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The present study contributes to the taxonomy of the family Sillaginidae, with comments on the distribution of its species in the Indian Ocean and an emphasis on the taxonomy and distribution of Sillago sihama. Thirty described and putative species with Indian Ocean distribution are listed, and a distribution range for each species is provided based on published data and results from the present study. A comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the barcoding portion of the mitochondrial COI gene is provided together with three approaches for molecular species delimitation, which includes 44 to 47 genetic lineages (depending on the species delimitation approach used) in the family Sillaginidae, 33 of them applying to described species and also 8 putative species, formerly misidentified as S. sihama. Inclusion of specimens from South Africa, Iran, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and the southern Red Sea (type locality) reveals one genetic lineage representing the true Sillago sihama. Distribution of the species is confined to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, and other records under the name S. sihama are based on misidentifications. Several undescribed species identified as S. sihama are distributed in the Indo-West Pacific region and closely resemble S. sihama, but are not identical with this species and can be identified as members of different evolutionary lineages. Two species, S. sihama and S. soringa, reported from Bangladesh, represent the easternmost record of both species. These two species are described in detail, including swimbladder morphology. The study also shows that specimens from India identified as Sillago ingenuua McKay, 1985 are nested within a lineage previously referred to as S. ingenuua A, but are different from the lineage S. ingenuua B, representing a confirmed record of the clade S. ingenuua in the northern Indian Ocean. Comments on misidentifications of S. sihama from the Indian Ocean and western Pacific are provided. Furthermore, we propose that Sillago erythraea should be resurrected from its synonymy with S. sihama. As Sillago suezensis is identical with the former species, it becomes a junior synonym of S. erythraea.

A new species of Trimma is described from the Red Sea along the Saudi Arabian coast. Specimens and/or photographs of this species are available from the Egyptian Red Sea to Eritrea. These specimens, formerly identified as T. taylori, differ from all other samples from the Indo-Pacific currently identified as T. taylori in having 9 and 89 dorsal- and anal-fin rays respectively (vs. usually 10 and 10 rays), 13 pectoral-fin rays (vs. usually 14 rays), and cycloid scales covering the entire predorsal region from the upper base of the pectoral fin anterior to a convex line posterodorsally to just lateral to the base of the sixth first dorsal-fin spine (vs. predorsal region mostly or entirely covered with ctenoid scales). In addition, specimens from the Red Sea form a monophyletic lineage in a Maximum Likelihood analysis of the COI gene. In this tree, the new species is the sister group to a clade composed of three lineages. One is composed of specimens from the Maldives, which is the sister group of a single available specimen from the Seychelles. These two together are the sister group of specimens of a widespread western Pacific clade.

The gobiid species, Fusigobius humerosus sp. nov., is described based on 12 type and 18 non-type specimens collected from the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The new species can be distinguished from congeners by a combination of meristic and morphometric characters. The new species was formerly misidentified with F. humeralis: both are characterised by a semitranslucent body; head and body with numerous small dusky orange-yellow spots; a round black spot in humeral region just above base of pectoral fin; and a black spot subequal to pupil diameter at midbase of the caudal fin. However, Fusigobius humerosus sp. nov. differs from F. humeralis by scales on side of nape not extending forward to above posterior margin of preopercle (vs. scales variably extending forward to between above posterior preopercular margin and orbit); first dorsal-fin spine longest (vs. second and third dorsal-fin spines longest); shorter upper jaw; shorter anal-fin spine; and posterior nostril about halfway between orbit and anterior nostril (vs. posterior nostril closer to orbit). The most complete description of the genus Fusigobius is provided. In phylogenetic analyses of publicly available sequences of the barcoding portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, sequences derived from the new species form a separate and well-divergent monophyletic lineage. The resulting COI gene tree further suggests that the new Fusigobius species is phylogenetically most closely related to F. humeralis which forms its sister species in the maximum likelihood tree. Molecular species delimitation of available Fusigobius COI barcodes shows that 19 or 20 hypothetical divergent evolutionary lineages can be deduced depending on the analytical approach (ABGD = 19 and bPTP = 20), indicating a potentially higher taxonomic richness than the presently acknowledged 11 valid species. However, the assignment of available species names for some lineages remains uncertain, highlighting the need for an additional integrative taxonomic research on this genus.

