melas, Apogon Bleeker [P.] 1848:635 [Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia (Singapore) v. 2 (no. 9); ref. 315] Bima, Sumbawa Island, Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia. Syntypes: RMNH 5606 (some of 19, 17 within size range). Bleeker specimens: 1880,4,21.75-77 (3). Also in Bleeker 1849:29 [ref. 318]. •Valid as Apogon melas Bleeker 1848 -- (Hayashi in Masuda et al. 1984:147 [ref. 6441], Allen 1993:16 [ref. 20779], Allen 1997:110 [ref. 23977], Kuiter 1997:148 [ref. 25488], Myers 1999:129 [ref. 23965], Fraser 2000:254 [ref. 24412], Allen 1999:2606 [ref. 24812], Nakabo 2000:774 [ref. 25086], Allen in Randall & Lim 2000:613 [ref. 25122], Hutchins 2001:31 [ref. 25847], Nakabo 2002:774 [ref. 26001], Kimura et al. in Kimura & Matsuura 2003:64 [ref. 27510], Allen et al. 2006:1091 [ref. 29004]). •Valid as Apogonichthyoides melas (Bleeker 1848) -- (Allen & Erdmann 2012:370 [ref. 31980], Fricke et al. 2014:69 [ref. 33932], Mabuchi et al. 2014:202 [ref. 33426] with question, Kuiter & Kozawa 2019:158 [ref. 36965], Allen & Erdmann 2024:395 [ref. 40796]). Current status: Valid as Apogonichthyoides melas (Bleeker 1848). Apogonidae: Apogoninae. Distribution: Eastern Indian Ocean, western Pacific: Cocos-Keeling Islands (Australia) east to Philippines, north to Ryukyu Islands (Japan), south to Western Australia and New Caledonia. Habitat: marine.