A new species of Bothus (Pleuronectiformes: Bothidae) from Mozambique

Bothus swio is described based on one adult male specimen collected off the coast of Mozambique. Males of this species appear to differ from all known congeners because of their narrow interobital region. Other characters useful for its identification are lack of ocular appendages, relative positions of the anterior margins of the eyes, number of lateral-line scales, length and colour pattern of the ocular-side pectoral fin, lack of orbital spines, dorsal- and anal- fin ray counts, and lack of colour pattern on the blind side. Bothus swio most closely resembles B. pantherinus and B. tricirrhitus.