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Zootaxa 1422: 31–43 (2007) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) /zootaxa/ ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2007 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) A new species of snapper (Perciformes: Lutjanidae) from Brazil, with comments on the distribution of Lutjanus griseus and L. apodus 1 2 RODRIGO L. MOURA KENYON C. LINDEMAN 1Conservation International Brasil, Programa Marinho, Rua das Palmeiras 451 Caravelas BA 45900-000 Brazil E-mail:r.moura@.br 2Environmental Defense, 485 Glenwood Avenue, Satellite Beach, FL, 32937 USA E-mail: klindeman@ Abstract Snappers of the family Lutjanidae contain several of the most important reef-fishery species in the tropical western Atlantic. Despite their importance, substantial gaps exist for both systematic and ecological information, especially for the southwestern Atlantic. Recent collecting efforts along the coast of Brazil have resulted in the discovery of many new reef-fish species, including commercially important parrotfishes (Scaridae) and grunts (Haemulidae). Based on field col- lecting, museum specimens, and literature records, we describe a new species of snapper, Lutjanus alexandrei, which is apparently endemic to the Brazilian coast. The newly settled and early juvenile life stages are also described. This spe- cies is common in many Brazilian reef and coastal estuarine systems where it has been often misidentified as the gray snapper, Lutjanus griseus, or the schoolmaster, L. apodus . Identification of the new species cast doubt on prior distribu- tional assumptions about the southern ranges of L. griseus and L. apodus , and subsequent field and museum work con- firmed that thos