Taxonomic documentation on the lesser-known jobfishes Pristipomoides auricilla and Pristipomoides multidens from the southeastern Arabian Sea

Goldflag jobfish Pristipomoides auricilla (Jordan, Evermann and Tanaka, 1927) and goldbanded jobfish Pristipomoides multidens (Day, 1871) were recently recorded from the southeastern Arabian Sea, marking an occasional occurrence. The samples of P. auricilla and P. multidens were collected from the hook and line fishery off Kochi, southwest coast of India and described here based on the morphometric and meristic characteristics. P. auricilla is distinguished by a triangular vomerine tooth patch, 73–74 lateral-line scales, and 28 gill rakers (10 + 18), whereas P. multidens differs by having 51 lateral-line scales, 19 gill rakers (8 + 11), and two prominent golden bands on the snout and cheek. This study provides specimen-based confirmation of P. auricilla from the southeastern Arabian Sea and clarifies its range extension into Indian waters, while also documenting the verified occurrence of P. multidens at Kochi—where it had not been previously collected—along with comparative diagnostic features for accurate identification. The insights from this work are vital for effective fishery management and conservation strategies, particularly in the context of India’s rich but underexplored marine ecosystems. Furthermore, this research contributes to global efforts in monitoring and assessing deep-water snapper species.