DOCSLIB.ORG

In the Marine Waters of Iraq Laith A

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
In the Marine Waters of Iraq Laith A Marine Biodiversity Records, page 1 of 3. # Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2014 doi:10.1017/S1755267214001006; Vol. 7; e102; 2014 Published online Occurrence of pineconefish Monocentris japonica (Teleostei: Monocentridae) in the marine waters of Iraq laith a. jawad1, mustafa a. al-mukhtar2, hayder i. al-hilali3, abass j. al-faisal2 and ahmed m. al-derawi3 1Flat Bush, Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand, 2Marine Science Centre, University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq, 3Department of Protection and Improvement of the Environment, Southern Region Environment Directorate, Ministry of Environment, Basrah, Iraq The presence of the fish species Monocentris japonica is reported from the Iraqi waters of the Arabian Gulf. One adult spe- cimen (125 mm total length) was caught from the waters around the Khor Abdullah within the Iraqi marine territory, giving a new ichthyofaunal record for the area. Keywords: new record, Basrah, Arabian Gulf, range extension Submitted 29 June 2014; accepted 4 August 2014 INTRODUCTION & Bianchi (1984). Nomenclature follows that of Eschmeyer (2014) and Fricke (2014). The Iraqi territorial marine waters, subjected to a subtropical climate, are located in the north-west corner of the Arabian Gulf, a shallow marginal northern extension of the Indian RESULTS Ocean (Pous et al., 2012). The Iraqi marine coastal area receives huge amounts of fluvial input via the River Shatt Family MONOCENTRIDAE Al-Arab, the confluent delta of the Rivers Tigris and Monocentris japonica (Houttuyn, 1782) Euphrates. During the winter season, low precipitation leads to an increased salinity in the northern parts of the Arabian Gulf. High plankton productivity, as a result of high nutrient levels, occurs in the north-western parts of the area (Al-Kandari et al., 2009; Al-Yamani & Saburova 2010, material examined 2011), where a specimen of the pineapplefish (sometimes MSCUB 0113, 1: 125 mm TL, Khor Abdullah, north- ′ ′′ called the pineconefish) Monocentris japonica (Houttuyn, west corner of the Arabian Gulf, Iraq, 29851 59.25 N ′ ′′ 1782) was collected. 48826 14.56 E, gill net, 16 m depth, 6 June 2014 (Figure 1). The work of Heckel (1843) provided some of the earliest information on the ichthyofauna of Iraq. There are several description works providing additional information on the marine fish Body orbicular, moderately deep and compressed, covered fauna of Iraq in recent decades (Mahdi & George, 1969; with enlarged united scales forming rough shield. Snout Mahdi, 1971; Al-Daham, 1982; Hussain et al., 1988), but there are few thorough accounts (Jawad, 2012). In the present paper, we report on the presence of pineap- plefish, Monocentris japonica in the Iraqi marine waters of the Arabian Gulf. The specimen is deposited in the ichthyological collection of the Marine Science Centre, University of Basrah, Iraq (MSCUB 0113). Standard length (SL), measured from tip of snout to base of caudal fin, was used for proportional mea- surements, and total length (TL) for the maximum length of specimen. The specimen was fixed in 10% formalin and stored in 70% ethanol. Measurements were made with dial cal- lipers to the nearest 0.1 mm and follow the method of Fischer Corresponding author: L.A. Jawad Email: [email protected] Fig. 1. Monocentris japonica, MSCUB 0113, 125 mm total length. 1 2 laith a. jawad et al. broad. Wide lacrimal and anterior portion of following infra- working in the same area where the specimen of M. japonica orbital. Eye large. Light organ at the symphysis of the lower was obtained revealed that specimens of this species have been jaw. Villiform teeth in mouth, but vomer with no teeth. caught from the same area since 2008. With the distinctive Dorsal fin with 6 spines having no connecting membrane, shape and coloration of this species, it is possible to consider followed by soft dorsal fin. Yellowish, with dark scale edges; the narrative of the fishermen to be correct and hence to con- light organ covered with black pigment. sider that this species has established a population in the area. More generally, the existence of such a noteworthy specimen in the Iraqi marine waters since 2008 highlights once again remarks our limitations in monitoring the arrival of invasive species The total length of the present specimen (125 mm) is smaller in the marine environment. than the recorded maximum size given for this fish (170 mm; The importance of the present record of M. japonica comes Sainsbury et al., 1985). The description of the present speci- as a result of extensive ichthyological