The representatives of Cercamia from the Indian Ocean including Red Sea are reviewed and three new species are described: Cercamia spio n. sp., formerly known as C. eremia (Allen, 1987), is described from 14 specimens, 1733 mm SL, collected in 1015 meters from northern (Duba) to central (Jeddah) Saudi Arabia and from Jezirat Faraun, Egypt. It also has been photographed from the Gulf of Aqaba (Dahab, Egypt) and El Quseir (Mangrove Bay, Egypt). The new species is distinguished from other Indian Ocean Cercamia in having fewer developed gill rakers on lower limb (usually 11 versus usually 1213) and fewer anal-fin rays (11 versus usually 1213). Another new species, Cercamia laamu, n. sp., is described only from the Maldives and Chagos Archipelago based on five specimens 16.030.5 mm SL. It differs from all Indian Ocean Cercamia in having more greater number of the second dorsal-fin rays (10 versus usually 9), and a translucent body devoid of reddish marks versus small reddish dots and crisscross lines. The third new species, Cercamia mascarene, n. sp., is described from 40 specimens 1936 mm SL, from Rodrigues Island, Mauritius. It differs from Cercamia eremia in having a greater number of developed gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch (usually 13 versus usually 12). Free neuromasts and cephalic pores are illustrated for Cercamia mascarene and free neuromasts on the body and caudal fin are illustrated for Japanese specimens of C. cf. eremia. New diagnoses are provided for Cercamia cladara, the type species of the genus, and C. eremia. A map of collection locations for species of Cercamia is presented to show the breath of known occurrences in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. A new morphologic diagnosis is provided for Cercamia. A phylogenetic analysis of the barcoding portion of the mitochondrial COI gene, including all available sequences from members of the genus Cercamia, displays a much higher species diversity than expected, with high levels of divergence among recognized and undescribed species. A key to the described Indian Ocean species is provided.

Apogon fugax is described as a new species of cardinalfishes based on a specimen trawled off Jizan (Saudi Arabia), southern Red Sea, at a depth of 60-67 m; two specimens trawled off southwest of Ayeyarwady Delta, Myanmar, at 54-129 m; and two specimens trawled off Western Australia at 166 m. The new species shares characters with the modified 'talboti look-alikes' species group (i.e., A. caudicinctus, A. dianthus and A. soloriens) as well as A. rubrifuscus and A. deetsie (both previously also assigned to the latter species group) in having two supraneurals, 12 pectoral-fin rays (13 rays in A. soloriens), and an enlarged, membranous, ventral preopercular edge. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the apogonid tribe Apogonini, however, revealed that A. fugax n. sp. and its most closely related congeners, A. deetsie and A. rubrifuscus, form a separate phylogenetic clade unrelated to that formed by the 'talboti look-alikes' species group that is part of the A. unicolor species group. Apogon fugax n. sp. is distinguished from the species of the 'talboti look-alikes' species group, A. deetsie and A. rubrifuscus, in having a large head (2.2-2.4 in SL versus 2.4-2.8 in SL), longer first dorsal-fin spine (1.7-2.0 versus 2.7-4.0 in length of the second spine), and in their gill rakers count (developed gill rakers on the first gill arch 11-12 versus 8-9 in A. soloriens and 13-20 in the other four species).

A new species of toby fish, Canthigaster aziz, is described based on a single specimen collected from the northern Red Sea off Saudi Arabia. The holotype was trawled from a depth of 315 m, the second deepest record for the genus. The new species is distinguished from other species of the genus by the following combination of characters: 8 dorsal-fin rays; 8 anal-fin rays; 15 pectoral-fin rays; dorsal-fin origin opposite to anal-fin origin; five diffuse, saddle-like, black blotches along dark yellowish dorsal edge of body between nape and dorsal-fin origin; dorsal half of body light brown with concentrated dark pigments just behind eye and with a longitudinal, irregular, pale golden stripe running from area just behind eye to dorsal side of caudal peduncle; ventral half of posterior part of body pinkish with tiny subcutaneous black spots; head and ventral half of body before anus white; and all fins uniformly pale grey. A phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial COI barcoding region resulted in a new and unique evolutionary lineage for the new species that is sister to a clade composed of C. leoparda, C. pygmaea and C. valentini. It also shows C. aziz to be evolutionary deeply divergent from its closest congeners. In addition to the description of the new species, comparisons with congeners and a revised key to the Indo-Pacific species are provided.

