The morphometric and meristic properties of the teleost Aulacocephalus temmincki Bleeker, 1857, as well as patterns of colour are described. The species is reported for the first time from the Red Sea. The four rare species, Branchiostegus sawakinensis Amirthalingam, 1969, Acropoma japonica Günther, 1859, Epinephelus morrhua (Val., 1833) and Ostichthys hypsipterygion sufensis Golani, 1984 are also described. They respectively belong to the families: Branchiostegidae, Acropomatidae, Serranidae and Holocentridae.