collections in the area men agrees with the description given by Kotlyar (1985), and in the context of the absence of any previous record of Randall (1995), Paxton (1999) and Heemstra & Heemstra members of this family from the Iraqi marine waters. (2004). It differs from the congener M. reedi in having deeper body, short gill rakers, shorter caudal peduncle, larger anterodorsal distance, fewer gill rakers on the 1st gill ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS arch, and fewer scales on lateral line (Table 1). Cleidopus glor- iamaris has no light organ on the mandible, narrow lacrimal We thank the Marine Science Centre, University of Basrah for bone and absence of vomerine teeth. providing the facilities to collect fish specimens in the Iraqi Fischer & Bianchi (1984) indicated that this species is marine waters and for all other technical assistance; Jon expected to occur, but not yet reported from off the coasts Moore, Wilkes Honors College, Florida Atlantic University of South Africa, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. It also occurs in USA and Ofer Gon, South African Institute of Aquatic the Gulf of Aqaba (Baranes & Golani, 1993) and extends Biodiversity, South Africa for the confirmation of the identity east and north to Australia and Japan and south to New of the species; and Daniel Pauly, Fisheries Centre, University Zealand (Paulin et al., 1989). The nearest locality to the of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada for his valu- Iraqi marine waters of the Arabian Gulf where this species able advice and suggestions during his reading and editing has been recorded from previously is the Arabian Sea coasts of the manuscript. of Oman (Randall, 1995; Manilo & Bogorodsky, 2003). This is the first documented occurrence in the Arabian Gulf waters of Iraq in particular and the Arabian Gulf area in REFERENCES general, indicating a range extension of its previously known distribution. The lack of previous records of this species Al-Daham N.K. (1982) Ichthyofauna of Iraq and the Arab Gulf: a check- from the northern part of the Arabian Gulf may be due to list. Bulletin of Basrah Natural History Museum 4, 1–102. the lack of ichthyological surveys or that it has only recently Al-Kandari M., Al-Yamani F.Y. and Al-Rifaie K. (2009) Marine phyto- arrived in the area. In the case of the latter, the current plankton atlas of Kuwait’s waters. Safat, Kuwait: Kuwait Institute for record may represent a natural range extension, or possibly Scientific Research, 350 pp. the present specimens may be the result of released aquarium fish. We do not know whether it has established a sustainable Al-Yamani F.Y. and Saburova M.A. (2010) Illustrated guide on the flagel- lates of Kuwait’s intertidal soft sediments. Safat, Kuwait: Kuwait population in this region, but interviewing the fishermen Institute for Scientific Research, 197 pp. Al-Yamani F.Y. and Saburova M.A. (2011) Illustrated guide on the Table 1. Morphometric and meristic characters of Monocentris japonica benthic diatoms of Kuwait’s marine environment. Safat, Kuwait: collected from Khor Abdullah, Arabian Gulf, Iraq. HL, head length; SL, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research. standard length. Baranes A. and Golani D. (1993) An annotated list of the deep-sea fishes Standard length 100 collected in the northern Red Sea, Gulf of Aqaba. Israel Journal of Head length (% in SL) 47 (47) Zoology 39, 299–336. Eye diameter (% in HL) 15 (31.9) Eschmyer W.N. (ed.) (2014) Catalog of fishes. Updated internet version of Preorbital length (% in HL) 10 (21.3) 4 January 2014. Available at: http://research.calacademy.org/research/ Postorbital length (% in HL) 24 (51.1) ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp (accessed 1 June 2014). Predorsal fin length (% in SL) 51 (51) Postdorsal fin length (% in SL) 66 (66) Fischer W. and Bianchi G. (eds) (1984) FAO species identification sheets Prepectoral fin length (% in SL) 46 (46) for fishery purposes. Western Indian Ocean (Fishing area 51). Volume Preanal fin length (% in SL) 93 (93) IV, Families Scatophagidae to Trichiuridae. Rome: FAO. Postanal fin length (% in SL) 98 (98) Fricke R. (ed.) (2014) References in the Catalog of Fishes. Online version, Maximum body depth (% in SL) 58 (58) updated 18 June 2014. Internet publication, San Francisco (California Caudal peduncle depth (% in SL) 9 (9) Academy of Sciences). Available at: http://research.calacademy.org/ Pectoral fin length (% in SL) 26 (26) research/Ichthyology/Catalog/fishcatmain.asp (accessed 21 June Dorsal fin spine number 6 2014). Dorsal fin ray count 12 Anal fin rays 10 Heckel J.J. (1843) Abbildungen und Beschreibungen der Fische Syriens, Pectoral fin rays 13 nebst