John R. Paxton

Encyclopedia of Fishes

F.H. Talbot, Foreword. The World of Fishes: K.F. Liem, Introducing Fishes. S.H. Weitzman, Classifying Fishes. L. Grande, Fishes Through the Ages. J.R. Paxton, Habitats and Adaptations. J.K. Parrish, Fish Behavior. P.C. Almada-Villela, Endangered Species. Kinds of Fishes: I.C. Potter, Jawless Fishes. J. Stevens and P.R. Last, Sharks, Rays, And Chimaeras. M.N. Bruton, Lungfishes and Coelacanth. E.O. Wiley, Bichirs and Their Allies. P.H. Greenwood, Bonytongues and Their Allies. J.E. Mccosker, Eels and Their Allies. G. Nelson, Sardines and Their Allies. K.E. Banister, Carps and Their Allies. S.H. Weitzman and R.P. Vari, Characins and Their Allies. C.J. Ferraris, Jr., Catfishes and Knifefishes. R.M. Mcdowall, Salmons and Their Allies. W.L. Fink, Dragonfishes and Their Allies. R.K. Johnson and W.N. Eschmeyer, Lizardfishes and Their Allies. P.A. Hulley, Lanternfishes. D.M. Cohen, Troutperches and Their Allies. D.M. Cohen, Codfishes and Their Allies. J.G. Nielsen, Cuskeels and Their Allies. J.B. Hutchins, Toadfishes. E. Bertelsen, Anglerfishes. J.C. Briggs, Clingfishes. B.B. Collette and N.V. Parin, Flyingfishes and Their Allies. L.R. Parenti, Killifishes and Ricefishes. G.R. Allen, Silversides and Their Allies. J.E. Olney, Oarfishes and Their Allies. J.R. Paxton, Squirrelfishes and Their Allies. C. Karrer and H.-C. John, Dories and Their Allies. J. Wilder Orr and T.W. Pietsch, Pipefishes and Their Allies. K.F. Liem, Swampeels. W.N. Eschmeyer, Scorpionfishes and Their Allies. G.D. Johnson and A.C. Gill, Perches and Their Allies. J.E. Randall, Groupers, Seabasses, And Their Allies. P.H. Greenwood, Cichlids. G.R. Allen, Damselfishes. J.H. Choat and D.R. Bellwood, Wrasses and Parrotfishes. V.G. Springer, Blennies. D.F. Hoese, Gobies. F. Chapleau and K. Amaoka, Flatfishes. K. Matsuura and J.C. Tyler, Triggerfishes and Their Allies. Index. Acknowledgments.

Eye-size variability in deep-sea lanternfishes (Myctophidae): an ecological and phylogenetic study.

One of the most common visual adaptations seen in the mesopelagic zone (200–1000 m), where the amount of light diminishes exponentially with depth and where bioluminescent organisms predominate, is the enlargement of the eye and pupil area. However, it remains unclear how eye size is influenced by depth, other environmental conditions and phylogeny. In this study, we determine the factors influencing variability in eye size and assess whether this variability is explained by ecological differences in habitat and lifestyle within a family of mesopelagic fishes characterized by broad intra- and interspecific variance in depth range and luminous patterns. We focus our study on the lanternfish family (Myctophidae) and hypothesise that lanternfishes with a deeper distribution and/or a reduction of bioluminescent emissions have smaller eyes and that ecological factors rather than phylogenetic relationships will drive the evolution of the visual system. Eye diameter and standard length were measured in 237 individuals from 61 species of lanternfishes representing all the recognised tribes within the family in addition to compiling an ecological dataset including depth distribution during night and day and the location and sexual dimorphism of luminous organs. Hypotheses were tested by investigating the relationship between the relative size of the eye (corrected for body size) and variations in depth and/or patterns of luminous-organs using phylogenetic comparative analyses. Results show a great variability in relative eye size within the Myctophidae at all taxonomic levels (from subfamily to genus), suggesting that this character may have evolved several times. However, variability in eye size within the family could not be explained by any of our ecological variables (bioluminescence and depth patterns), and appears to be driven solely by phylogenetic relationships.

Spawning aggregation of the lanternfish Diaphus danae (family Myctophidae) in the north-western Coral Sea and associations with tuna aggregations

A spawning aggregation of the lanternfish Diaphus danae in the Coral Sea, that is fed on by spawning aggregations of yellowfin and bigeye tuna, has been sampled by mid-water trawling for the first time. Males and females in the aggregation occurred at a ratio of 23 to 1 and occupied two non-overlapping size classes (males 71.2–95.1-mm standard length (SL), females 99.0–121.4-mm SL). Hydrated oocytes with single oil droplets, which indicated imminent spawning, were in higher proportion in the first trawl (2134 hours to 2234 hours) than in the final trawl (0324 hours to 0424 hours) through the aggregation. Maximum estimated female D. danae fecundity (25 803) and gonadosomatic index (34.01) were higher than for any other lanternfish species recorded. Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) individuals collected from aggregations were estimated to have 81–319 D. danae specimens in their stomachs. The annual Coral Sea D. danae aggregation is the only confirmed lanternfish spawning aggregation in Australian waters. The D. danae spawning aggregation provides a rich, transient foraging resource for spawning bigeye and yellowfin tuna in the Coral Sea, these being the only known tuna spawning aggregations in the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery.

