A new species of bigeye, Priacanthus gracilis (Perciformes: Priacanthidae), from eastern Australia

Priacanthus gracilis sp. nov., an eastern Australian bigeye (Perciformes: Priacanthidae) previously misidentified as Priacanthus macracanthus Cuvier 1829, is described as new based on its morphological and genetic distinctiveness. The new species is characterized by the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin soft rays 12–14 (modally 13); anal-fin soft rays 13 or 14 (14); scale rows above lateral line 9–12 (11); gill rakers on lower limb 23–25 (23); body slender, its depth at sixth dorsal-fin spine base 29.5–36.0% (mean 32.7%) of standard length (SL); orbit diameter large, 13.2–17.5% (15.1%) of SL and 45.3–51.4% (47.7%) of head length; body tapering gently from close behind head; preopercular spine reaching opercular margin; dark brown blotches on dorsal and pelvic fins (preserved specimens); no large black blotch on pelvic-fin base. The new species is endemic to eastern Australia, whereas P. macracanthus is distributed in the eastern Indian and western Pacific oceans, including off eastern Australia. Priacanthus junonis De Vis 1885 and Priacanthus benmebari Temminck and Schlegel 1843 are regarded as junior synonyms of P. macracanthus.