einer neuen Classification und Characteristik sa¨mmtlicher Number of lateral line scales 14 Gattungen der Cyprinen. In Fenzl E., Heckel J.J. and Redtenbacher Number of rakers in the lower arch 7 L. (eds) Abbildungen und Beschreibungen neuer und seltener Thiere und Pflanzen in Syrien und im westlichen Taurus gesammelt von Th. piconefish in the iraqi waters 3 Kotschy. Volume 1 (part 2). Stuttgart: E. Schweizerbart’sche Paxton J.R. (1999) Several families of Stephanoberyciformes and Verlagshandlung, pp. 991–1044, plates 1–13. Beryciformes. In Carpenter K.E. and Niem V.E. (eds) Species identifi- cation guide for fisheries purposes. The living marine resources of the Heemstra P. and Heemstra E. (2004) Coastal fishes of South Africa.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • New Insights on the Sister Lineage of Percomorph Fishes with an Anchored Hybrid Enrichment Dataset
    Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 110 (2017) 27–38 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev New insights on the sister lineage of percomorph fishes with an anchored hybrid enrichment dataset ⇑ Alex Dornburg a, , Jeffrey P. Townsend b,c,d, Willa Brooks a, Elizabeth Spriggs b, Ron I. Eytan e, Jon A. Moore f,g, Peter C. Wainwright h, Alan Lemmon i, Emily Moriarty Lemmon j, Thomas J. Near b,k a North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, USA b Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA c Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA d Department of Biostatistics, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA e Marine Biology Department, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77554, USA f Florida Atlantic University, Wilkes Honors College, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA g Florida Atlantic University, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Fort Pierce, FL 34946, USA h Department of Evolution & Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA i Department of Scientific Computing, Florida State University, 400 Dirac Science Library, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA j Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA k Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA article info abstract Article history: Percomorph fishes represent over 17,100 species, including several model organisms and species of eco- Received 12 April 2016 nomic importance. Despite continuous advances in the resolution of the percomorph Tree of Life, resolu- Revised 22 February 2017 tion of the sister lineage to Percomorpha remains inconsistent but restricted to a small number of Accepted 25 February 2017 candidate lineages.
    [Show full text]
  • Acanthopterygii, Bone, Eurypterygii, Osteology, Percomprpha
    Research in Zoology 2014, 4(2): 29-42 DOI: 10.5923/j.zoology.20140402.01 Comparative Osteology of the Jaws in Representatives of the Eurypterygian Fishes Yazdan Keivany Department of Natural Resources (Fisheries Division), Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran Abstract The osteology of the jaws in representatives of 49 genera in 40 families of eurypterygian fishes, including: Aulopiformes, Myctophiformes, Lampridiformes, Polymixiiformes, Percopsiformes, Mugiliformes, Atheriniformes, Beloniformes, Cyprinodontiformes, Stephanoberyciformes, Beryciformes, Zeiformes, Gasterosteiformes, Synbranchiformes, Scorpaeniformes (including Dactylopteridae), and Perciformes (including Elassomatidae) were studied. Generally, in this group, the upper jaw consists of the premaxilla, maxilla, and supramaxilla. The lower jaw consists of the dentary, anguloarticular, retroarticular, and sesamoid articular. In higher taxa, the premaxilla bears ascending, articular, and postmaxillary processes. The maxilla usually bears a ventral and a dorsal articular process. The supramaxilla is present only in some taxa. The dentary is usually toothed and bears coronoid and posteroventral processes. The retroarticular is small and located at the posteroventral corner of the anguloarticular. Keywords Acanthopterygii, Bone, Eurypterygii, Osteology, Percomprpha following method for clearing and staining bone and 1. Introduction cartilage provided in reference [18]. A camera lucida attached to a Wild M5 dissecting stereomicroscope was used Despite the introduction of modern techniques such as to prepare the drawings. The bones in the first figure of each DNA sequencing and barcoding, osteology, due to its anatomical section are arbitrarily shaded and labeled and in reliability, still plays an important role in the systematic the others are shaded in a consistent manner (dark, medium, study of fishes and comprises a major percent of today’s and clear) to facilitate comparison among the taxa.
