Bothidae, Smitt, 1892

Amaoka, Kunio & Ho, Hsuan-Ching, 2019, The lefteye flounder family Bothidae (Order Pleuronectiformes) of Taiwan, Zootaxa 4702 (1), pp. 155-215 : 156

Family Bothidae

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Diagnostic characters. Eyes on left side of body. Optic chiasma monotypic, right-eye nerve always dorsal. All fin rays unbranched except for middle rays of caudal fin. Pelvic fins asymmetrical, fin-base on ocular side longer than that on blind side, first ray on blind side opposite to second to fourth rays on ocular side. Pelvic-fin rays supported by cartilage of pelvic bone extending anteriorly beyond lower tip of cleithrum. Caudal-fin rays 17, middle 11–13 rays branched.

Lateral line on ocular side with a strong curve above pectoral fin, rudimental or none on blind side. Branchiostegal membranes of each side joined. Gill arch without any tubercles except for gill rakers. Five rows of intermuscular bones. Epipleurals, ribs and first neural spine absent. Urohyal fishhook-like in shape, pointed at tip (except for Taeniopsetta in truncate). Caudal skeleton (hypural plate) with four plates, their distal half separated by clefts or closely attached. No preorbital and 3–5 suborbital bones on blind side ( Amaoka, 1969).