Twenty one examples (23.2-136.9 mm standard length) of a lionfish (Scorpaenidae: Pteroinae), Pterois (formerly Pteropterus) mombasae (Smith, 1957), previously recorded from northwestern Australia, southern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean, and throughout the tropical Indian Ocean, were collected from Japanese waters off Okinawa, Kochi, Shizuoka and Chiba Prefectures. Individuals have also been photographed in several localities along the Pacific coast of southern Japan. Pterois mombasae differs from a closely-related congener, Pterois antennata (Bloch, 1787), in having usually XIII, 10 dorsal-fin rays (vs. usually XII, 11), usually 18 or more pectoral-fin rays (vs. usually 17 or less), 44-51 scale rows in longitudinal series (vs. 48-58), pectoral- fin membrane with 6-24 blotches and -fin rays with numerous bands (vs. 3-17 blotches and no bands), and shorter dorsal-fin spines and pectoral-fin rays. The status of Pteropterus Swaison is reviewed, although mombasae is tentatively retained in Pterois Oken in this study, following widespread practice. The Japanese specimens of P. mombasae are herein described in detail, and a new standard Japanese name, “Mizuhiki-minokasago” proposed for the species.
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