    [Show full text]
  • Biodiversity of the Kermadec Islands and Offshore Waters of the Kermadec Ridge: Report of a Coastal, Marine Mammal and Deep-Sea Survey (TAN1612)
    Biodiversity of the Kermadec Islands and offshore waters of the Kermadec Ridge: report of a coastal, marine mammal and deep-sea survey (TAN1612) New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report No. 179 Clark, M.R.; Trnski, T.; Constantine, R.; Aguirre, J.D.; Barker, J.; Betty, E.; Bowden, D.A.; Connell, A.; Duffy, C.; George, S.; Hannam, S.; Liggins, L..; Middleton, C.; Mills, S.; Pallentin, A.; Riekkola, L.; Sampey, A.; Sewell, M.; Spong, K.; Stewart, A.; Stewart, R.; Struthers, C.; van Oosterom, L. ISSN 1179-6480 (online) ISSN 1176-9440 (print) ISBN 978-1-77665-481-9 (online) ISBN 978-1-77665-482-6 (print) January 2017 Requests for further copies should be directed to: Publications Logistics Officer Ministry for Primary Industries PO Box 2526 WELLINGTON 6140 Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0800 00 83 33 Facsimile: 04-894 0300 This publication is also available on the Ministry for Primary Industries websites at: http://www.mpi.govt.nz/news-resources/publications.aspx http://fs.fish.govt.nz go to Document library/Research reports © Crown Copyright - Ministry for Primary Industries TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 1. INTRODUCTION 3 1.1 Objectives: 3 1.2 Objective 1: Benthic offshore biodiversity 3 1.3 Objective 2: Marine mammal research 4 1.4 Objective 3: Coastal biodiversity and connectivity 5 2. METHODS 5 2.1 Survey area 5 2.2 Survey design 6 Offshore Biodiversity 6 Marine mammal sampling 8 Coastal survey 8 Station recording 8 2.3 Sampling operations 8 Multibeam mapping 8 Photographic transect survey 9 Fish and Invertebrate sampling 9 Plankton sampling 11 Catch processing 11 Environmental sampling 12 Marine mammal sampling 12 Dive sampling operations 12 Outreach 13 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Order BERYCIFORMES ANOPLOGASTRIDAE Anoplogaster
    click for previous page 2210 Bony Fishes Order BERYCIFORMES ANOPLOGASTRIDAE Fangtooths by J.R. Paxton iagnostic characters: Small (to 16 cm) Dberyciform fishes, body short, deep, and compressed. Head large, steep; deep mu- cous cavities on top of head separated by serrated crests; very large temporal and pre- opercular spines and smaller orbital (frontal) spine in juveniles of one species, all disap- pearing with age. Eyes smaller than snout length in adults (but larger than snout length in juveniles). Mouth very large, jaws extending far behind eye in adults; one supramaxilla. Teeth as large fangs in pre- maxilla and dentary; vomer and palatine toothless. Gill rakers as gill teeth in adults (elongate, lath-like in juveniles). No fin spines; dorsal fin long based, roughly in middle of body, with 16 to 20 rays; anal fin short-based, far posterior, with 7 to 9 rays; pelvic fin abdominal in juveniles, becoming subthoracic with age, with 7 rays; pectoral fin with 13 to 16 rays. Scales small, non-overlap- ping, spinose, cup-shaped in adults; lateral line an open groove partly covered by scales. No light organs. Total vertebrae 25 to 28. Colour: brown-black in adults. Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Meso- and bathypelagic. Distinctive caulolepis juvenile stage, with greatly enlarged head spines in one species. Feeding mode as carnivores on crustaceans as juveniles and on fishes as adults. Rare deepsea fishes of no commercial importance. Remarks: One genus with 2 species throughout the world ocean in tropical and temperate latitudes. The family was revised by Kotlyar (1986). Similar families occurring in the area Diretmidae: No fangs, jaw teeth small, in bands; anal fin with 18 to 24 rays.
    [Show full text]
  • Newcomers to the Local Fish List, Or Unwelcome Exotics!
