Descriptions of four new damselfishes (Pomacentridae) from Papua New Guinea and eastern Australia

Abstract

Four new species of damselfishes, Abudefduf whitleyi, A. flavipinnis, Pomacentrus australis, and P. pseudochrysopoecilus are described. A. whitleyi from Queensland differs from its closest relatives, A. saxatilis and A. notatus, on the basis of colour pattern and a suborbital which is mostly naked. A. flavipinnis from New Guinea and the Great Barrier Reef is related to A. cyaneus but is separable on the basis of colour pattern and the soft dorsal ray count. P. australis from Queensland and New South Wales is characterized by an elongate body, blue coloration, and 14 dorsal spines. P. pseudochrysopoecilus from the D'Entrecasteaux Islands, Solomon Sea, and Queensland resembles its namesake, P. chrysopoecilus, but can be differentiated on the basis of colour pattern, gill raker count, and habitat preference.