TANE 22, 1976

A PRELIMINARY CHECKLIST OF FISHES FROM GREAT MERCURY ISLAND, NORTH-EASTERN NEW ZEALAND

by Anne B. Grace Department of Geology, University of Auckland, Private Bag, Auckland

SUMMARY Fifty-one species of marine fishes from 32 families are listed for the waters surrounding Great Mercury Island. The fish fauna is consistent with that of the north-eastern New Zealand mainland coast, with the presence of only one species indicating the influence of cleaner 'oceanic' water.

INTRODUCTION During the Auckland University Field Club's scientific trip in May, 1975, a checklist of fishes was compiled from observations made on one snorkel-dive at Coralie Bay on the east coast of Great Mercury Island, and two scuba-dives off The Sisters and Tamewhera Rock, on the west coast. Seven of the recorded species were not seen on these dives, but can be collected from the shore, or are known to be present in the area based on local discussion and spearfishing contests. These species are indicated by an asterisk in the following list.

LIST OF FISHES Family Dasyatidae Dasyatis brevicaudata (Hutton)* Short-tail stingray Family Myliobatidae Myliobatus tenuicaudatus Hector Eagleray Family Congridae Conger wilsoni (Bloch and Schneider) Conger eel Family Muraenidae Gymnothorax prasinus (Richardson) Yellow moray Family Hemirhamphidae Reporhamphus ihi (Phillips) Piper Family Exocoetidae Cypsilurus melanocercus (Ogilby) Flying fish Family Gadidae Lotella rhacina (Richardson) Rock cod Family Zeidae Zeus faber Linnaeus John dory Family Pleuronectidae Rhombosolea plebeia Richardson* Sand flounder Family Acanthoclinidae Acanthoclinus quadridactylus (Bloch and Schneider)* Rockfish Family Trachichthyidae Hoplostethus elongatus (Gunther) Slender roughy

103 Family Serranidae Ellerkeldia huntii (Hector) Red-banded perch Caesioperca lepidoptera (Bloch and Schneider) Butterfly perch Polyprionum oxygeneios (Bloch and Schneider) * Hapuku Family Carangidae Caranx georgianus (James and Stephenson) Trevally Decapterus koheru (Hector) Koheru Seriola grandis Castelnau Kingfish Family Arripidae (Bloch and Schneider) Kahawai Family Mullidae Upeneichthys porosus (Cuvier and Valenciennes) Red mullet Family Sparidae Chrysophrys auratus (Bloch and Schneider) Snapper Family Kyphosidae Kyphosus sydneyanus (Gunther) Silver drummer Girella tricuspidata (Quoy and Gaimard) Parore Scorpis aequipinnis Richardson Blue maomao Family Pempheridae Pempheris adspersa Griffin Bigeye Family Aplodactylidae meandratus (Richardson) Marblefish Family Cheilodactylidae Nemodactylus douglasi (Hector) Nemodactylus macropterus(Bloc h and Schneider) Tarakihi spectabilis Hutton Family Chironemidae Chironemus marmoratus Gunther Family ciliaris (Bloch and Schneider) Family Pomacentridae Parma microlepis Gunther Black angelfish Chromis dispilus Griffin Demoiselle Family Odacidae Coridodax pullus (Bloch and Schneider) Butterfish Family Labridae Pseudolabrus miles (Bloch and Schneider) Scarlet parrotfish Pseudolabrus celidotus (Bloch and Schneider) Spotty Pseudolabrus fucicola (Richardson) Banded parrotfish Coris sandageri (Hector) Sandager's parrotfish Verreo oxycephalus (Bleeker) Red pigfish Halichoeres sp. A. (Doak 1972) Crimson cleanerfish Family Tripterygiidae Tripterygion varium Bloch and Schneider Mottled blenny Tripterygion bucknilli Griffin Banded blenny Tripterygion sp. A. (Doak 1972) Blue dot blenny Tripterygion sp. B. (Doak 1972) Yellow/black blenny Tripterygion sp. C. (Doak 1972) Oblique-swimming blenny Gilloblenniustripennis (Bloch and Schneider) Spectacled blenny Family Blenniidae Blennius laticlavius Griffin Crested blenny

104 Family Scorpaenidae Scorpaena cardinalis Richardson Grandfather hapuku Family Gobiesocidae Trachelochismus sp.* Clingfish Family Aleuteridae Navodon convexirostris (Gunther) Leatherjacket Family Diodontidae Allomycterus whitleyi Phillips * Porcupine fish Family Molidae Mola mola (Linne)* Sunfish

DISCUSSION Because time spent diving was limited, the list of fishes is probably incomplete. The fish fauna found at Great Mercury Island, however, is essentially consistent with faunas recorded for coastal waters and islands close to the mainland (Russell 1969; Grace 1971; Grace 1974). Grace (1974) records 40 species of fishes from 27 families for Slipper Island and the Tairua region, to the south of Great Mercury Island. This fauna was typically 'coastal'. The Great Mercury Island fish fauna consists of 51 species from 32 families and contains some species not recorded for the Slipper Island-Tairua Region. In particular, the crimson cleanerfish (Halichoeres sp. A.), which is found in clean water, rarely in coastal waters, could represent a slight 'oceanic' water influence around the island. Great Mercury Island ranks intermediate between the Tairua region and Red Mercury Island (55 species from 33 families - Grace 1972, 1973) in terms of species diversity, but has a greatly reduced fauna in comparison with the Aldermen Islands (65 species from 38 families — Grace 1973) and the Poor Knights Islands (96 species from 44 families — Russell 1971), which are surrounded by oceanic waters of subtropical origin.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I should like to thank my diving companions, Robert Staveley Parker and Roger Grace for their assistance, and Gillian Puch for finding the rockfish and clingfish. REFERENCES Doak, W.T. 1972: "Fishes of the New Zealand Region." Hodderand Stoughton, Auckland. 132pp. Grace, A.B. 1974: A preliminary checklist of fishes from the Tairua region, north-eastern New Zealand. Tane 20: 21-24. Grace, R.V. 1971: A checklist of fishes from the entrance to the Whangateau Harbour, Northland, New Zealand. Tane 17: 129-136. Grace, R.V. 1972: A preliminary checklist of marine fishes of Red Mercury Island, north-eastern New Zealand. Tane 18: 91-93. Grace, R.V. 1973: A checklist of fishes of the Aldermen Islands, north-eastern New Zealand, with additions to the fishes of Red Mercury Island. Tane 19: 13-19. Russell, B.C. 1969: A checklist of the fishes of Goat Island, North Auckland, New Zealand, with an analysis of habitats and associations. Tane 15: 105-113. Russell, B.C. 1971: A preliminary annotated checklist of fishes of the Poor Knights Islands. Tane 17: 81-90.

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