Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde A, Neue Serie 2: 1–168; Stuttgart, 30.IV.2009. 1 Annotated checklist of the fish species (Pisces) of La Réunion, including a Red List of threatened and declining species RONALD FR ICKE , THIE rr Y MULOCHAU , PA tr ICK DU R VILLE , PASCALE CHABANE T , Emm ANUEL TESSIE R & YVES LE T OU R NEU R Abstract An annotated checklist of the fish species of La Réunion (southwestern Indian Ocean) comprises a total of 984 species in 164 families (including 16 species which are not native). 65 species (plus 16 introduced) occur in fresh- water, with the Gobiidae as the largest freshwater fish family. 165 species (plus 16 introduced) live in transitional waters. In marine habitats, 965 species (plus two introduced) are found, with the Labridae, Serranidae and Gobiidae being the largest families; 56.7 % of these species live in shallow coral reefs, 33.7 % inside the fringing reef, 28.0 % in shallow rocky reefs, 16.8 % on sand bottoms, 14.0 % in deep reefs, 11.9 % on the reef flat, and 11.1 % in estuaries. 63 species are first records for Réunion. Zoogeographically, 65 % of the fish fauna have a widespread Indo-Pacific distribution, while only 2.6 % are Mascarene endemics, and 0.7 % Réunion endemics. The classification of the following species is changed in the present paper: Anguilla labiata (Peters, 1852) [pre- viously A. bengalensis labiata]; Microphis millepunctatus (Kaup, 1856) [previously M. brachyurus millepunctatus]; Epinephelus oceanicus (Lacepède, 1802) [previously E. fasciatus (non Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775)]; Ostorhinchus fasciatus (White, 1790) [previously Apogon fasciatus]; Mulloidichthys auriflamma (Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775) [previously Mulloidichthys vanicolensis (non Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1831)]; Stegastes luteobrun- neus (Smith, 1960) [previously S. fasciolatus (non Ogilby, 1889)]. Due to rapid economic and agricultural development and population growth during the past centuries and de- cades, the native fish fauna of Réunion is now highly threatened and needs urgent political action to ensure its conservation. The marine fish species of Réunion are threatened by eutrophication/pollution, by overfishing and poaching, by marine aquaculture, and by construction along the shore; additional regional threats include long- ranging marine eutrophication and pollution, destruction of coastal areas, marine acidification, and global warm- ing. Freshwater habitats are threatened by eutrophication and pollution, by the construction of dams, weirs and barrages, water abstraction for irrigation, gravel extraction from river beds, some special fisheries techniques (like ‘bichique’ fishing, including strong seasonal poaching pressure), introduction of exotic species, and aquaculture. Out of a total of 968 native fish species of Réunion, 374 species (39.2 %) are on the Red List, with 18 species regionally extinct (1.9 %), 27 species critically endangered (2.8 %), 115 species endangered (11.9 %), 160 species vulnerable (16.6 %), 32 species near threatened (3.3 %), and 26 species threatened migrants (2.7 %). An additional 575 species are data deficient (59.4 %). 16 species have been introduced and are thus not native; they were not evaluated for the Red List. Only the remaining 10 species in Réunion are not threatened. In addition to the Red List, a list of taxa proposed for the Annexes II, IV and/or V of the EU Habitats Directive is presented. A set of measures for the conservation of the Réunion fish fauna is proposed. K e y w o r d s : Checklist, Red List, threatened and declining species, Pisces, marine, freshwater, transitional waters, new records, Réunion, southwestern Indian Ocean, IUCN criteria, EU Habitats Directive, EU Water Frame- work Directive. Zusammenfassung Die Checkliste der Fische von Réunion (südwestlicher Indischer Ozean) enthält 984 Arten in 164 Familien (ein- schließlich 16 nicht einheimischen Arten). 65 Arten (sowie 16 eingeführte) leben im Süßwasser, mit den Gobiidae als artenreichster Süßwasserfischfamilie. 165 Arten (sowie 16 eingeführte) leben in Übergangsgewässern (Brack- wasser). Im Meer werden 965 Arten (sowie eine eingeführte) gefunden, mit den Labridae, Serranidae und Gobiidae als artenreichste Familien. 56,7 % dieser Arten leben in seichten Korallenriffen, 33,7 % innerhalb des Saumriffes, 28,0 % in seichten Felsriffen, 16,8 % auf Sandböden, 14,0 % in tiefen Riffen, 11,9 % auf der Riffplattform, und 11,1 % in Ästuaren. 