Species Checklist and Potential Nursery Hotspots of Sargassum Associated Juvenile Fishes Project Title: Juvenile fish resources and nursery function of macroalgal beds in Hong Kong waters – a habitat-based study (ECF project: 15/2015) PI: Prof Paul Kwan-sing LAM; Co-Is: Dr Priscilla TY LEUNG, Prof Min LIU & Dr Tak-Cheung WAI; Duration: 1/7/2016 to 31/12/2017 Background Littoral-vegetated habitats such as macroalgal beds, seagrass beds and mangrove mudflats are common nurseries for fishes. These habitats are structurally complex, offering protection and reliable food resources to juvenile fishes, and hence are important to the fishes’ survival during their early life stages. In Hong Kong, Sargassum beds are a signature macroalgal habitat, growing along the exposed and semi-exposed shores in eastern and southern waters. Figure 1. An underwater photography of Sargassum beds in Hong Kong water This habitat has strong seasonality, and generally occurs during winter and winter- summer transitional period (December to In this ECF Project, we studied the May). seasonal pattern and habitat association of juvenile fishes. Our findings have identified potential nursery hotspots of Sargassum- associated juvenile fishes that could be useful for focused conservation and sustainable management. Here, we present a species checklist and biodiversity information of juvenile fishes collected from 24 local Sargassum beds in 2017. We have recorded a total of 75 species of juvenile fishes belonging to 39 different families. Some of them are new to records for Figure 2. Juvenile catches in this study. Hong Kong. The Project was FuNDED by Supported by 1 Sargassum Beds in Hong Kong Waters Tai She Wan in Sai Kung A Ma Wan at Tung Ping Chau Stanley Main Beach in Hong Kong South Shelter Island in Sai Kung Port Island in Northeastern Water Shek Pai Wan at Lamma Island Checklist of Juvenile Fish Species Collected from Sargassum Beds in Hong Kong Waters Chinese Name English Name Family Species Hong Kong Mainland Taiwan Fish Base 1 Albulidae Albula vulpes 大肉梳/爛肉梳 北梭魚 -- Bonefish 2 Ambassidae Ambassis gymnocephalus 透明疏蘿 眶棘雙邊魚 裸頭雙邊魚 Bald glassy 3 Apogonidae Apogon doederleini 十線疏蘿 斗氏天竺鯛 稻氏天竺鯛 Doederlein's cardinalfish 4 Apogonidae Apogon semilineatus 大眼疏蘿 半線天竺鯛 半線天竺鯛 Half-lined cardinal 5 Apogonidae Ostorhinchus taeniophorus 紅蔬蘿/蔬蘿 九帶天竺鯛 褐帶天竺鯛 Reef-flat cardinalfish 6 Atherinidae Atherinomorus lacunosus 重鱗 藍美銀漢魚 南洋銀漢魚 Wide-banded hardyhead silverside 7 Atherinidae Hypoatherina valenciennei -- 凡氏下銀漢魚 凡氏下銀漢魚 Sumatran silverside 8 Blenniidae Petroscirtes breviceps 咬手仔/咬手銀 短頭跳岩ᦈ 短頭跳岩ᦈ Striped poison-fang blenny mimic 9 Caesionidae Caesio caerulaurea 蕃薯魚 褐梅鯛 烏尾鮗 Blue and gold fusilier 10 Carangidae Decapterus russelli 竹鼰魚/青基 紅鰭圓鰺 紅鰭圓鰺 Indian