Description of a new species of Acanthoplesiops (Plesiopidae: Acanthoclininae) from the Kerama Islands, Ryukyu Islands, southern Japan

Acanthoplesiops hardyi sp. nov. (Plesiopidae: Acanthoclininae) is described on the basis of a single specimen (13.7 mm in standard length) collected off the Kerama Islands, Okinawa Prefecture, southern Ryukyu Islands, Japan, from a depth of 53 m. The new species is characterized by the following combination of characters: dorsal-fin rays XXI, 3; anal-fin rays IX, 3; pectoral-fin rays 16; dentary pores 3; 2 pterygiophores between 2nd and 3rd neural spines; pelvic fins completely separated; last dorsal- and anal-fin rays barely connected to caudal-fin base by membrane; anterior half (approx.) of abdomen naked; body scales bilobed on mid-lateral surface, elsewhere oval with a rounded posterior margin; lateral surface of head and body uniformly dark brown, without dots, stripes, or bar-like patterns; pectoral-fin base and caudal peduncle lacking white blotches and bars, respectively.