Memoirs of the Museum of Victoria 48(1): 3-8 (1987)
ISSN 0814-1827
NEW AUSTRALIAN FISHES. PART 2.
FOUR NEW SPECIES OF APOGONIDAE
By G. R. Allen
Department of Ichthyology, Western Australian Museum, Francis Street
Perth, W.A. 6000
Abstract
Allen, G.R. 1987. New Australian fishes. Part 2. Four new species of Apogonidae. Mem Mus
Vkt. 48: 3-8.
Four species of apogonid fishes are described from Australian seas: A. pallidofasciatus (northern
Western Australia), Rhabdamia eremia (northern Australia and widespread in the Indo-West Pa-
cific), Vincentia badia (South Australia and southern Western Australia), and V. macrocauda
(South Australia and southern Western Australia).
Introduction
The perciform family Apogonidae or cardinal
fishes contains approximately 200 species in 26
genera. Most members are found on or in the vi-
cinity of coral reefs, although the Australian
genus Vincentia is confined to temperate waters.
The family remains poorly studied and is in need
of revision at the generic level. Approximately 100
species occur in Australian seas. The present
paper describes four new species belonging to the
genera Apogon, Rhabdamia and Vincentia as de-
fined by Fraser (1972). Placement in these groups
was based on both external features and exami-
nation of osteological characters facilitated by
cleared and stained specimens and radiographs.
Type specimens are deposited at the Australian
Museum, Sydney (AMS), Bernice P. Bishop
Museum, Honolulu (BPBM), Museum of Vic-
toria, Melbourne (NMV), South Australian
Museum, Adelaide (SAM), and Western Aus-
tralian Museum, Perth (WAM). In the following
descriptions the range of counts and proportions
for paratypes are indicated in parentheses if
different from the holotype. The designation *W
appearing in fin-ray counts refers to the last ray
when it is joined to the base of the penultimate
ray.
Apogon pallidofasciatus sp. nov.
Figure 1
Material examined. Holotype. Western Australia, Tantabiddi
BioStor
