A REVIEW OF SPECIES OF THE ANTHIINE FISH GENUS PLECTRANTHIAS (PERCIFORMES, SERRANIDAE) FROM MAURITIUS

Three species of the serranid genus Plectranthias occur at Mauritius: Plectranthias winniensis (Tyler, 1966), P. inermis Randall, 1980 and P . pelicieri Randall and Shimizu, 1994. A recently collected specimen o f P. inermis provided new data on intraspecific variation of what were previously supposed to be diagnostic characters for this species. Alt hough this new specimen has a complete lateral line and 20 dorsal-fin rays, compared with an incomplete lateral line and 16-18 rays previous ly reported for P. inermis, all of the other diagnostic features (preo percle, interopercle and sub-opercle smooth; dorsal fin divided almost to the base between spinous and soft-rayed parts; pectoral-fin rays 1 3, all unbranched; one row of scales between lateral line and base of middle dorsal fin spines and one row of scales between dorsal-fin orig in and lateral line; snout, preorbital, maxilla, lower jaw and interor bital area naked; cheek with 5 oblique rows of scales) agree with P. i nermis. New data for all three species of Plectranthias known from Mau ritius are presented. Colour photographs of the two species that have not previously been illustrated in colour (P. inermis and P. winniensi s) are included.