Japonolaeops Amaoka, 1969

Amaoka, Kunio & Ho, Hsuan-Ching, 2019, The lefteye flounder family Bothidae (Order Pleuronectiformes) of Taiwan, Zootaxa 4702 (1), pp. 155-215 : 190

Genus Japonolaeops Amaoka, 1969

Japonolaeops Amaoka, 1969:202 . Type species: Japonolaeops dentatus Amaoka, 1969 .

Diagnostic features. Body slender and elliptical, rather flatten. Tip of isthmus below posterior margin of lower eye. Dorsal profile of head constant with sex and growth. Caudal peduncle narrow, its depth about 5.9–6.3 % SL. Both eyes separated by very narrow concavity; interorbital width same in both sexes. No rostral, orbital and mandibular spines in both sexes.

Mouth very small in size; maxilla extending slightly beyond anterior margin of lower eye. Teeth on both jaws small, uniserial on upper jaw and uniserial or biserial (sometimes in narrow band) on lower jaw. Gill rakers slender, without spines along inner edge.

Scales very small, deciduous, cycloid on both sides. Lateral line on ocular side with small curve section above pectoral fin; lateral line absent on blind side. Dorsal and anal fins with simple rays throughout, not elongate. Pectoral fin on ocular side not elongate in both sexes. Pelvic fin on ocular side starting at tip of isthmus; first ray on blind side opposite to fourth ray on ocular side. Vent on blind side, just in front of origin of anal fin, and urogenital pore on ocular side, opposite of vent. Caudal skeleton with four plates including parhypural and three hypurals, without deep clefts.

Remarks. Japonolaeops is closely related to Laeops with a relatively elongate body, caudal skeleton without deep clefts, and no sexual dimorphism. The genus differs from Laeops in having teeth on both jaws, anterior rays of dorsal fin not elongate, and anterior two rays of dorsal fin connected to the following rays.