Martin F. Gomon

Ship Mediated Fish Invasions in Australia: Two New Introductions and A Consideration of Two Previous Invasions

Two species of fishes, the northwest Pacific Acentrogobius pflaumi (Bleeker 1853) (Perciformes: Gobiidae) and the New Zealand Forsterygion lapillum Hardy (1989) (Perciformes: Tripterygiidae), are newly reported as recent introductions in Port Phillip Bay, southeastern Australia. Forsterygion lapillum is restricted to a commercial port in the western area of the bay, while A. pflaumi occurs in all areas of the bay except the entrance. Both species are among the most abundant fishes collected in occupied habitats. It seems probable that they were introduced as eggs, larvae or juveniles in ships’ ballast water. While both A. pflaumi and F. lapillum appear to be well suited to conditions in Australia, populations of two previously introduced marine fishes (the gobiidsAcanthogobius flavimanus and Tridentiger trigonocephalus) have failed to rapidly expand their distributions and seem to be controlled by factors yet to be determined.

First records of the Australian blenny, Omobranchus anolius, from New Zealand

Abstract Twenty‐four blennies collected in east Auckland, New Zealand, were identified as the Australian oyster blenny, Omobranchus anolius using taxonomic and molecular characters. This species appears to have been introduced recently to New Zealand. Auckland oyster blennies mainly inhabited dead oyster shells in water pooled under intertidal boulders on mudflats. Specimens ranged from small juveniles to large mature males, suggesting that the species is breeding in New Zealand, or that there have been multiple incursion events. Oyster blennies may be capable of colonising estuaries throughout the northern North Island, and possibly farther south. Control or eradication of O. anolius would be facilitated by its intertidal habitat, lack of an escape response when found, and the very limited movement and natural dispersal of adults and larvae.

Descriptions of two new species of Bodianus (Perciformes: Labridae) from Australasian waters

Abstract Two new species of the labrid genus Bodianus are described from deep shelf and upper slope waters of eastern Australia, New Zealand, and the submarine ridges south‐east and south‐west of New Caledonia. Bodianus flavipinnis sp. nov., living in shelf waters of eastern Australia and New Zealand, is most similar to B. unimaculatus and other species of the B. oxycephalus complex, differing from them most noticeably in lacking prominent broken red stripes in both adult stages. Bodianus flavifrons sp. nov., found on slopes of submarine ridges, is closely related to B. frenchii of southern Australian waters. It differs from that species in having distinctive broad yellow bands on the head. The new species and their close relatives constitute the subgenus Bodianus (Verreo), with a subtropical to warm temperate distribution. A key to the species of the subgenus is provided.

A new species ofArnoglossus (Pleuronectiformes: Bothidae) from the southwestern coast of Australia

A new bothid flounder,Arnoglossus micrommatus, is described from the southwestern coast of Australia (off Albany, Western Australia). This species is distinguished from other species ofArnoglossus by combination of the following characters: gill-rakers serrated on posterior margin; upper jaw length 2.83–3.12 in head length (HL); upper eye diameter 4.17–5.51 in HL; scales in lateral line 52–62; vertebrae 11+28−29=3t-40.

Two new Australian species of the Paraulopus nigripinnis complex (Aulopiformes: Paraulopidae)

Two new species, Paraulopus longianalis n.sp. and Paraulopus melanostomus n.sp., are described from western and southern Australian waters. Both are referable to the Paraulopus nigripinnis group of Sato and Nakabo (2002b, 2003) in having 4.5–5.5 scales above the lateral line, supraocular ridges and large adult body size, but differ from other species of the group in having two rows of cheek scales. Paraulopus longianalis is characterized by a deep anal fin in males, tiny adipose dorsal fin and supraocular ridges extending nearly to the predorsal scales, and P. melanostomus is most easily distinguished by its black buccal cavity and relatively broad, depressed head. A key to the six described species in the P. nigripinnis group is provided.

The use of DNA barcode evidence for inferring species of Chlorophthalmus (Aulopiformes, Chlorophthalmidae) in the Indo-West Pacific

Recent studies have revealed evidence that the identities and distributions of several Indo-West Pacific species of Chlorophthalmus, as redefined by Sato and Nakabo (2002a), are inaccurately understood and reported in the literature. The current confusion is mostly attributable to the meristic conservatism of the genus and the individually variable nature of the morphology in those species. An analysis of the DNA barcode region of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequences was employed to independently group specimens into natural species assemblages, providing evidence for verifying or correcting species concepts and identities. A re-examination of the morphology of vouchers in the resultant 12 groupings identified features corroborating the distinctiveness of 10 of the 12 groups at the species level. Each of the other two groups comprised two presumed species on the basis of morphological evidence that do not appear to be separable by cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) sequences. Two undescribed species of Chloropthalmus are now known to inhabit slope waters of Australia, and a further two undescribed species were identified elsewhere.

Three new species of the Indo-Pacific fish genus Hime (Aulopidae, Aulopiformes), all resembling the type species H. japonica (Günther 1877).

Descriptions of three new species of the aulopid genus Hime from the central and western Pacific and presumably the easternmost Indian Ocean are presented. Hime surrubea sp. nov., confined to the Hawaiian Island region, has been misidentified in species accounts and faunal lists as H. japonica and although resembling it is separable from that species by its shorter caudal peduncle, slightly larger head, larger eye, especially relative to head size, and slightly smaller pectoral and pelvic fins. Hime capitonis sp. nov. is known conclusively only from seamounts off the southern tip of New Caledonia and Vanuatu, and is distinguishable by its distinctively large head (32.3-35.6% SL) and eyes (orbital diameter 10.8-13.0% SL) and relatively few scales between the anus and anal fin origin (7-9). The Indonesian H. caudizoma sp. nov. is so far known from only 8 specimens, acquired in markets in southeastern Lombok and presumably caught nearby in what would be regarded the eastern reaches of the Indian Ocean. The species is recognisable by its dorsal fin of rather uniform moderate height with nearly straight distal margin and 17 rather than 16 rays, none of which is filamentous in either sex, the second penultimate ray rather than anterior rays the longest in males. Like the other two described here, H. caudizoma has among the largest head and eyes of the family. Observations on the dorsal fin form and other features of H. microps Parin & Kotlyar, 1989 are provided based on a large male specimen collected at Rapa Iti, Austral Islands and a re-evaluation of the original description.

Figure 2 In A Second New Zealand Species Of The Stargazer Genus Kathetostoma (Trachinoidei: Uranoscopidae)

FIGURE 2. Kathetostoma giganteum: A, NMNZ P. 1286, 105 mm SL, juvenile, dorsal view of head and lateral view of body (illustrated by R. Plant); and B, NMNZ P. 42067, 503 mm SL, adult, dorsal view of head and lateral view of body (illustrated by M. Freeborn).