Volume 7, Issue 3 – October 2003

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Karen Sanamyan and Dirk Schories: Ascidians from the Strait of Magellan, pp. 89-96

Abstract

In the Magellan region, Ascidiacea appear to be a dominant invertebrate group at depths from 5 - 20 m. Most of the present collection, made by scuba divers in the Strait of Magellan, have a geographic range limited to Patagonia, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, the South Shetland Islands and north of the Antarctic Peninsula. The exceptions are two circumpolar species: Distaplia cylindrica (Lesson, 1830) and Didemnum studeri Hartmeyer, 1911. One new species is described.

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(a) Aplidium fuegiense (KIE 8/1097); (b - d); Aplidium magellanicum n. sp. (b - Holotype KIE 1/1086, c and d - Paratype KIE 3/1088); (e, f) Aplidium variabile (e - KIE 1/1085). Photos by D. Schories

Richard Winterbottom: Feia ranta, a new species of gobiid fish (Acanthopterygii; Perciformes) from Vietnam, pp. 97-102

A distinctive new species of the gobiid Feia, F. ranta, is described based on three specimens from Hon Tom Island, Nha Trang Bay, Vietnam. It differs from its congeners in several characteristics, including barred colour pattern and having predorsal scales. These and other characters necessitate a redefinition of the genus. The relationships of Feia appear to lie with other genera possessing cephalic folds or ridges bearing sensory papillae (Gobiopterus, Callogobius and Mangarinus). Of these, initial analysis suggests that Feia may be the sister group of Mangarinus based on the configuration of the paired longitudinal row of sensory papillae on the chin.

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Left lateral view of Feia ranta (ROM 73239, 14.1 mm SL male holotype). Photo by R. Winterbottom

John E. Randall and Gerald R. Allen: Paracheilinus rubricaudalis, a new species of flasherwrasse (Perciformes: Labridae) from Fiji, pp. 103-112

The Indo-Pacific labrid fish Paracheilinus rubricaudalis is described from two male specimens collected in 46 m in Fiji. It is most closely related to P. mccoskeri from the Indian Ocean with which it shares a single filamentous dorsal soft ray in the male. It differs in having a more slender body, a red caudal fin, and a broad outer zone of red in the soft portion of the dorsal fin. A key is given to the 13 species of Paracheilinus.

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Male of Paracheilinus rubricaudalis, Fiji. Photo by G. R. Allen

Gerald R. Allen, John E. Randall and Bruce Allan Carlson: Cirrhilabrus marjorie, a new wrasse (Pisces: Labridae) from Fiji, pp. 113-118

Cirrhilabrus marjorie, new species, is described from 3 specimens, 52.4-60.1 mm SL, collected at the Fiji. Males are distinctively patterned with a brilliant red back and bold black margins on the dorsal and caudal fins. Although similar in general coloration to C. bathyphilus from deep reefs of the Coral Sea, it differs in having a double emarginate caudal fin (with produced lobes) in males, rather than slightly emarginate, and more gill rakers on the first branchial arch (18-19 versus 13-15). The caudal fin shape of C. marjorie is unique among Cirrhilabrus, being shared only by C. exquisitus from the Indo-west Pacific. However, the latter species differs markedly as regards male coloration. The only other species with produced fin lobes are C. lunatus from the Ryukyu Islands, southern Japan, and the Ogasawara Islands, and C. johnsoni Randall (1988) from the Marshall Islands. Males of both these species have strongly lunate caudal fins, with the upper and lower rays forming filamentous extensions. Moreover, both have fewer (13-17) gill rakers, and males differ markedly in overall coloration (especially the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins which are dark blue to blackish in C. lunatus and bright red in C. johnsoni).

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Cirrhilabrus marjorie, underwater photograph of female, approximately 65 mm TL, in 25 m depth, Wakaya Reef, Fiji. Photo by G. R. Allen

Wilson J. E. M. Costa and Dalton T. B. Nielsen: Simpsonichthys reticulatus n. sp. (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae): a new annual fish from the Rio Xingu floodplains, Brazilian Amazon, pp. 119-122

Simpsonichthys reticulatus n. sp., a small annual fish collected in the lower Rio Xingu floodplains, Brazilian Amazon, is described. It is similar to S. costai in having fan-shaped dorsal and anal fins in males, but differs from S. costai by its distinct colour pattern, the number of dorsal and anal fin rays and by the position of the dorsal fin origin in males. It is distinguished from all its congeners by its reticulate colour pattern and a black and light blue oblong spot on the dorsal fin in males.

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Simpsonichthys reticulatus, MCP 34090, male, holotype, 20.1 mm SL; Brazil: Pará: Altamira (distal portion of dorsal fin and ventral portion of caudal fin damaged). Photo by W. J. E. M. Costa

Ioannis Paschos, Cosmas Nathanailides, Ifigenia Kagalou, Eufrosini Leka, Maria Tsoumani and Costas Perdikaris: The prospects for restoring the nearly extinct population of the Adriatic sturgeon Acipenser naccarii Bonaparte 1836 (Acipenseridae) in Greece, pp. 123-132

Once considered abundant, the Adriatic sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii Bonaparte, 1836) is currently very rare in the Adriatic, with only a few individuals present in some surrounding rivers. There is some evidence that in the past, the species was found in the coastal waters of north-west Greece, around the island of Corfu and off the coast of Thesprotia, but now it appears to have virtually vanished from Greece’s coastal waters and river ecosystems. Dam construction, over-fishing and habitat destruction have completely eliminated the breeding population in the river Kalamas in Thesprotia. On November 2000, 1500 A. naccarii fry, (imported from Lombardy, Italy) with a mean body weight of 1.2 g, were released at selected sites on the river Kalamas. At the same time, 500 fish from the same stock were held indoors for intensive rearing. During the succeeding 13 months, experimental sampling showed that the surviving fish had grown. There is evidence that the population is distributed over at least one region close to the site of release. The sturgeon reared indoors exhibited satisfactory growth, (specific growth rate SGR=1.7%· day1) and had negligible mortality rates. From these results it seems that there is some prospect of successfully re-establishing A. naccarii in the river Kalamas. Re-stocking efforts can be improved by growing sturgeon fry under intensive rearing conditions to achieve larger size prior to release and to increase survival rates in the wild.

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Indoor-reared A. naccarii juveniles