    6 least 30 years. It is, therefore, rather susceptible to fishing, Bibliography and, as a result of demand, is disappearing. Dulvy, N.K., Sadovy, Y. & Reynolds, J.D. (2003). Extinction vulnerability Due to concern for this species, the humphead wrasse was in marine populations. Fish and Fisheries 4:25-64 listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Sadovy, Y, Kulbicki M., Labrosse P, Letourneur Y., Lokani, P. & Donaldson, Trade in Endangered Species (CITES at www.CITES.org) in T.J. (2003). The humphead wrasse, Cheilinus undulatus: synopsis of a October, 2004 (Sadovy et al., 2003; threatened and poorly known giant coral reef fish. Reviews in Fish Biology www.humpheadwrasse.info). This was an historic listing and Fisheries 13 (3):327-364. because it is one of the first commercially important marine fish species to be so classified. A species on CITES Appendix Newcomers to the local fish list, II in international trade must be monitored and can still be exported if it has been sustainably caught in the source or unwelcome exotics! country. Many people think that CITES is all about banning species in trade. In the case of Appendix II, however, this is not the case; listed species can only be exported if they are by Allen To and Anna Situ captured at sustainable levels and so CITES promotes and fosters sustainable use for vulnerable species. The first fish to be added to the local fish list is the yellowtail tang, Zebrasoma xanthurum (Family: Acanthuridae), or so called “purple tang” among aquarists (Fig. 1). This beautiful reef fish was observed by Allen To and Kiwi Lee at Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park in mid-May.
    [Show full text]
  • FAMILY Monocentridae Gill, 1859 - Pineconefishes [=?Notacandia, Monocentroidae] Notes: Spelling in Prevailing Recent Practice ?Notacandia Rafinesque, 1815:85 [Ref
    FAMILY Monocentridae Gill, 1859 - pineconefishes [=?Notacandia, Monocentroidae] Notes: Spelling in prevailing recent practice ?Notacandia Rafinesque, 1815:85 [ref. 3584] (subfamily) ? Lepisacanthus [as Lepicantha; no stem of the type genus, not available, Article 11.7.1.1] Monocentroidae Gill, 1859b:144 [ref. 1762] (family) Monocentris [also as subfamily Monocentrinae; stem emended to Monocentrid- by Steyskal 1980:170 [ref. 14191]; Eschmeyer 1998:2471 [ref. 23416] and Nelson 2006:301 [ref. 32486] used Monocentridae] GENUS Cleidopus De Vis, 1882 - pineapplefishes [=Cleidopus De Vis [C. W.], 1882:367] Notes: [ref. 1087]. Masc. Cleidopus gloriamaris De Vis 1882. Type by monotypy. •Valid as Cleidopus De Vis 1882 -- (Paxton et al. 1989:364 [ref. 12442], Gomon et al. 1994:411 [ref. 22532], Kotlyar 1996:208 [ref. 23292], Paxton 1999:2214 [ref. 24788], Paxton et al. 2006:766 [ref. 28994], Gomon 2008:433 [ref. 30616]). Current status: Valid as Cleidopus De Vis, 1882. Monocentridae. Species Cleidopus gloriamaris De Vis, 1882 - pineapplefish, knightfish, coat-of-mail fish [=Cleidopus gloriamaris De Vis [C. W.], 1882:368, Cleidopus gloriamaris occidentalis Whitley [G. P.], 1931:314] Notes: [Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales v. 7 (pt 3); ref. 1087] Brisbane River or Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. Current status: Valid as Cleidopus gloriamaris De Vis, 1882. Monocentridae. Distribution: Australia: Queensland and New South Wales (eastern population) and Western Australia. Habitat: marine. (occidentalis) [Australian Zoologist v. 6 (pt 4); ref. 4672] Fremantle, Western Australia. Current status: Synonym of Cleidopus gloriamaris De Vis, 1882. Monocentridae. Habitat: marine. GENUS Monocentris Bloch & Schneider, 1801 - pineconefishes [=Monocentris Bloch [M. E.] & Schneider [J. G.], 1801:100, Ericius Tilesius [W.