scad 11 Carangidae Scomberoides lysan 黃祥 長頜似鰺 逆鈎鰺 Double spotted queenfish 12 Carangidae Trachinotus baillonii 章白/白泥鯭 小斑鯧鰺 斐氏黃臘鰺 Small spotted dart 13 Carangidae Trachurus japonicus 日本鼰/石鼰 日本竹筴魚 真鰺 Japanese jack mackerel 14 Clupeidae Herklotsichthys quadrimaculatus -- 藍帶似青鱗魚* 四點似青鱗魚* Bluestripe herring 15 Clupeidae Nematalosa japonica 黃魚 日本海鰶 日本海鰶 Japanese gizzard shad 16 Clupeidae Sardinella lemuru 青鱗 黃澤小沙丁魚 黃小砂魚(丁) Bali sardinella 17 Clupeidae Spratelloides gracilis 公魚 日本銀帶鯡 日本銀帶鯡 Silver-striped round herring 18 Fistulariidae Fistularia commersonii 鶴針 無鱗煙管魚 棘馬鞭魚 Bluespotted cornetfish 19 Gobiidae Luciogobius guttatus -- 竿鰕虎魚 斑點竿鰕虎* Flat-headed goby 20 Haemulidae Parapristipoma trilineatum 雞魚 三線磯鱸 三線雞魚 Chicken grunt 21 Kyphosidae Girella punctata 蚌 斑魢 瓜子鱲 -- 22 Kyphosidae Microcanthus strigatus 花并/斑馬蝶 細刺魚 柴魚 Stripey 23 Labridae Stethojulis terina -- 斷紋紫胸魚* 斷紋紫胸魚* -- 24 Lateolabracidae Lateolabrax japonicus 百花鱸/鱸魚 花鱸 日本真鱸 Japanese seabass 25 Leiognathidae Gazza minuta 大梗 小牙ᩋ 小牙ᩋ Toothpony 2 Chinese Name English Name Family Species Hong Kong Mainland Taiwan Fish Base 26 Leiognathidae Nuchequula nuchalis 油力 頸斑ᩋ 頸帶ᩋ Spotnape ponyfish 27 Lethrinidae Lethrinus atkinsoni 連尖 太平洋祼頰鯛 太平洋祼頰鯛 Pacific yellowtail emperor 28 Lethrinidae Lethrinus nebulosus 連尖/泥黃 星斑裸頰鯛 青嘴龍占 Spangled emperor 29 Lutjanidae Lutjanus fulviflamma 五間畫眉/火點 金焰笛魚(尉) 火斑笛鯛 Dory snapper 30 Microdesmidae Parioglossus sp. -- -- -- -- 31 Monacanthidae Paramonacanthus pusillus -- 布希勒副單角魨* 布希勒副單棘魨* Faintstripe filefish 32 Monacanthidae Paramonacanthus sulcatus 長腰鯭/沙鯭 絨紋線鱗魨 絨鱗單棘魨 Mudbank filefish 33 Monacanthidae Stephanolepis cirrhifer 沙鯭/沙鯭仔/肉鯭 絲背細鱗魨 冠鱗單棘魨 Threadsail filefish 34 Monacanthidae Monacanthus chinensis 沙鯭魚/中華沙鯭 中華單角魨 單棘魨 Fan-bellied leatherjacket 35 Mugilidae Moolgarda perusii -- 帕氏凡鯔 帕氏凡鯔 Longfinned mullet 36 Mugilidae Osteomugil cunnesius 鱭魚 長鰭凡鯔 長鰭凡鯔 Longarm mullet 37 Mugilidae Planiliza affinis 鱭魚 前鱗鮻 前鱗鮻 Eastern keelback mullet 38 Mugilidae Planiliza macrolepis 鱭魚 大鱗鮻 大鱗鮻 Largescale mullet 39 Mugilidae Mugil cephalus 烏頭 鯔 鯔 Flathead grey mullet 40 Mullidae Parupeneus biaculeatus 三鬚 雙帶副緋鯉* 雙帶副緋鯉* Pointed goatfish 41 Mullidae Parupeneus indicus 印度三鬚/三鬚 印度副緋鯉 印度海緋鯉 Indian goatfish 42 Mullidae Upeneus pori -- -- -- Por's goatfish 43 Mullidae Upeneus tragula 三鬚/石鬚/紅線 黑斑緋鯉 黑斑緋鯉 Freckled goatfish 44 Muraenidae Gymnothorax reevesii 泥婆/花麬 勻斑裸胸鱔 雷褔氏裸胸鯙 Reeve's moray 45 Muraenidae Gymnothorax sp. -- -- -- -- 46 Pempheridae Pempheris schwenkii -- 銀腹單鰭魚* 南方擬金眼鯛* Black-stripe sweeper 47 Pempheridae Pempheris vanicolensis 胭脂刀 黑緣單鰭魚 黑緣擬金眼鯛 Vanikoro sweeper 48 Pomacentridae Abudefduf vaigiensis 石剎/石剎婆 五帶豆娘魚 條紋豆娘魚 Indo-Pacific sergeant 49 Pomacentridae Chromis notata 石剎/藍石剎 斑鰭光鰓魚 斑鰭光鰓雀鯛 Pearl-spot chromis 50 Pomacentridae Teixeirichthys jordani -- 喬氏蜥雀鯛 