Paracaesio

White, William T. & Last, Peter R., 2012, Paracaesio brevidentata n. sp., a new snapper (Lutjanidae: Apsilinae) from Indonesia, Zootaxa 3418, pp. 51-60 : 59

Key to species of Paracaesio (adapted from Anderson et al., 1992)

1a. Tubed lateral-line scales 68–73; caudal fin forked or lunate.................................................... 2

1b. Tubed lateral-line scales 47–50; caudal fin lunate or emarginate................................................. 6

2a. Several prominent projecting canine teeth at anterior ends of upper and lower jaws; longest anterior tooth in upper jaw 6.3–8.7% postorbital head length; maxilla without scales......... P. paragrapsimodon ( Caroline Islands and New Guinea)

2b. Teeth at anterior ends of jaws smaller, rarely prominent; longest anterior tooth in upper jaw 2.4–5.9% (mean 3.96) postorbital head length; maxilla with or without scales................................................................. 3

3a. Caudal fin lunate; colour bluish in life without any yellow; maxilla with scales........ P. waltervadi (Western Indian Ocean)

3b. Caudal fin forked; caudal fin and much of upper body yellow in life, or if yellow absent body colour dark violet; maxilla with or without scales 4

4a. Caudal fin, upper part of caudal peduncle and upper side of body to anterior end of dorsal fin yellow; remainder of body mostly blue; preopercle without rows of scales peripheral to main group of cheek scales.......... P. xanthura ( Indo –West Pacific)

4b. Body colour dark violet; fins reddish brown; preopercle with or without rows of scales peripheral to main group of cheek scales.............................................................................................. 5

5a. Preopercle without rows of scales peripheral to main group of cheek scales; no enlarged canines in either jaws, all teeth very small and inconspicuous; maxilla with scales...................................... P. brevidentata n. sp. ( Indonesia)

5b. Preopercle with 1–3 rows of scales peripheral to and usually distinctly separated from main group of cheek scales; an outer row of enlarged teeth in jaws; maxilla without scales.................................. P. sordida ( Indo –West Pacific)

6a. Maxilla with scales; caudal fin lunate (middle of outer margin of caudal fin of P. k u s a k a r ii becoming rounded with age)... 7

6b. Maxilla without scales; caudal fin lunate or emarginate....................................................... 8

7a. Yellow band running from anterior end of lateral line obliquely to about middle of dorsal fin; 8 broad dark vertical bars in life; nape without pronounced hump; middle of outer caudal-fin margin not rounded with age..... P. gonzalesi (Western Pacific)

7b. No oblique yellow band on side of body; 4 broad dark brownish vertical bars on upper side of body; large individuals with a pronounced hump on nape; middle of outer caudal-fin margin becoming rounded with age.................................................................................................. P. kusakarii (Western & Central Pacific)

8a. Body colour blue without vertical bars; a yellow band running from anterior end of lateral line obliquely to about middle of dorsal fin (sometimes faint); caudal fin lunate........................................ P. caerulea (Western Pacific)

8b. Body colour light brown dorsally and silver ventrally with 4 or 5 dark brown vertical bars on sides extending from dorsal surface to midline or below midline laterally; caudal fin emarginate................... P. stonei (Western & Central Pacific)