A new species of the bandfish genus Owstonia Tanaka, 1908 (Perciformes, Cepolidae) from Taiwan, northwestern Pacific Ocean, with new records and comments on morphological characters of congeners

The bandfish genus Owstonia Tanaka, 1908 shows high diversity, with many new species described recently by Smith-Vaniz and Johnson (2016). However, not many Taiwanese materials were included, and the diversity remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated specimens deposited in the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium, which revealed that those previously reported as O. psilos includes O. doryptera (Fowler, 1934) and a species newly described here; one of three specimens reported as O totomiensis is re-identified as O. cf. aurora.

The specimens of O. doryptera represent the first record from Taiwan, as well as the northernmost record of the species. Detailed descriptions of each species are provided, with comments on their morphological variations. Moreover, the diagnostic characters proposed by previous literature are discussed.

Lastly, a checklist of the species of Owstonia from Taiwan is provided and discussed. In total, nine species are recognized in waters of Taiwan.