Three New Labrid Fishes of the Genus Coris from the Western Pacific

Abstract

Three new species of the labrid fish genus Caris are described: C. pictoides from Malaysia, Celebes, and eastern and western Australia; C. aurilineata from southern Queensland and New South Wales; and C. bulbifrons from Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Middleton Reef, and, rarely, New South Wales. Caris pictoides is a small species (largest, 89 mm SL) distinctive in having 48-51 lateral-line scales and in being whitish with a broad black stripe from snout through eye, along upper side of body, ending in upper central part of caudal fin, this stripe separated by a narrow white band from a middorsal black stripe. Caris aurilineata is also a small species (largest, 98 mm SL) with a low (49-51) lateral-line scale count; it is green with orange-yellow stripes which are narrow dorsally and relatively broad ventrally; a small blackish spot is present at upper base ofcaudal fin and another at upper base of pectoral fin; females have a large elliptical blue-edged black spot basally in soft portion of dorsal fin. Caris bulbifrons is the largest species of Caris, reaching a length of about 1 m; it has 61-66 lateral-line scales; juveniles have irregular, broad, dark-brown stripes alternating with narrow pale, partially broken bands; adults are bluish gray; both sexes develop a prominent convexity in the upper head profile anterodorsal to the eye. This has given rise to the common name "doubleheader" at Lord Howe Island.