Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde A, Neue Serie 4: 341–463; Stuttgart, 30.IV.2011. 341 Checklist of the fi shes of New Caledonia, and their distribution in the Southwest Pacifi c Ocean (Pisces) RONALD FRICKE, MICHEL KULBICKI & LAURENT WANTIEZ Abstract A checklist of the fi shes of New Caledonia is presented. A total of 2328 species in 246 families have been re- corded from the region. Eight of these species are not native, but have been introduced. Five fi sh families are rep- resented only by introduced species. The native fi sh fauna of New Caledonia therefore consists of 2320 species in 241 families. The largest families are the Gobiidae, Labridae, Pomacentridae, Serranidae, Apogonidae, Blenniidae, Macrouridae, Myctophidae and Muraenidae. The freshwater fi sh fauna is dominated by the families Gobiidae, Eleotridae, Anguillidae and Mugilidae. A total of 61 species represent new records from New Caledonia. The fi sh fauna from New Caledonia includes a total of 125 species occurring in freshwater (plus eight intro- duced species), 266 (plus two introduced) species in transitional (brackish) waters, and 2320 marine species. The detailed geographical distribution of the New Caldonian fi sh species including the southern submarine ridges (Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, New Zealand) is provided. Among the New Caledonian marine species, 905 are re- corded from the East Coral Sea including Chesterfi eld Islands, 193 from the New Caledonian basin, 1860 from the Grande Terre group, 85 from the Norfolk Ridge, and 1029 from the Loyalty Ridge including Loyalty Islands. New Caledonia has a considerable endemic element of 107 species (4.6 % of the total native species). K e y w o r d s : Fishes, Southwest Pacifi c Ocean, New Caledonia, checklist, distribution, endemism, new records. Zusammenfassung Die vorliegende Checkliste der Fische von Neukaledonien enthält 2328 Arten in 246 Familien. Acht Arten wur- den eingeführt; fünf Familien enthalten nur eingeführte Arten. Die einheimische Fischfauna von Neukaledonien enthält daher 2320 Arten in 241 Familien. Die größten Familien sind die Gobiidae, Labridae, Pomacentridae, Ser- ranidae, Apogonidae, Blenniidae, Macrouridae, Myctophidae und Muraenidae. Die Süßwasserfi schfauna wird von den Familien Gobiidae, Eleotridae, Anguillidae und Mugilidae dominiert. Insgesamt 61 Arten werden zum ersten Mal für Neukaledonien nachgewiesen. Die neukaledonische Fischfauna enthält 125 (sowie acht eingeführte) Süßwasserfi scharten, 266 (sowie zwei eingeführte) Arten in Übergangsgewässern (Brackwasser), und 2320 marine Arten. Die detaillierte geographische Verbreitung der neukaledonischen Arten, einschließlich der südlichen untermeerischen Rücken (Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Neuseeland) wird angegeben. In Neukaledonien leben insgesamt 905 der marinen Arten in der östli- chen Korallensee (einschließlich der Chesterfi eld-Inseln), 193 im Neukaledonienbecken, 1860 in der Grande-Terre- Gruppe, 85 auf dem Norfolk-Rücken, und 1029 auf dem Loyalty-Rücken (einschließlich Loyalty-Inseln). Das ende- mische Faunenelement von Neukaledonien enthält 107 Arten (4.6 % der gesamten einheimischen Arten). Contents 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 341 2 Methods and Materials ........................................................................................................................................343 3 Annotated checklist of fi sh species of New Caledonia ......................................................................................344 4 The fi sh fauna of New Caledonia and its endemism ..........................................................................................449 5 References ........................................................................................................................................................... 451 1 Introduction and Bellona Reefs (Lord Howe Rise). The exclusive eco- nomic zone of New Caledonia also includes part of the New Caledonia is a French overseas ‘sui generis collec- northern Norfolk Ridge. tivity’ (COM, Communauté d’Outre Mer), situated in the The New Caledonian main island of Grande Terre was southwestern Pacifi c Ocean, approximately 950–2450 km originally part of the eastern Australian continent, and east of the Mackay/Gladstone regions, Central Queens- separated about 68 million years ago, moving towards the land, Australia. It comprises the main island Grande Terre east (YAN & KROENKE 1993). 