New Species of Batfish from the Genus Halieutaea (Ogcocephalidae) from Vietnam

Abstract

A new species of batfish Halieutaea dromedaria sp. n from the waters of Vietnam is described. It differs from other representatives of the genus by the presence of a pronounced transverse depression behind the head and an arched back behind it, the presence of a continuous cover of soft, wart-like tubercles containing one to three thin, bristle-like spines on the dorsal surface of the disc between the scute-like spines and on the ventral surface, and other features. The ontogenetic variability of H. fumosa is clarified: the presence of bristle-like spinules on the ventral surface of the disc is described for juveniles of this species for the first time. An identification key for species of the genus Halieutaea of fauna of Vietnam and the South China Sea is compiled. Species H. fitzsimonsi and H. indica are recorded for the fauna of Vietnam for the first time.