A new species of Nemipterus (Pisces: Nemipteridae) from the Western Indian Ocean.

A new species of threadfin bream, Nemipterus flavomandibularis, from the Western Indian Ocean is described and figured. The new species appears most closely related to N. bipunctatus (Valenciennes), but differs principally in colour pattern: N. flavomandibularis is distinct from N. bipunctatus in having two yellow bands on the snout, the upper lip narrowly edged with yellow; and lower lip and chin beneath lip yellow, this colour extending as a narrow band posteriorly to lower margin of opercle. Also, in N. flavomandibularus the scale rows below the lateral line are more or less horizontal (versus distinctly ascending anteriorly in N. bipunctatus), and the maxillary reaches to between level of posterior nostril and anterior margin of eye (versus reaching to below the anterior half of the eye in N. bipunctatus).