Odax cyanoallix, a New Species of Odacid Fish from Northern New Zealand

MIJLLER, L. 1924. Beitrige zur Osteologie der rezenten Krokodiliden. Z. Morphol. Okol. 2:427-460. . 1927. Ergebnisse der Forschungsreisen Prof. E. Stromer in den Wiisten Agyptens. V. Tertiire Wirbeltiere, 1. Beitriige zur Kenntnis der Krokodilier des digyptischen Tertiars. Abh. Bayer. Akad. Wiss. (Math.-Nat.) 31:1-97. OKAZAKI, Y. 1975. Miocene crocodilian teeth from the Mizunami group, central Japan. Bull. Mizunami Fossil Mus. 2:9-14.

How many demersal fish species in the deep sea? A test of a method to extrapolate from local to global diversity

Grassle and Maciolek (1992) estimated that there were of the order of 107 species of benthic macro-invertebrates in the worlds deep sea soft sediments. Their estimate was extrapolated from the 798 species they sampled and the pattern of species diversity observed along a 176km transect on the continental slope of the northeast Atlantic Ocean. Relative to the deep sea invertebrate fauna, the deep sea fish fauna has been better sampled, at least in the upper 1500m. To test the validity of the Grassle and Maciolek method of extrapolation, we applied it to data from a survey of fishes along the continental slope off western Australia, a diverse and previously unsurveyed region. The resulting global estimate for the deep sea demersal fishes – 60000 species – was then compared with the number described to date, about 2650 species, and an estimate of total extant species. Our estimate, which considers the proportion of new species found in little-explored regions of the world ocean, such as off western Australia, and the number of new species expected in future taxonomic revisions, is a total of 3000–4000 species. The Grassle and Maciolek method appears invalid as a means to extrapolate global biodiversity from local surveys.

Four new species of the lanternfish genus Diaphus (Myctophidae) from the Indo‐Pacific

Abstract Four new species of the genus Diaphus are described. Three of these are in the subgeneric group with a suborbital luminous organ and are members of the D. fulgens species group with a raised AOa1 photophore. D. impostor sp. nov. from the Indo‐West Pacific is most similar to D. aliciae, differing in lower gill raker count and smaller size. D. wisneri sp. nov. from north of Hawaii and south Pacific lacks a luminous scale at the PLO and has a lower gill raker count than similar species. D. kora sp. nov. from north‐east of New Zealand has a large luminous scale at the PLO, and a longer Vn and lower gill raker counts than similar species. D. kapalae sp. nov. from the south‐western Pacific is most similar to D. splendidus and D. antonbruuni, from which it differs by the presence of an Ant, higher gill raker counts, and position of the VLO photophore.

Idiolychnus, a New Genus of Myctophidae Based on Diaphus urolampus

in the family Iguanidae. Herptologica 21:151-168. 1967. Lizard caudal vertebrae. Copeia 1967:699-721. MYERS, C. W. 1971. A new species of green anole (Reptilia: Sauria) from the north coast of Veraguas, Panama. Nov. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 2470:1-14. PETERS, J. A., AND R. DONOSO-BARROS. 1970. Catalogue of the neotropical Squamata: Part II. Lizards and amphisbaenians. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. 297. RIVERO, J. A. 1961. Salientia of Venezuela. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard 126:1-207. SAVAGE, J. M. 1974. Type localities for species of amphibians and reptiles described from Costa Rica. Rev. Biol. Trop. 22:71-122. SCOTT, N. J., D. E. WILSON, CLYDE JONES AND R. ANDREWS. 1976. The choice of perch height dimensions by lizards of the genus Anolis (Reptilia, Lacertilia, Iguanidae). J. Herp. 10:75-84. TAYLOR, E. H. 1956. A review of the lizards of Costa Rica. Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 38:3-322. UNDERWOOD, G. 1959. The anoles of the eastern Caribbean (Sauria, Iguanidae) Part III. Revisionary notes. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. 121:191-226. VOIGT, F. S. 1832. In: Cuvier, G. F. Das Thierreich. 4.

Myctophid fish recorded from New Zealand as Lampanyctus Guentheri reidentified as L. austraus (note)

Abstract The myctophid fish Lampanyctus guentheri ( = Lcpidophanes guenlheri) recently recorded from New Zealand is reindentified as Lampanyctus australis. The genus Lepidophanes is known only from the Atlantic Ocean.