A new species of snake eel Ophichthus olivaceus is described based on two specimens trawled from a depth of 35-63 m from a soft substratum off Jizan, Red Sea coast of southern Saudi Arabia. It differs from its congeners by the following combination of characters: vertebrae 141-145; tail moderately short (2.15 in TL); head short (9.6-11.1 in TL); uniserial teeth in jaws and on vomer; pectoral fins slightly elongate, not lanceolate, upper rays longer than the lower; dorsal-fin origin above middle of pectoral fin; and a generally uniform, dark tan body with an olivaceous hue shading to tan or pale orange ventrally, with two pale yellow blotches above pectoral-fin base, snout and lower jaw dark brown, and olivaceous median fins. Its divergence from other mitochondrial-analyzed species is shown by phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial COI barcoding region. A key to the Indian Ocean species is provided.

Thirty-eight species of moray eels (Muraenidae) from the Red Sea are reported in an updated review. A species account is provided for each species, along with a full synonymy of all nominal species described from the Red Sea. One species is new to science, G. pharaonis, and two species are new for the Red Sea, Gymnothorax phasmatodes (Smith) and Scuticaria tigrina (Lesson). Gymnothorax pharaonis n. sp. is a common species that has long been misidentified as G. undulatus (Lacepède), although it more closely resembles G. margaritophorus Bleeker, to which it is closely related phylogenetically. It is characterized by the following combination of characters: total vertebrae 123-128; body slender, depth at anus 17-28 in TL; maxillary teeth biserial, dentary and vomerine teeth in a single row; color brown with irregular dendritic pale markings, not interconnected or chain-like, with oblique, conspicuous, parallel streaks posteriorly in dorsal fin. The new record of the distinctive whitish G. phasmatodes is based on an underwater photograph taken at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The new record of Scuticaria tigrina is based on a specimen collected from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and underwater photographs taken from the northern part of the Red Sea. Based on an integrative taxonomical approach by a combination of morphological and phylogenetic analyses and re-examination of holotype specimens, Gymnothorax cinerascens (Rüppell) is resurrected as a valid species, and it is shown that previous records of G. hepaticus (Rüppell), with which it has previously been synonymized, should refer to G. cinerascens. The true G. hepaticus is redescribed based on examination of the holotype and additional specimens collected during the course of this study. The two species are distinguished by the color of the jaws, the position of the median intermaxillary teeth, and a slight difference in the preanal length. They are also clearly distinct genetically. The Red Sea record of Gymnothorax atolli (Pietschmann) is based on an error, possibly a misidentification of G. griseus (Lacepède). A key to the species of Red Sea moray eels and a phylogenetic tree of presently known lineages of Indo-Pacific moray eels are provided including recently collected Red Sea specimens.

The gobiid genus Koumansetta Whitley, placed in synonymy by some authors with the similar genus Amblygobius Bleeker, is redescribed and its validity based on an integrated morphological and molecular assessment is confirmed. The following characters have been found that distinguish Koumansetta from any of 15 recognized valid species of Amblygobius: oculoscapular transverse rows trp and tra long, extending dorsally well above level of rows x1 and x2; snout pointed, prominent, longer than eye diameter, with gently sloping dorsal profile, overhanging mouth; mouth subterminal; the upper limb of first gill arch with 1-2 slender, weak and soft gill rakers anteriorly, followed by 1-5 short, also soft, broad structures; first two dorsal-fin spines elongate, remaining spines progressively shorter; pelvic frenum absent; body brown to brown-green in upper and lateral sides with narrow yellow or orange longitudinal stripes on body and head, black ocellated spot on the second dorsal fin, and another black spot dorsoposteriorly on caudal peduncle. The following three species are assigned to Koumansetta: K. rainfordi Whitley, the type species of the genus, known from the western Pacific Ocean; K. hectori (Smith), the most widespread species, known from islands of the western Indian Ocean to Micronesia and Fiji; and a new species, restricted to the Red Sea and the inner Gulf of Aden. Koumansetta hoesei sp. nov. has formerly been confused with similar K. hectori, but differs in various details of coloration, and in some morphological characters. Moreover, K. hoesei sp. nov. is evolutionary well divergent from K. rainfordi and K. hectori, its closest relative, as shown by phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial COI barcoding region. In addition to the description of the new species, brief species accounts are provided for K. hectori and K. rainfordi, and a key to the three species.

