Scolopsis meridiana Nakamura, Russell, Moore & Motomura, 2018
Sahul monocle bream

Family:  Nemipteridae (Threadfin breams, Whiptail breams)
Max. size:  22.64 cm SL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range 18 - 86 m
Distribution:  Indo-West Pacific: Northern Australia (Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia to North Palm Island, Queensland)
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 10-10; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-9; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 7-7. This species is distinguished by the following combination of characters: absence of antrorse spine below eye; dorsal scaled area on head reaching anteriorly to between the anterior margin of eye and anterior nostril; no scales on bony opercular ridge and lower limb of preopercle; lateral-line scales 46-48; pectoral-fin rays 17-18; upper part of pectoral-fin base with a reddish blotch when fresh; two blue bands across dorsum of snout; preserved specimens with 18-20 brown diagonal lines on body; posterior nostril usually elongate horizontally, its horizontal diameter 100.0-155.6% (mean 114.8%) of vertical diameter; deep caudal peduncle, its depth 11.4-13.1% (12.2%) of SL; pre-dorsal-fin length 31.4-36.4% (33.9%) of SL (Ref. 118677).
Biology: 
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 12 July 2020 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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