A new species, Gazza rhombea, from the Indo-West Pacific, with a redescription of G-achlamys Jordan & Starks, 1917 (Perciformes : Leiognathidae)

Gazza rhombea sp. nov, is described from 61 type and 81 non-type specimens, 19-176 mm in standard length, collected from the Indo-West Pacific. The sp ecies is similar to other congeners in general body appearance, differing f rom them in having the dorsolateral surface of the body scaled anterior to the dorsal fin origin, but not reaching to a vertical through the tip of th e posterior branch of the supratemporal canal (vs. dorsolateral surface of body naked anterior to base of sixth or seventh dorsal fin spine base in G. achlamys; dorsolateral surface of body with scales extending anteriorly be yond tip of posterior branch of supratemporal canal in G. minute), and havi ng a long narrow anterodorsal extension from the subocular silvery region, in contact with the orbit only proximally (vs. broad anterodorsal extension , with proximal and distal contact with orbit in G. dentex). Gazza rhombea is also distinguishable from G. achlamys and G. minuta by the morphology of the first dorsal fin pterygiophore, and the neural and hemal spines of the fifth preural centrum. The new species has usually been misidentified as G . achlamys, which is redescribed here, owing to its similarly deep-bodied a ppearance.