63 Arten werden zum ersten Mal in Réunion gefunden. Zoogeographisch haben 65 % der Fisch- arten eine großräumige indo-pazifische Verbreitung, während nur 2,6 % endemisch bei den Maskarenen und 0,7 % endemisch in Réunion sind. Die Klassifikation der folgenden Arten wird in der vorliegenden Arbeit geändert: Anguilla labiata (Peters, 1852) [bisher A. bengalensis labiata]; Microphis millepunctatus (Kaup, 1856) [bisher M. brachyurus millepuncta- tus]; Epinephelus oceanicus (Lacepède, 1802) [bisher E. fasciatus (non Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775)]; Ostorhinchus fasciatus (White, 1790) [bisher Apogon fasciatus]; Mulloidichthys auriflamma (Forsskål in Niebuhr, 1775) [bisher Mulloidichthys vanicolensis (non Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1831)]; Stegastes luteobrunneus (Smith, 1960) [bisher S. fasciolatus (non Ogilby, 1889)]. Durch die schnelle ökonomische und landwirtschaftliche Entwicklung und das starke Bevölkerungswachstum in Réunion während der letzten Jahrhunderte und Jahrzehnte ist die Fischfauna inzwischen stark gefährdet und benötigt dringend politische Maßnahmen, um erhalten zu bleiben. Die marine Fischfauna wird durch Verschmut- 2 S T U tt GA rt E R BEI tr ÄGE ZU R NA T U R KUNDE A Neue Serie 2 zung und Eutrophierung aus einfließenden Flüssen und Küstenstädten gefährdet, sowie durch Überfischung und Fisch wilderei, marine Aquakultur (Verschmutzung, Eutrophierung und entwichenes Fischmaterial), Baumaßnah- men entlang der Küste (Hotels und Erweiterung der Küstenstädte sowie Bau von Küstenstraßen), marine Wasser- versauerung und globale Erwärmung. Auch im Süßwasser sind die meisten Flüsse in ihren Unterläufen eutrophiert und verschmutzt. Weitere Gefährdungsursachen bestehen im Bau von Wehren und Staudämmen, in Wasserent- nahme zur Bewässerung von Feldern, Kiesentnahme, Fischerei und Fischwilderei, Einführen gebietsfremder Arten und Süßwasser-Aquakultur. Von 968 einheimischen Fischarten von Réunion stehen 378 auf der Roten Liste (39,2 %), mit 18 regional aus- gestorbenen Arten (1,9 %), 27 vom Aussterben bedrohten (2,8 %), 115 stark gefährdeten (11,9 %), 160 gefährdeten (16,6 %), 32 potenziell gefährdeten Arten (3,3 %) und 26 gefährdeten Wanderfischen (2,7 %). Bei weiteren 575 Arten ist die Datenlage unklar (59,4 %); 16 Arten sind nicht heimisch. Nur die übrigen 10 Arten werden derzeit als nicht gefährdet betrachtet. Zusätzlich zur Roten Liste wird eine Liste von Taxa zur Erweiterung der Annexe II, IV und V der EU-FFH-Richtlinie vorgeschlagen. Ebenso werden allgemeine Empfehlungen zum Schutz der Fischfau- na von Réunion gegeben. Contents 1 Introduction . 2 2 Methods and Materials. .4 3 Annotated checklist and Red List of fish species of Réunion. .8 4 The fish fauna of Réunion and its endemism . 124 5 Conservation. 125 6 References . 129 7 Index. 137 1 Introduction (1801–1810). After a French-British war in the Indian Ocean (1800–1810), Isle-de-France and Rodrigues (the La Réunion, is the westernmost island of the Mas- former now named Mauritius) were given to Britain in carenes, situated approximately 800 km east of Madagas- 1814 (as a result of the Vienna Congress, 1814/1815, ending car; other Mascarene islands are Mauritius (150 km ENE the Napoleonic wars), while the Île Bonaparte remained of Réunion), and Rodrigues (600 km ENE of Mauritius). French (again named ‘Réunion’ since 1848). The latter Réunion (Fig. 1) is a relatively young island with two high became a French overseas department (Département volcanic mountain ranges (the southeastern range bearing d’outre mer) in 1946, and is since 2003 a French overseas an active volcano), raising to an altitude of 3070 m, and region (Région d’outre mer), as an integral part of the Eu- covering a total area of 2512 km2. Except for a few narrow ropean Union. fringing coral reefs in the west and southwest, nowhere Since the late 18th century, fish specimens collected in further than 500 m from the shore, most shores are either Réunion and Mauritius went to Paris. They were mainly rocky or covered with gravel, often exposed to high surf. collected by P. CO mm E R SON (1768–1773), J.-B. L. T. LES ­ As the island is basically a large volcano situated on a CHENAUL T DE LA TOU R (1818), L. A. G. BOSC (1826), T. DEL ­ submarine hotspot, the island slopes are steeply descend- ISLE (1829), J. DES J A R DINS (1834–1840), and J.-J. DUSSU M IE R ing into the deep sea. (1830–1835); biographies see WHI T EHEAD & BAUCHO T Arab sailors formerly called the island Adna Al (1985: 53–64) and BAUCHO T et al. (1990: 53–136). In Paris, Maghribain (“Western Island”). The first Europeans to the material was principally studied by LACE P ÈDE , CUVIE R explore the Mascarenes were Portuguese in July 1500 and VALENCIENNES . Many species were described in the (DIOGO DIAS ); the group was named after Don PED R O MAS ­ five volumes of the Histoire Naturelle des Poissons by CA R ENHAS , another Portuguese explorer who visited the LACE P ÈDE (1798–1803), and later in the 22 volumes under islands in 1512–1516. The Portuguese found the island the same title by CUVIE R & VALENCIENNES between 1828 uninhabited, and named it Santa Apollonia, after Saint and 1850. Prior to 1850, the Mascarenes (besides South Apollonia. The island was then occupied by France, and Africa) were the area ichthyologically known best in the later administered from Port Louis, Mauritius. Although Indian Ocean. The first attempt to publish a checklist of the French flag was hoisted by FR ANÇOIS CAUCHE in 1638, the fishes known from the islands was that of GUICHENO T Santa Apollonia was officially claimed by JACQUES PR ONIS (1863) who recorded 326 nominal species from Réunion. of France in 1642, when he deported a dozen French muti- In their checklist of the fishes of Zanzibar, PLAY F AI R & neers to the island from Madagascar.