    [Show full text]
  • Evolution and Ecology in Widespread Acoustic Signaling Behavior Across Fishes
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.14.296335; this version posted September 14, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. 1 Evolution and Ecology in Widespread Acoustic Signaling Behavior Across Fishes 2 Aaron N. Rice1*, Stacy C. Farina2, Andrea J. Makowski3, Ingrid M. Kaatz4, Philip S. Lobel5, 3 William E. Bemis6, Andrew H. Bass3* 4 5 1. Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 6 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY, USA 7 2. Department of Biology, Howard University, 415 College St NW, Washington, DC, USA 8 3. Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 9 USA 10 4. Stamford, CT, USA 11 5. Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Street, Boston, MA, USA 12 6. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Cornell University Museum of 13 Vertebrates, Cornell University, 215 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, USA 14 15 ORCID Numbers: 16 ANR: 0000-0002-8598-9705 17 SCF: 0000-0003-2479-1268 18 WEB: 0000-0002-5669-2793 19 AHB: 0000-0002-0182-6715 20 21 *Authors for Correspondence 22 ANR: [email protected]; AHB: [email protected] 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.14.296335; this version posted September 14, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.
    [Show full text]
  • Standardised Survey Procedures for Monitoring Rocky & Coral Reef
    STANDARDISED SURVEY PROCEDURES FOR MONITORING ROCKY & CORAL REEF ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 3 HOW IT WORKS 5 SURVEY EQUIPMENT 6 CHOOSING A SITE 7 DETAILS OF METHODS: 11 THE FISH SURVEY (M1) 11 THE INVERTEBRATE SURVEY (M2) 15 - MANUFACTURED DEBRIS 19 METHOD “0” (M0) 20 DIGITAL PHOTO-QUADRATS 21 DATA ENTRY 25 SUBMITTING DATA 28 APPENDIX 1 - INVERTEBRATE/CRYPTIC FISH FAMILIES 29 APPENDIX 2 - SURVEYS IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES 31 APPENDIX 3 – UPLOADING DATA TO DROPBOX 38 2 INTRODUCTION This manual describes the standard Reef Life Survey (RLS) methods for estimating densities of fishes, large macroinvertebrates, and sessile communities on rocky and coral reefs. These (and compatible) methods have been used in thousands of surveys all around the world and at some locations for more than 20 years. Visual census techniques such as these provide an effective, non-destructive way to monitor species at shallow-water sites because large amounts of data on a broad range of species can be collected within a short dive period, with little post- processing time required. The broad taxonomic range covered allows detection of human impacts affecting different levels of the food web, making these methods ideal for assessing and monitoring ecological consequences of point source impacts such as pollution, oil spills, ocean warming and coral bleaching events, as well as the effectiveness of management actions such as the declaration of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), for example. 3 INTRODUCTION These survey methods were designed to maximise the collection of ecological information related to all conspicuous taxa that can be obtained during a dive with a single tank of air.
    [Show full text]
  • Fossils Provide Better Estimates of Ancestral Body Size Than Do Extant
    Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 90 (Suppl. 1): 357–384 (January 2009) doi: 10.1111/j.1463-6395.2008.00364.x FossilsBlackwell Publishing Ltd provide better estimates of ancestral body size than do extant taxa in fishes James S. Albert,1 Derek M. Johnson1 and Jason H. Knouft2 Abstract 1Department of Biology, University of Albert, J.S., Johnson, D.M. and Knouft, J.H. 2009. Fossils provide better Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, LA estimates of ancestral body size than do extant taxa in fishes. — Acta Zoologica 2 70504-2451, USA; Department of (Stockholm) 90 (Suppl. 1): 357–384 Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, USA The use of fossils in studies of character evolution is an active area of research. Characters from fossils have been viewed as less informative or more subjective Keywords: than comparable information from extant taxa. However, fossils are often the continuous trait evolution, character state only known representatives of many higher taxa, including some of the earliest optimization, morphological diversification, forms, and have been important in determining character polarity and filling vertebrate taphonomy morphological gaps. Here we evaluate the influence of fossils on the interpretation of character evolution by comparing estimates of ancestral body Accepted for publication: 22 July 2008 size in fishes (non-tetrapod craniates) from two large and previously unpublished datasets; a palaeontological dataset representing all principal clades from throughout the Phanerozoic, and a macroecological dataset for all 515 families of living (Recent) fishes. Ancestral size was estimated from phylogenetically based (i.e. parsimony) optimization methods. Ancestral size estimates obtained from analysis of extant fish families are five to eight times larger than estimates using fossil members of the same higher taxa.
