Review of the flatfishes of Vietnam in the collection of Zoological Institute, Saint Petersburg

Abstract

A review of 47 species in 28 genera of flatfishes (families Citharidae, Bothidae, Paralichthyidae, Samaridae, Soleidae and Cynoglossidae) caught off Vietnam and kept in Zoological Institute is presented. Most of the material is collected off Southern Vietnam, smaller part – in the Gulf of Tonkin with maximal number of species and specimens caught to a depth of 50 m. Bothids, soleids and cynoglossids are most numerous, which is typical of Indo-Pacific flatfish fauna. Study of material adds 15 species to the list of 82 previously known from Vietnam. Two species, the paralichthyid Pseudorhombus oculocirris and soleid Soleichthys tubiferus, are recorded for the first time for the South China Sea, these findings considerably extend their ranges. Thirteen species are indicated for the fauna of Vietnam for the first time: Arnoglossus macrolophus, Chascanopsetta lugubris, Engyprosopon maldivensis, Kamoharaia megastoma (Bothidae), Samariscus filipectoralis, Samariscus luzonensis (Samaridae), Aseraggodes dubius, Zebrias crossolepis, Zebrias lucapensis (Soleidae), Cynoglossus kopsi, Cynoglossus quadrilineatus, Paraplagusia japonica, Symphurus microrhynchus (Cynoglossidae). Annotated synonymy, diagnostic characters, photographs, counts and map of occurrences are given for each species. The comparison shows similarity of flatfish fauna composition of Northern Vietnam and Southern Vietnam in spite of climatic and hydrological difference between regions. Our findings confirm previously known widespread distribution of the Indo-Pacific flatfishes and characterize species as eurythermal and euryhaline.