Stolephorus, Lacepede, 1803

Hata, Harutaka, Motomura, & Hiroyuki, 2024, A new species of anchovy, Stolephorus astrum (Teleostei: Clupeiformes: Engraulidae), from Palau, Micronesia, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 72, pp. 150-161 : 160

Key to species of Stolephorus recorded from Palau

Data for S. bataviensis and S. balinensis , and S. mercurius and S. rex , taken from Hata et al. (2019 and 2021), respectively.

1. Maxilla short, not reaching to posterior margin of preopercle .................................................................................................2

– Maxilla long, reaching to posterior margin of preopercle.....3

2. 1LGR ≦ 25; pelvic fin not reaching posteriorly to vertical through dorsal-fin origin when depressed ........... S. balinensis

– 1LGR ≧ 30; pelvic fin posteriorly beyond vertical through dorsal-fin origin when depressed .............................. S. astrum

3. Dorsum without lines; 1TGR ≦ 38; numerous melanophores on suborbital area in individuals <56 mm SL .. S. bataviensis

– Double dark lines on dorsum anterior to dorsal fin; 1TGR ≧ 39; no melanophores on suborbital area.................................4

4. 1TGR ≧ 44; head short, 23.1–24.8% SL ............. S. mercurius

– 1TGR ≦ 43; head long, 24.3–27.6% SL ......................... S. rex