Abstract
The filamentous flounder Arnoglossus nigrofilamentosus n. sp. is described from four specimens collected in the southeastern Mediterranean near Tel-Aviv, Israel on 5 May 2017. The new species is characterized as follows: second to sixth dorsal-fin rays elongate and filamentous, dorsal-fin rays 78-84, anal-fin rays 61-66, pectoral-fin rays on ocular side 12-13, on blind side 7-9, caudal-fin rays iii,11,iii , lateral-line scales 52-54, gill rakers 0 + 4-5, not serrated, interorbital a narrow bony ridge without scales in the middle, interorbital width 11% to 16% of upper orbit diameter, no enlarged teeth anteriorly in upper jaw, and prevomer small, not enlarged, weakly projecting into mouth cavity; body in fresh specimens pale (may have been dark before the epidermis was abrased), head, peritoneum and vertical fins black. The new species is described and compared with similar species. Though the species has not yet been observed in the northern Red Sea, it probably originates from the Gulf of Suez, so this finding represents a probable new case of Lessepsian migration.
Highlights
The lefteye flounders of the family Bothidae are a large group of marine fishes living in tropical and temperate waters of all oceans
Summary: The filamentous flounder Arnoglossus nigrofilamentosus n. sp. is described from four specimens collected in the southeastern Mediterranean near Tel-Aviv, Israel on 5 May 2017
Though the species has not yet been observed in the northern Red Sea, it probably originates from the Gulf of Suez, so this finding represents a probable new case of Lessepsian migration
Summary
The lefteye flounders of the family Bothidae are a large group of marine fishes living in tropical and temperate waters of all oceans. They are arranged in the order Pleuronectiformes (Nelson et al 2016), and currently contain a total of 169 valid species (Eschmeyer and Fong 2017). While examining the catch of R/V Bilu collected off Jaffa, Israel in the morning of 5 May 2017, two of the authors (RF and DG) discovered four specimens of an unusual species of Arnoglossus, that was subsequently found to be an undescribed species. This species is described and its probable origin is discussed
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