喬丹氏細鱗雀 Jordan's damsel 51 Scaridae Scarus ghobban 黃衣 青點鸚嘴魚 藍點鸚哥魚 Blue-barred parrotfish 52 Scombropidae Scombrops boops -- 牛眼青鯥 牛眼鯥 Gnomefish 53 Scorpaenidae Scorpaenopsis cirrosa 石崇 鬚擬鮋 鬼石狗公 Weedy stingfish 54 Sebastidae Sebastiscus marmoratus 石狗公 褐菖鮋 石狗公 False kelpfish 55 Serranidae Cephalopholis boenak 烏絲 橫紋九棘鱸 橫紋九刺鮨 Chocolate hind 56 Serranidae Epinephelus awoara 黃釘/黃釘斑/黃斑 青石斑魚 青石斑魚 Yellow grouper 57 Serranidae Epinephelus bleekeri 芝麻斑 橙色石斑魚 布氏石斑魚 Duskytail grouper 58 Siganidae Siganus fuscescens 泥鯭 褐藍子魚 褐藍子魚 Mottled spinefoot 59 Sillaginidae Sillago aeolus -- 雜色鱚* 星沙鮻* Oriental sillago 60 Sillaginidae Sillago sp. -- -- -- -- 61 Sparidae Acanthopagrus schlegelii schlegelii 黑/黑沙鶘 黑棘鯛 黑鯛 Blackhead seabream 62 Sparidae Evynnis cardinalis 二棘扯/扯㄃鶘 二長棘犁齒鯛 魬鯛 Threadfin porgy 63 Sparidae Pagrus major 七星鶘/沙鶘/紅鶘 真赤鯛 (真鯛) 嘉ᢞ魚 Red seabream 64 Sparidae Rhabdosargus sarba 金絲 平鯛 黃錫鯛 Goldlined seabream 65 Sphyraenidae Sphyraena flavicauda 竹簽 黃尾魣 黃尾金梭魚 Yellowtail barracuda 66 Sphyraenidae Sphyraena japonica -- 日本魣* 日本金梭魚* Japanese barracuda 67 Sphyraenidae Sphyraena pinguis 竹簽 油魣 油魣 Red barracuda 68 Sphyraenidae Sphyraena putnamae 竹錦 倒牙魣 布氏金梭魚 Sawtooth barracuda 69 Sphyraenidae Sphyraena sp. -- -- -- -- 70 Syngnathidae Syngnathus schlegeli -- 舒氏海龍 薛氏海龍 Seaweed pipefish 71 Terapontidae Pelates quadrilineatus 唱歌婆/釘公/紅口釘公 四帶牙鯻 四線列牙鯻 Fourlined terapon 72 Tetraodontidae Arothron hispidus 雞泡 紋腹叉鼻魨 紋腹叉鼻魨 White-spotted puffer 73 Tetraodontidae Takifugu ocellatus 雞泡 弓斑多紀魨 弓斑多紀魨* -- 74 Tetraodontidae Takifugu poecilonotus 雞泡 斑點多紀魨 網紋多紀魨 -- 75 Tripterygiidae Enneapterygius etheostomus -- 篩口雙線鳚 篩口雙線鳚* -- Remark: Chinese names were referred from HK Fish Net; referred from The Fish Database of Taiwan. New Record 3 Species Diversity and Abundance of Juvenile Fishes Collected from Sargassum Beds in Hong Kong Waters North-eastern Water 2 2 Common Species Found in Sargassum Bed 2 Chau Mei Kok Crooked Island 洲尾角 吉澳 3 Crescent Island 娥眉洲 A Ma Wan Siganus fuscescens Mugil cephalus 2 亞媽灣 New Territories Port Island 赤洲 Girella punctata Evynnis cardinalis Pelates quadrilineatus Eastern Water Tai She Wan 大蛇灣 Planiliza affinis Pak Lap Chai 白腊仔 3 2 3 1 Pak Lap Wan Sharp Island Kowloon Shelter Island 1 白腊灣 橋咀洲 1 Rhabdosargus sarba 牛尾洲 -1 2 Nam Fung Wan 南風灣 Shelter Island 2 3 3 牛尾洲-2 1 Bluff Island Little Palm Beach 小棕林 甕缸 Sphyraena pinguis Joss House Bay 1 大廟灣-1 Joss House Bay 2 大廟灣-2 Ninepins – North Tung Lung Chau 1 3 北果洲 東龍洲 2 Takifugu poecilonotus 3 Ninepins – South HK Island 2 南果洲 Southern Water 3 Average number Average number 3 of Species of Individuals per Sampling per Sampling Turtle Cove > 20 Species 1 > 1000 2 龜背灣 3 Shek Pai Wan 石排灣 11 - 20 Species 2 500 - 100 Stanley Main Beach 赤柱正灘 1 - 10 Species 3 < 500 Sham Wan Po Toi 1 深灣 蒲台島 4 .