13 A CHECKLIST OF FISHES OF THE ALDERMEN ISLANDS, NORTH-EASTERN NEW ZEALAND, WITH ADDITIONS TO THE FISHES OF RED MERCURY ISLAND by Roger V. Grace* SUMMARY Sixty-five species of marine fishes are listed for the Aldermen Islands, and additions made to an earlier list for Red Mercury Island (Grace, 1972), 35 km to the north. Warm water affinities of the faunas are briefly discussed. INTRODUCTION During recent years, and particularly the last four years, over 30 species of fishes have been added to the New Zealand fish fauna through observation by divers, mainly at the Poor Knights Islands (Russell, 1971; Stephenson, 1970, 1971; Doak, 1972; Whitley, 1968). A high proportion of the fishes of northern New Zealand have strong sub-tropical affinities (Moreland, 1958), and there is considerable evidence (Doak, 1972) to suggest that many of the recently discovered species are new arrivals from tropical and subtropical areas. These fishes probably arrive as eggs or larvae, carried by favourable ocean currents, and find suitable habitats for their development at the Poor Knights Islands, where the warm currents that transported the young fish or eggs maintain a water temperature higher than that on the adjacent coast, or islands to the south. Unless these fishes are able to establish breeding populations in New Zealand waters, they are likely to be merely transient. If they become established, they may begin to spread and colonise other off-shore islands and the coast. In order to monitor any spreading of new arrivals, or die-off due to inability to breed, it is desirable to compile a series of fish lists, as complete as possible, for the off-shore islands of the north-east coast of New Zealand. Recent checklists of marine fishes have been published for several localities in north-eastern New Zealand (Russell, 1969, 1971; Grace, 1971, 1972a, 1972b). The present paper is another in this series, which will eventually be useful for an integrated study of marine fish distributions, particularly reef-dwelling species, in relation to ocean currents and hydrology, and influx of subtropical species. The list for the Aldermen Islands is based mainly on observations made by the author on 5 scuba dives and 17 snorkel dives (including 2 snorkel dives at night) during the Auckland University Field Club scientific camp in May 1972. These observations are supplemented by a small number of diving observations during the preceding four years, information from the New Zealand Underwater Association Fish Survey Stage 1 (NZUA, 1967, 1971a, 1971b unpub.), and information from fishermen familiar with the area. *Department of Zoology, University of Auckland, and Marine Research Laboratory, Leigh. 14 The classification system follows that used by Russell (1971). Common names of fishes are those used by Doak (1972) where possible, or Doogue and Moreland(1966). The list is incomplete for some groups of smaller fishes, such as the Tripterygiidae, and some of the pelagic, deeper-water or soft-bottom species, but is probably complete for reef-dwelling species. Observations at the Aldermen Islands not made personally by the author are indicated with an asterisk. Species which are additions to the list for Red Mercury Island, based on information from the N.Z. Underwater Association, and personal communications with divers and anglers, are marked with a dagger, (t) LIST OF FISHES Family Carcharhinidae Carcharhinus brachyurus (Gunther)f Bronze whaler shark Family Alopiidae Alopias caudatus Phillips*} Thresher shark Family Isuridae Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque*t Mako shark Family Sphyrinidae Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus)*t Hammerhead shark Family Dasyatidae Dasyatis brevicaudata (Hutton) Short-tail stingray Family Myliobatidae Myliobatus tenuicaudatus Hector Eagleray (Fig. 1) 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 f John dory Family Berycidae Trachichthodes affinis (Gunther) Golden snapper Family Trachichthyidae Hoplostethus elongatus (Gunther)f Slender roughy Family Serranidae Ellerkeldia huntii (Hector) Redbanded perch Caesioperca lepidoptera (Bloch and Schneider)* Butterfly perch Callanthias splendens Griffin* Splendid perch Caprodon longimanus (Gunther)f Pink maomao Polyprionum oxygeneios (Bloch and Schneider)*! Hapuku 15 Fig: 1. The tarakihi, Nemadactylus macropterus (Bloch and Schneider), photographed with natural light at 80 feet depth at the Aldermen Islands. This commercially important fish is widespread in New Zealand, being important in the Bay of Plenty and in South Island localities. Fig: 2. The eagleray, Myliobatus tenuicaudatus Hector, partly covered with sand at 15 feet depth, photographed with natural light at the Aldermen Islands. This bottom-dwelling fish is an important preditor on shellfish, and is a predominantly northern species. 