The new species Samariscus leopardus is described from one specimen caught at a depth of 159 m in the Indian Ocean, 11°22′ S, 61°42′ E. The species is easily distinguishable from the remaining species of the genus from a set of the following characteristics: the absence of a lateral line on both sides of the body, a short ventral fin, 42 vertebrae (9 trunk and 33 caudal), 5 rays of pectoral fin, and spotted coloration. Other morphological specific features, including topography of sensory canals of the head, are described.