Description of a new species of Nemipterus (Pisces: Perciformes; Nemipteridae) from the western Pacific, with re-descriptions of Nemipterus marginatus (Valenciennes), N. mesoprion (Bleeker) and N. nematopus (Bleeker)

Abstract

The confused taxonomy of the threadfin breams Nemipterus marginatus (Valenciennes), N. mesoprion (Bleeker) and N. nematopus (Bleeker) is clarified; all three species are recognized as valid and are re-described. A new species, N. thosaporni, previously misidentified as N. marginatus, is also described. Nemipterus thosaporni most closely resembles N. bathybius Snyder but differs notably from the latter in not having the upper caudal fin rays elongated as a filament and in lacking a yellow stripe on either side of the ventral midline. The new species is widely distributed in the West Pacific region from southern Japan to Indonesia.

Keywords :

• Nemipteridae
• Nemipterus
• Pisces
• taxonomy
• W. Pacific