65.5 million years ago, the with the Îles Bélep in the north and the Île des Pins in the Norfolk Ridge was completely separated from the New south of the Grande Terre Group, the Loyalty Islands, the Caledonian Ridge (to the east) and the Coral Sea Ridge/ islands of Walpole (southern Loyalty Ridge), Matthew and Lord Howe Rise (to the west). Approximately 41 mil- Hunter (Vanuatu-Fiji Ridge), and the Chesterfi eld Islands lion years ago, the island of E’ua separated from southern 342 STUTTGARTER BEITRÄGE ZUR NATURKUNDE A Neue Serie 4 New Caledonia and rapidly moved eastward to form the The fi rst (provisional) checklist of the fi shes of New Tonga Ridge. 17 million years ago, the Loyalty Islands Caledonia was published by RIVATON et al. (1990). Sub- formed east of New Caledonia, fi rst as volcanoes, then sequently, KULBICKI et al. (1994) provided a checklist of by plate subduction forming atolls, which were recently the fi shes of the Chesterfi eld Islands, and KULBICKI & WIL- partly raised. Approximately 500 000 years ago, it came LIAMS (1997) of Ouvéa (Loyalty Islands). In their checklist to a near contact between the New Hebrides Arc (Van- of marine shore fi shes, FRICKE & KULBICKI (2006, 2007) uatu) and the Loyalty Arc; then the islands of Matthew and included a total of 1694 species. In addition, RICHER DE Hunter emerged. F ORGES & LABOUTE (2009: Annexes 5, 6) listed shallow wa- Politically, there are three provinces in New Caledo- ter fi sh species from the Loyalty Islands (Maré, Tiga and nia. The Province Nord includes northern Grande Terre Lifou), and RICHER DE FORGES & RICHER DE FORGES (2010: and the Îles Bélep; the Province Sud comprises southern Annex 30) from the atolls of Ouvéa and Beautemps-Beau- Grande Terre and the Île des Pins. The Province Îles in- pré. Recently, reports on fi shes from northern and north- cludes the Loyalty Islands. The other, outer island groups eastern Grande Terre (GABRIÉ et al. 2007, WANTIEZ et al. (e. g. Chesterfi eld Islands, Walpole, Huon and Surprise 2010) provided additional distribution records. Reefs, Matthew and Hunter) are not associated with prov- The present checklist includes all fi sh species recorded inces. from New Caledonia. It is intended as a baseline for future New Caledonia was settled by the Melanesian Lapi- ichthyological research in the area, and to provide detailed ta culture approximately 1500 BC. From the 11th century, information on the geographical distribution of the insular Polynesians arrived and mixed with the local population. species in the southwestern Pacifi c Ocean. The fi rst Europeans to reach the archipelago arrived with the second expedition of JAMES COOK who explored north- Acknowledgments eastern Grande Terre in 1774. The biologists of this ex- We would like to thank the following individuals for sending specimens on loan, providing information or giving permission pedition, JOHANN REINHOLD FORSTER and GEORG FORSTER, to examine specimens in their care: D. F. HOESE, M. MCGROUTHER, collected two fi sh species which were later described by J. R. PAXTON, S. READER, T. TRNSKI (all AMS), D. DIDIER (ANSP), BLOCH & SCHNEIDER (1801), Atherinomorus lacunosus and O. CRIMMEN, N. MERRETT (BMNH), J. E. RANDALL, A. SUZUMOTO Lethrinus miniatus. A large pufferfi sh (Tetraodontidae) (BPBM), W. N. ESCHMEYER, T. IWAMOTO (CAS), G. DUHAMEL, also procured during the expedition was not described, as J.-C. HUREAU (MNHN), M. F. GOMON (NMV), C. D. PAULIN, C. the FORSTERs and the offi cers on board were seriously ill D. ROBERTS, A. L. STEWART (all NMNZ), B. HERZIG, E. MIKSCHI from having it for dinner. (NMW), K. MATSUURA (NSMT), R. WINTERBOTTOM (ROM), W. K LAUSEWITZ, C. KÖHLER, F. KRUPP, F. UIBLEIN, H. ZETZSCHE New Caledonia became a French possession in late (all SMF), J. FINAN, S. JEWETT, G. D. JOHNSON, K. MURPHY, L. 1853. Shortly afterwards, JOUAN (1861, 1863, 1879) de- P ALMER, D. G. SMITH, V. G. SPRINGER, J. T. WILLIAMS (all USNM), scribed fi sh material collected from Grande Terre. Addi- G. R. ALLEN, J. B. HUTCHINS, S. MORRISON, K. SMITH (all WAM), tional collections were presented by SAUVAGE (1874, 1878, I. ISBRÜCKER (ZMA), P. R. MØLLER, J. NIELSEN (ZMUC), R. F. M YERS (Coral Graphics, Guam), P. FOURMANOIR, P. LABOUTE, B. 1880, 1881, 1883), CASTELNAU (1873), OGILBY (1898), WE- RICHER DE FORGES, J. RIVATON (all IRDNC). G. R. ALLEN (WAM), BER EAUFORT ORODIN & B (1913, 1915, freshwater fi shes), B D. F. HOESE (AMS), J.-L. JUSTINE (MNHN, temporarily at (1932) and WHITLEY (1961). IRDNC), P. LABOUTE (IRDNC), R. MYERS (Davie, Florida, The Institut de Recherche pour le Développement at USA), J. E. RANDALL (Honolulu), J. T. WILLIAMS (USNM) and R. Nouméa (I. R. D, formerly O. R. S. T. O. M. = Offi ce de la WINTERBOTTOM (ROM) provided photographs of New Caledoni- Recherche Scientifi que et Technique Outre-Mer) played a an fi shes. G. R. ALLEN (WAM), H. LARSON (NTM), J. E. MC- COSKER (CAS), P. PARENTI (Università di Milano, Italy), D. G. leading role in the exploration of the New Caledonian ich- SMITH