aureus, Centropomus Lacepède [B. G. E.] (ex Commerson) 1802:253, 273 [Histoire naturelle des poissons (Lacepède) v. 4; ref. 4929] Mauritius, Mascarenes, southwestern Indian Ocean; Réunion, western Mascarenes, southwestern Indian Ocean. No types known. Type catalog: Bauchot & Desoutter 1987:95 [ref. 12478]. Neotype designation by Fricke 1999:225 [ref. 24106] is invalid; see Fricke 2000:639 [ref. 24537]. •Synonym of Apogon fleurieu (Lacepède 1802) -- (Dor 1984:112 [ref. 29757]). •Valid as Apogon aureus (Lacepède 1802) -- (Randall et al. 1990:42 [ref. 14259] but with neotype of fleurieu improperly placed under aureus). •Valid as Apogon aureus (Lacepède 1802) -- (Hayashi in Masuda et al. 1984:147 [ref. 6441], Gon 1986:549 [ref. 5657], Allen & Swainston 1988:68 [ref. 25477], Paxton et al. 1989:545 [ref. 12442], Randall et al. 1990:138 [ref. 15987], Allen 1993:16 [ref. 20779], Kuiter 1993:156 [ref. 23929], Randall 1995:154 [ref. 22896], Mohsin & Ambak 1996:256 [ref. 27969], Allen 1997:104 [ref. 23977], Kuiter 1997:144 [ref. 25488], Randall et al. 1997:138 [ref. 25919], Fricke 1999:225 [ref. 24106], Allen 1999:2605 [ref. 24812], Mishra et al. 1999:85 [ref. 25315] as auritus, Allen 2000:87 [ref. 37268], Nakabo 2000:775 [ref. 25086], Allen in Randall & Lim 2000:613 [ref. 25122], Laboute & Grandperrin 2000:211 [ref. 25191], Sadovy & Cornish 2000:94 [ref. 25480], Hutchins 2001:31 [ref. 25847], Nakabo 2002:775 [ref. 26001], Allen & Adrim 2003:35 [ref. 26830], Manilo & Bogorodsky 2003:S105 [ref. 27377], Mishra & Krishnan 2003:28 [ref. 27712], Randall et al. 2004:13 [ref. 27624], Adrim et al. 2004:120 [ref. 27715], Heemstra & Heemstra 2004:184 [ref. 28072], Allen et al. 2006:1084 [ref. 29004], Yoshida et al. 2010:29 [ref. 31255], Motomura et al. 2010:104 [ref. 31256]). •Valid as Ostorhinchus aureus (Lacepède 1801) -- (Randall 2005:202 [ref. 28239], Fricke et al. 2009:52 [ref. 30213], Allen & Erdmann 2012:387 [ref. 31980], Larson et al. 2013:112 [ref. 32988], Fricke et al. 2014:73 [ref. 33932], Mabuchi et al. 2014:199 [ref. 33426], Mabuchi et al. 2015:44 [ref. 34429], Ali et al. 2018:320 [ref. 36183], Fricke et al. 2018:171 [ref. 35805], Arndt & Fricke 2019:10 [ref. 36883], Eagderi et al. 2019:39 [ref. 37020], Hoschke et al. 2019:155 [ref. 36626], Kuiter & Kozawa 2019:84 [ref. 36965], Zajonz et al. 2019:74 [ref. 36871], Wada et al. 2021:40 [ref. 38521], Fraser et al. 2022:196 [ref. 39752], Gloerfelt-Tarp & Kailola 2022:153 [ref. 41223], Moazzam & Osmany 2023:57 [ref. 40689], Allen & Erdmann 2024:413 [ref. 40796], Fricke et al. 2024:65 [ref. 41255]). Current status: Valid as Ostorhinchus aureus (Lacepède 1802). Apogonidae: Apogoninae. Distribution: Indo-West Pacific: East Africa, Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf, Socotra (Yemen), Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar and western Mascarenes (La Réunion, Mauritius) east to Society Islands (French Polynesia), north to Amami Islands (southern Japan), south to Rottnest Island (Western Australia), Sydney (New South Wales, Australia), New Caledonia and Tonga. Habitat: marine.