Parapercis cylindrica

Key to species of Parapercis cylindrica complex

1a Interorbital scaled ............................................................................................................................... Parapercis haackei (Australia)

1b Interorbital naked .............................................................................................................................................................................. 2

2a Front of lower jaw with 10 canines; 6–7 rows of ctenoid scales on cheek; pored lateral-line scales 45 or more ............................ 3

2b Front of lower jaw with 9 canines; 4–6 rows of ctenoid scales on cheek; pored lateral-line scales 43 or less.................................4

3a Pored lateral-line scales 44–50; caudal fin yellowish when fresh....................................................................................................... ..................... Parapercis cylindrica (Western Pacific: north to Japan, south to New South Wales and east to the Marshall Islands)

3b Pored lateral-line scales 48–59; caudal fin whitish when fresh ....... Parapercis australis (Queensland, New Caledonia and Tonga)

4a Two rows of black dots from behind eye along back to about middle of body; pored lateral-line scales 45–51; 5–6 ctenoid scale rows on cheek .................................................................................................................................................................................... 5

4b No rows of dots at same area; pored lateral-line scales 38–43; 4 ctenoid scale rows on cheek ....................................................... 6

5a A conspicuous black band on the cheek and row of yellow to brown bars on lateral side of the body .............................................. ................................................................................................................. Parapercis binotata Allen & Erdmann (Solomon Islands)

5b No black mark on the cheek; row of black bars on lateral side of the body ............................................... Parapercis lineopunctata (Western Pacific: Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, south to Australia and Lord Howe Island)

6a First dorsal fin extremely high, slightly more than head length; its color white with small dots ....................................................... ........................................................................................................................ Parapercis altipinnis sp. nov. (Cebu, the Philippines)

6b First dorsal fin normal, about 10 times in head length; its color blackish, usually with few yellow patches ..................................... ................................................................................................ Parapercis snyderi (Western Pacific: southern Japan to Queensland)