Ichthyofauna of Sungai Merbok Mangrove Forest Reserve, northwest Peninsular Malaysia, and its adjacent marine waters Author Zainal Abidin, Danial Hariz Author Lavoué, Sébastien Author Mohd Abu Hassan Alshari, Norli Fauzani Author Mohd. Nor, Siti Azizah Author A. Rahim, Masazurah Author Mohammed Akib, Noor Adelyna text Check List 2021 2021-04-06 17 2 601 631 http://dx.doi.org/10.15560/17.2.601 journal article 10.15560/17.2.601 1809-127X Stolephorus baweanensis Hardenberg, 1933 Material examined. MALAYSIA • 1, 76 mm TL; Kedah State , Merbok , Pompang Sungai Merbok ; 05.664°N , 100.381°E ; 6 Dec. 2018 ; Danial H. Zainal Abidin , Norli F.M.A.H. Alshari leg.; USMFC (82) 00045 . Identification. Species recently rediagnosed by Hata et al. (2020) ; a small species of anchovy (maximum TL about 100 mm ); body elongated and compressed; large mouth, its corner behind the eye; anal fin short with three unbranched and 17–20 branched fin rays, its origin be- low about middle of dorsal fin base; gill rakers 33–38 (on first gill arch); posterior tip of the maxilla just reaching posterior margin of opercle; no predorsal scute; belly not keeled; pelvic scute without spine, small needle-like prepelvic scutes 5–7; no post-pelvic scutes; body light greyish/brownish with a silver longitudinal stripe from the opercular margin to caudal-fin base; no dark pigment line on back. Stolephorus baweanensis can be easily distinguished from other species of Stolephorus occurring in this region by “numerous black spots on suborbital area (in adults), snout and tip of lower jaw” ( Hata et al. 2020:21 ). Previously identified as Stolephorus waitei Jordan & Seale, 1926 (e.g., Tongnunui et al. 2002 ) but S. waitei is endemic to the Australian region ( Hata et al. 2020 ). Stolephorus baweanensis is a predominantly coastal marine species. Although commonly caught in brackish Figure 4. Photographs of a selection of fish specimens (in lateral view) from the Merbok river estuary and adjacent waters. A. Lates calcarifer . B. Leiognathus equula . C. Nuchequula gerreoides . D. Lethrinus lentjan . E. Lutjanus johnii . F. Eleutheronema tetradactylum . G. Scatophagus argus . H. Nibea soldado . I. Epinephelus bleekeri . J. Epinephelus coioides . K. Siganus fuscescens . L. Sillago sihama . M. Sphyraena qenie . ecosystems of this region, they do not seem to form large schools. Widely distributed in the northern Indo-West Pacific region ( Hata et al. 2020 ).