16 Family Carangidae Caranx lutescens (Richardson) Trevally Decapterus koheru (Hector) Koheru Seriola grandis Castelnau Kingfish Family Arripididae Arripis trutta (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 Girella cyanea Macleay Bluefish Scorpis aequipinnis Richardson Blue maomao Atypichthys strigatus (Gunther) Mado Family Pempheridae Pempheris adspersa Griffin Bigeye Family Histiopteridae Zanclistius elevatus (Ramsay and Ogilby) Longfinned boarfish Family Aplodactylidae Aplodactylus meandratus (Richardson) Marblefish Family Cheilodactylidae Nemodactylus douglasi (Hector)f Porae Nemodactylus macropterus (Bloch and Schneider)! Tarakihi (Fig. 2) Cheilodactylus spectabilis Hutton Red moki Family Chironemidae Chironemus marmoratus Gunther Kelpfish Family Latridae Latridopsis ciliaris (Bloch and Schneider) Blue moki 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 Pseudolabrus luculentus (Richardson) Orange parrotfish Coris picta (Bloch and Schneider) Combfish Coris sandageri (Hector) Sandager's parrotfish Verreo oxycephalic (Bleeker) Red pigfish Halichoeres sp. A. (Doak, 1972)| Crimson cleanerfish Family Mugiloididae Parapercis colias (Bloch and Schneider) Blue cod 17 Family Scombridae Neothunnus macropterus (Temminck and Schlegel)*t Yellowfin tuna Thunnus alatunga (Gmelin)*f Albacore Family Xistiophoridae Makaira audax Phillips*f Striped marlin Makaira nigricans Laeepede*f Blue marlin Istiompax indicus (Cuvier and Valenciennes)*! Black marlin Family Tripterygiidae Tripterygion varium Bloch and Schneider Mottled blenny Tripterygion bucknilli Griffin Banded blenny Tripterygion sp. C. (Doak, 1972) Oblique-swimming blenny Tripterygion sp. D. (Doak, 1972) Yaldwyn's blenny Gilloblennius tripennis (Bloch and Schneider) Spectacled blenny Family Blenniidae Blennius laticlavius Griffin Crested blenny Plagiotremus tapeinosoma (Bleeker)f (see note) Mimic blenny Family Scorpaenidae Scorpaena cardinalis Richardson Scorpion-fish Family Gobiesocidae Trachelochismus pinnulatus Bloch and Schneider Cling fish Family Aleuteridae Navodon convexirostris (Gunther) Leatherjacket Family Canthigasteridae Canthigaster callisternus (Ogilby)* Sharpnosed pufferfish Note: The mimic blenny Plagiotremus tapeinosoma is recorded for Red Mercury only. This species has been reported by Doak (1972) from the Poor Knights Islands and the Northland coast as Aspidontus maroubrae. The error in identification has since been pointed out by B.C. Russell (personal communication). DISCUSSION The checklist for the Aldermen Islands includes 65 species from 38 families. The additions to the list for Red Mercury Island brings the total number of species for that area to 55 from 33 families. There are several indications of a more pronounced subtropical element in the fish fauna at the Aldermen Islands than at Red Mercury. The subtropical family Canthigasteridae occurs at the Aldermen, but so far is unknown from Red Mercury. Fishes in the subtropical family Labridae are much more abundant at the Aldermen, particularly Com sandageri, Verreo oxycephalies, Halichoeres sp. A. (Doak, 1972), and Pseudolabrus luculentus. The finding of a single juvenile specimen of the combfish Com picta at the Aldermen is particularly interesting, since it was previously known in New Zealand only from the Poor Knights Islands, where a breeding population has become established in the past four years, and a single specimen reported from Piercy Island (Doak, 1972). (Note: Records in Stephenson (1970) of Cons picta from Hahei on the Coromandel 18 Peninsula, and in Russell (1969) of Coris picta from Goat Island Bay, Leigh, are in error. These were juvenile Coris sandageri.) The fish fauna of the Aldermen Islands is richer in families, species, and numbers than that of Red Mercury Island, although somewhat below that of the Poor Knights Islands (at least 96 species from 44 families — Doak, 1972) — the most tropically influenced of our northern off-shore islands. Water clarity appears