taxonID	type	description	language	source
03F7B0069A02FFE8FF3396B3292EF9D7.taxon	description	is a pelagic Indo-West Pacific (Fricke et al. 2025) balistid species that reaches up to 60 cm TL and often forms aggregations (Matsuura 2022). In the western Indian Ocean, it has been reported from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman (Tortonese 1954; Randall 1995; Baranes 2005; Jawad & Al-Mamry 2018; Matsuura 2022). Although primarily pelagic, the species migrates into shallower waters during the spawning season (Randall 1995; Baranes 2005). Canthidermis macrolepis is distinguished from congeners by having 35 – 40 scale rows from gill opening to caudal-fin base; 25 – 29 scale rows from corner of mouth to lower end of gill opening; 22 – 23 anal-fin rays; 25 – 26 second dorsal-fin rays; and a spotless body (Matsuura 2022).	en	Fatle, Fatema A., Wahab, Sura Abdul Munaff Abdul, Jawad, Laith A. (2026): New fish records from Iraq’s recently discovered coral reef. Zootaxa 5752 (1): 148-150, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5752.1.9, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5752.1.9
03F7B0069A02FFE8FF33917C2860F89B.taxon	description	is a pelagic-oceanic carangid species that exhibits schooling behaviour; it attains up to 52 cm TL and typically occurs from near the surface to depths of approximately 180 m (Smith-Vaniz 2022). This species has a cosmopolitan distribution in warm and temperate marine waters around the world, except for the western and northern Atlantic Ocean (Fricke et al. 2005). Within the Western Indian Ocean, its presence is documented in Pakistan and South Africa (Smith-Vaniz 2022). Decapterus muroadsi is distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: posterior end of the upper jaw straight and only slightly slanted anteroventrally; tip of adpressed pectoral fin extending nearly to vertical at second dorsal-fin origin; 36 – 42 lower gill rakers; straight part of lateral line comprising 5 – 15 scales followed by 32 – 42 scutes; in life, upper lobe of caudal fin greenish yellow, and lower lobe grey; and upper-jaw oral valve (membrane) at symphysis conspicuously white in adults (Smith-Vaniz 2022).	en	Fatle, Fatema A., Wahab, Sura Abdul Munaff Abdul, Jawad, Laith A. (2026): New fish records from Iraq’s recently discovered coral reef. Zootaxa 5752 (1): 148-150, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5752.1.9, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5752.1.9