A new whipray, Maculabatis ambigua sp. nov., described from material collected from the Red Sea and off Zanzibar (Tanzania), is probably more widespread in the northwestern Indian Ocean. It has been confused with other Indian Ocean whiprays of the genus Maculabatis (formerly Himantura in part) i.e. M. gerrardi and M. randalli. Maculabatis ambigua sp. nov. was first distinguished from these species by molecular analysis, and subsequently by a combination of morphological characters, i.e. disc shape, coloration, morphometrics and squamation. Molecular data suggest that it is most closely related to the morphologically similar M. gerrardi, which occurs further east in the Indian Ocean (Oman to Indonesia) and North-West Pacific (north to Taiwan). The dorsal disc of M. gerrardi typically has a full or partial coverage of white spots (usually present at least on the posterior disc), whereas M. ambigua sp. nov. is plain coloured. Maculabatis randalli, which occurs in the Persian and Arabian Gulfs, is plain coloured, but has a longer disc relative to its width, more acute and longer snout, longer head and larger intergill width, wider internasal distance, and a narrower secondary denticle band in adults. Maculabatis ambigua sp. nov. is relatively common in the shallow, soft-sedimentary habitats of the southern Red Sea from where it is taken as low-value or discarded bycatch of trawl fisheries. It is a medium-sized whipray with a maximum confirmed size of 840 mm disc width.

Koeda et al. (2014) published a review of fishes of the genus Pempheris of the Red Sea. They concluded that there are four species: P. adusta Bleeker, P. mangula Cuvier, P. nesogallica Cuvier, and a new species, P. tominagai. We show that the first three species they cite are not present in the Red Sea, as follows. 1) P. adusta is a western Pacific species (type locality Ambon), described only from the holotype, and without a dark border on the anal fin. Koeda et al. (2014) mistakenly apply that name to P. flavicycla which is a widespread Indian Ocean species characterized by a prominent broad black border along the anal fin. Koeda et al. (2014) also redescribe P. adusta, using Indian Ocean specimens of P. flavicycla, despite the coloration difference and a 2.5% difference in the mtDNA sequence (COI) between Indian Ocean and W. Pacific populations. 2) P. mangula is a species from the east coast of India (type locality Visakhapatnam), clearly distinct in both gill-raker counts and a 1.1% sequence divergence in COI from its Red Sea relative P. rhomboidea. Pempheris mangula is not found west of India, and Koeda et al. (2014) mistakenly use DNA from Oman and Madagascar to represent P. mangula, instead of genetic material available from the type locality. 3) Pempheris nesogallica (type locality Mauritius) is unknown from the Red Sea. Koeda et al. (2014) separate P. nesogallica from P. rhomboidea (their "P. mangula") by eye size; we fail to find any difference (and they use their purported eye-size difference to erroneously rename one of the two syntypes of P. nesogallica as "P. mangula"). 4) Their new species P. tominagai is referred to as the Indian Ocean sister species of "P. schwenkii of the Pacific"; however, the type locality of P. schwenkii is the Batu Islands off the SW coast of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. They mistakenly include specimens of a distant South African species as paratypes of P. tominagai. We have determined that P. tominagai is a valid species endemic to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. They misidentify one lot of P. rhomboidea in the collection of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as their record of P. nesogallica from the Red Sea. They misidentify the specimen in their photograph of Fig. 1B as P. adusta and use it as material for their redescription of the species, but it is now shown to be a paratype of Pempheris bexillon Mooi & Randall, 2014. Additionally, they regard P. malabarica Cuvier as a junior synonym of P. molucca Cuvier, but the name P. molucca is based on a fanciful painting and is unavailable as a nomen dubium. They treat Pempheris russellii Day as a junior synonym of P. mangula; however, it is distinct in having longer pectoral fins, a larger eye, and more gill rakers. Their key to the species of Pempheris of the Red Sea is incorrect. We present a new key and conclude that only three species of Pempheris are presently known from the Red Sea: P. flavicycla, P. rhomboidea, and P. tominagai.

During a survey of demersal fishes of the southern Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia off Jizan, 98 species were collected by trawling. Five of these represent new records for the Red Sea: Saurida longimanus, Dactyloptena gilberti, Jaydia novaeguineae, Pomadasys maculatus and Parapercis maculata. Additionally a specimen of the rare moray Gymnothorax reticularis, previously known from only three specimens, was collected. Records of two species, Parastromateus niger and Pseudorhombus arsius, that formerly were considered questionable, are confirmed by collection of new voucher specimens. Validity of Laeops sinusarabici is confirmed. This study documents parts of the diversity of the demersal fish communities on sandy areas of the southern Red Sea, but also emphasizes that a large proportion of this area has not been explored.