    [Show full text]
  • The Intermuscular Bones and Ligaments of Teleostean Fishes *
    * The Intermuscular Bones and Ligaments of Teleostean Fishes COLIN PATTERSON and G. DAVID JOHNSON m I I SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ZOOLOGY • NUMBER 559 SERIES PUBLICATIONS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION Emphasis upon publication as a means of "diffusing knowledge" was expressed by the first Secretary of the Smithsonian. In his formal plan for the institution, Joseph Henry outlined a program that included the following statement: "It is proposed to publish a series of reports, giving an account of the new discoveries in science, and of the changes made from year to year in all branches of knowledge." This theme of basic research has been adhered to through the years by thousands of titles issued in series publications under the Smithsonian imprint, commencing with Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge in 1848 and continuing with the following active series: Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology Smithsonian Contributions to Botany Smithsonian Contributions to the Earth Sciences Smithsonian Contributions to the Marine Sciences Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology Smithsonian Folklife Studies Smithsonian Studies in Air and Space Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology In these series, the Institution publishes small papers and full-scale monographs that report the research and collections of its various museums and bureaux or of professional colleagues in the world of science and scholarship. The publications are distributed by mailing lists to libraries, universities, and similar institutions throughout the world. Papers or monographs submitted for series publication are received by the Smithsonian Institution Press, subject to its own review for format and style, only through departments of the various Smithsonian museums or bureaux, where the manuscripts are given substantive review.
    [Show full text]
  • HANDBOOK of FISH BIOLOGY and FISHERIES Volume 1 Also Available from Blackwell Publishing: Handbook of Fish Biology and Fisheries Edited by Paul J.B
    HANDBOOK OF FISH BIOLOGY AND FISHERIES Volume 1 Also available from Blackwell Publishing: Handbook of Fish Biology and Fisheries Edited by Paul J.B. Hart and John D. Reynolds Volume 2 Fisheries Handbook of Fish Biology and Fisheries VOLUME 1 FISH BIOLOGY EDITED BY Paul J.B. Hart Department of Biology University of Leicester AND John D. Reynolds School of Biological Sciences University of East Anglia © 2002 by Blackwell Science Ltd a Blackwell Publishing company Chapter 8 © British Crown copyright, 1999 BLACKWELL PUBLISHING 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148‐5020, USA 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Paul J.B. Hart and John D. Reynolds to be identified as the Authors of the Editorial Material in this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. First published 2002 Reprinted 2004 Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data has been applied for. Volume 1 ISBN 0‐632‐05412‐3 (hbk) Volume 2 ISBN 0‐632‐06482‐X (hbk) 2‐volume set ISBN 0‐632‐06483‐8 A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library. Set in 9/11.5 pt Trump Mediaeval by SNP Best‐set Typesetter Ltd, Hong Kong Printed and bound in the United Kingdom by TJ International Ltd, Padstow, Cornwall.
    [Show full text]
  • Protoblepharon Rosenblatti, a New Genus And
    10 October 1997 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 1l0(3):373-383. 1997. Protoblepharon rosenblatti, a new genus and species of flashlight fish (Beryciformes: Anomalopidae) from the tropical South Pacific, with comments on anomalopid phylogeny Carole C. Baldwin, G. David Johnson, and John R. Paxton (CCB, GDJ) Department of Vertebrate Zoology, MRC 159, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. 20560, U.S.A.; (JRP) Division of Vertebrate Zoology, The Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Abstract. — Protoblepharon rosenblatti is described from a single large spec- imen collected at 274 m off Rarotonga, Cook Islands. It differs from other anomalopids most notably in having a low number of gill rakers on the first arch (21 vs. 24 or more), high number of body scale rows (ca. 145 vs. 130 or fewer), no postorbital papillae, and a very small gap between the lacrimal and nasal for passage of the fibrocartilaginous stalk, which is twisted and not broad- ly exposed posteriorly. Protoblepharon is a primitive member of the lineage of flashlight fishes characterized by a shutter mechanism for light-organ occlu- sion. The Anomalopidae comprise a small Phthanophaneron + Kryptophanaron + group of nearly circumtropically distribut- Photoblepharon clade. ed, marine beryciform fishes characterized We have examined a very large (229 mm most conspicuously by a subocular lumi- SL) flashlight fish from the preserved col- nous organ in which symbiotic luminous lections at the Australian Museum that can- bacteria are cultured (e.g., Harvey 1922, not be assigned to any known species. The Haygood & Cohn 1986). Since a review of specimen was collected on hook and line in the family by McCosker & Rosenblatt deep water off Rarotonga, Cook Islands.
    [Show full text]