳒鲆模式标本特征进行了比较,然后比较了两个模式标本的18个形态特征。结果表明,所有土佐鳒鲆原始描述的可数和可量特征均与丝指鳒鲆模式标本及本研究样品的形态特征为重叠或包含关系,描述性状为一致;同时本研究以胸鳍条长度不同这一李思忠（1987）区别两种类的特征为依据,分别选取了胸鳍条突出成丝状2尾和不显著突出成丝状3尾共5尾代表样品进行COI条形码分析,获得的这些序列的K2P遗传距离为0.000 0 ~ 0.004 7,并将这些序列与GenBank上已有的土佐鳒鲆序列进行了比对,K2P遗传距离为0.002 3 ~ 0.007 0。基于Hebert等（2003）提出的种间遗传距离通常大于0.02的物种鉴定标准,本研究的分子结果显示,前期鉴定为丝指鳒鲆的本研究样品与土佐鳒鲆不存在种间差异。因此,基于形态特征和COI分子条形码结果均支持本研究样品与丝指鳒鲆和土佐鳒鲆为同一物种,根据《国际动物命名法规》中的优先权原则,丝指鳒鲆应为土佐鳒鲆的次同物异名。土佐鳒鲆为首次在中国大陆发现,故为新记录种。同时,根据本研究11尾样品的形态特征数据并整合前人研究结果对土佐鳒鲆的形态特征进行了再描述。     

Engyprosopon marquisensis, a new species of bothid flounder (Pleuronectiformes: Bothidae) from the Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia)

A new bothid flounder, Engyprosopon marquisensis, is described from 11 specimens collected in deep waters (108–408 m) off the Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia) during the French exploratory cruise MUSORSTOM 9 in 1997. Engyprosopon marquisensis is similar to E. bellonaensis from the Chesterfield Islands and Bellona Plateau in the Coral Sea and E. vanuatuensis from off Vanuatsu Island, but is easily distinguished from E. bellonaensis by the following combination of characters: narrow interorbital space in both sexes, small mouth, short caudal fin, large number of vertebrae, and fewer gill rakers. It differs from E. vanuatuensis by many scales in the lateral line, small eyes, short ocular-side upper jaw, and short blind-side lower jaw. Engyprosopon marquisensis is the deepest occurring (408 m) species of the genus, and constitutes the second species of this genus with an eastern distribution.     

The social and reproductive behavior of the eyed flounder,Bothus ocellatus,with notes on the spawning ofBothus lunatus andBothus ellipticus

Synopsis Observations of the Caribbean eyed flounder,Bothus ocellatus, were made during two field trips to Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles (January 1990, and December 1990 – January 1991) at depths from 3 to 6 meters. Data were collected by six scuba divers during 54 dives totaling 70 hours. Three mating groups were observed, each consisted of a male and 1 to 6 females. Each female had a distinct subunit within the male's territory. Courtship activity began about one hour before sunset and continued until sunset, when the male retired for the night. Both males and females retired into the sand at locations outside their daytime territory. Every day, males attempted to mate with each female individually within their territory. Spawning began with the male moving under the female who was resting on the sandy bottom. The pair then made a slow upward rise approximately 15 to 75 cm above the substrate, which culminated in a release of a cloud of gametes.Bothus lunatus andBothus ellipticus exhibited similar social organization toB. ocellatus, but differences in the spawning rise were observed. Intraspecific agonistic behavior was observed within males ofB. ocellatus andB. ellipticus.Senior author     

A new flounder,monolene helenensis (pleuronectiformes: Bothidae) from the eastern tropical atlantic

Monolene helenensis sp. nov. is described on the basis of seven specimens collected from the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean. This new bothid flounder differs from all known congeners by the following combination of characters: 108–116 dorsal and 89–92 anal fin rays, 101–111 lateral line scales, 7–10+10–15=18–25 gill rakers, 10–12+37–38=48–50 vertebrae, body depth 2.58–2.77 in standard length, ocular side pectoral fin length 1.34–1.59, in head length and upper half of pectoral fin blackish.     

Early ontogeny of Lophonectes gallus (Bothidae) from southeastern Australia

 The early ontogeny of Lophonectes gallus (Bothidae) is described based on 83 specimens (1.9–17.5 mm BL), collected from the Tasman Sea off southeastern Australia. The larvae are diagnosed by the following array of characters: vertebrae 10 + 30–31 = 40–41; one elongated dorsal fin ray and several melanophores present on gut in preflexion stage (1.9–4.7 mm BL); and spines on posterior basipterygial process, and urohyal, cleithrum, and epiotic without spines after postflexion stage (8.0–17.5 mm BL). The larvae are relatively small at metamorphosis (15–18 mm BL) compared with other bothid larvae. Received: March 22, 2001 / Revised: December 12, 2001 / Accepted: December 26, 2001     

Mating system of the lefteye flounder,Engyprosopon grandisquama

Underwater observations were conducted on the reproductive behavior and mating system of the lefteye flounder,Engyprosopon grandisquama, off Nagashima, southwest of Kyushu Island, Japan. Two types of males were found: large males, which defended territories against other large males, and small males, which did likewise but only against smaller males. Large males established territories which encompassed or ovelapped the home ranges of 1 or 2 cohabitant females. Territories of the small males, in which a smaller female often maintained a home range, overlapped those of large males. Pair spawning occurred around sunset. Mating of large males with cohabitant females was observed 36 times and that of a small male with a smaller female once. Pair formation was assorted by body size, paired males being larger than females in most cases. Thus, inE. grandisquama, gigamous large males were common, small males occurring within the former's erritorial boundaries mating with smaller females.     

Larvae of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arnoglossus elongatus</Emphasis> (Pleuronectiformes: Bothidae) from northwestern Australia

Eleven postflexion larvae (9.1–23.9mm standard length: SL) of a bothid, Arnoglossus elongatus, from northwestern Australian waters were described. These specimens were characterized by vertebral numbers of 11–12+32–34=43–45, slender body, remarkably elongated second dorsal fin ray, and presence of melanophores on and slightly above midlateral line of body, plus on dorsal wall of abdominal cavity and air bladder (specimens >12.6mm SL), proximally on caudal fin rays (>16.5mm SL), and on pterygiophore zones of dorsal fin and anal fin (>23.8mm SL).     

Observations on anomalous conditions in some flatfishes (Pisces: Pleuronectiformes), with a new record of partial albinism

Synopsis Abnormalities in five specimens of pleuronectiform flatfishes (one specimen from the family Soleidae, four from Bothidae) are described. The account of naturally occurring anomalies in the naked sole,Gymnachirus melas, is the first from the western Atlantic for a soleid other thanTrinectes maculatus. Anomalies inG. melas include partial albinism and osteological deformities. A second account of pigment and morphological aberrations is provided forParalichthys albigutta (total ambicoloration, incomplete eye rotation and hooked dorsal fin). Partial ambicoloration is reported for three specimens ofParalichthys lethostigma. Possible causes of abnormalities in flatfishes are reviewed. It is postulated that minimum depth of occurrence of species may be linked to frequency of abnormalities. Anomalies appear to be most frequent in species and families of flatfishes which inhabit shallow coastal or estuarine (<5 m depth) waters.