Paxton concilians: A new genus and species of pseudamine apogonid (Teleostei : Percoidei) from northwestern Australia: The sister group of the enigmatic Gymnapogon

Paxton concilians is described as a new genus and species of pseudamine apo gonid from four specimens trawled off northwestern Australia. It differs mo st conspicuously from all other apogonids in having a continuous dorsal fin but shares with other members of the family certain specializations of the dorsal gill arches, last spinous dorsal fin pterygiophore, and cutaneous s ensory system. We recognize two subfamilies of apogonids, the Apogoninae an d Pseudaminae, and diagnose the latter on the basis of numerous derived fea tures. We propose that Paxton be added as a fourth member of the Pseudamina e (with Gymnapogon, Pseudamia, and Pseudamiops) and provide strong evidence that Paxton is the sister group of Gymnapogon, a taxon whose phylogenetic position within the Apogonidae has never been well understood.