Fourty-three species of Cytheropteron Sars, 1866, of which thirteen are herein described as new, were recovered in a study based on 314 samples of Recent sediments from the South China Sea. Species of the genus occurred over a very wide depth range (15-4100 m), however, their appearance frequency, species diversity and relative abundance were all highest in water depths between 50 and 1000 m, where they dominate ostracod faunas. Some species are restricted in their depth distribution, probably indicating a relationship to the thermocline, sality and O2 minimum zones. The new species are: Cytheropteron angustum, C. concentricum, C. hongkongense, C. mediotumidum, C. nanhaiense, C. nanshaense, C. paracarolinae, C. parallelacostatum, C. pararhombiformis, C. trifurcatum, C. xishaense, and C. zhengi. A new name, C. haoae is given to C. sinensis (Hao in Ruan & Hao, 1988) which is preoccupied. An addition six species of Cytheropteron are left in open nomenclature because of paucity of material.