[[Lutjanus alexandrei, new species]]

In this paper we describe a new species of Lutjanus that is endemic to the tropical Brazilian coast, reestablishing the number of valid western Atlantic species as 12. This species was first recognized as distinct during underwater surveys on reefs of northeastern Brazil (Moura 2003) based on its red body and fins, six white vertical lines, and dark (bright blue in life) spots between the snout and preopercle. Its status as a distinct species was further confirmed by additional morphological evidence and the inability to confirm field or museum records in Brazil of the two most similar species, Lutjanus griseus and L. apodus (the gray and schoolmaster snappers). The new Lutjanus species has long been confused with not only L. griseus and L. apodus, but also L. jocu, which definitely occurs in Brazil.