A review of the soldierfish genus Ostichthys (Beryciformes: Holocentridae), with descriptions of two new species from Myanmar.

The twelve species in the genus Ostichthys are reviewed and two new species are described from bottom trawls taken off the coast of Myanmar: O. convexus from 116–129 m and O. daniela from 121–129 m. Both species have 3½ scales above the lateral line to the middle of the spinous dorsal fin, 28 or 29 lateral-line scales, the last dorsal-fin spine shorter than the penultimate spine, the height of the suborbital bone below the center of eye less than half of the orbit diameter, 13 lower gill rakers, 16–17 pectoral-fin rays, and the snout length 6.2–6.8 in head length; additionally both lack a nasal spine extending beyond the median upper lip and lack a spine at the corner of the preoperculum. The two new species differ from each other in head shape, length of the caudal peduncle, and fresh coloration. Keys are provided to the genera of Myripristinae and the Ostichthys species herein recognized. Photographic documentation of two possible undescribed Ostichthys spp. from Myanmar and Fiji is also included.