Ronald Fricke

Checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of Madang District, Papua New Guinea, western Pacific Ocean, with 820 new records

A checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of Madang District is presented, combining both previous and new records. After the recent PAPUA NIUGINI 2012 expedition, a total of 1337 species in 129 families have been recorded from the region. One species and one family is not native (Cichlidae: Oreochromis mossambicus), but has been introduced. The native fish fauna of Madang therefore consists of 1336 species in 128 families. The largest families are the Gobiidae, Labridae, Pomacentridae, Apogonidae, Serranidae, Blenniidae, Chaetodontidae, Syngnathidae and Muraenidae, Scorpaenidae and Lutjanidae, Myctophidae, Acanthuridae, Scaridae, Holocentridae, Carangidae, Pomacanthidae and Tetraodontidae, and Caesionidae. A total of 820 fish species (61.4 % of the total marine and estuarine fish fauna) are recorded from Madang for the first time. The fish fauna of Madang includes a total of 187 species of transitional waters and 1326 species in marine habitats. A total of 156 species of the marine or estuarine species also occurs in freshwater. Zoogeographically, 1271 species have a wide distribution range, most frequently a broad Indo-West Pacific distribution. Among the remaining species, only 8 are endemic to Madang District. Anthropogenic threats to the fish fauna and habitats of Madang District include extensive fishing in Madang Lagoon, sometimes with destructive fishing practices; the discharge of untreated sewage of human settlements, mining and industrial developments into the lagoon and nearby oceanic habitats; and destruction of mangrove habitats by extensive construction work on the shores. These anthropogenic threats may call for conservation and monitoring measures in the near future.

The fishes of Ascension Island, central Atlantic Ocean – new records and an annotated checklist

A checklist of the fishes of Ascension Island is presented. The species Rhincodon typus , Alopias superciliosus , Isurus oxyrinchus , Carcharhinus obscurus , Galeocerdo cuvier , Sphyrna lewini , Hexanchus griseus , Manta birostris , Gymnothorax vicinus , Hippocampus sp., Epinephelus itajara , Cookeolus japonicus , Apogon pseudomaculatus , Phaeoptyx pigmentaria , Remora albescens , Caranx bartholomaei , Carangoides ruber , Decapterus tabl , Seriola dumerili , Thalassoma sanctaehelenae , Cryptotomus sp., Ruvettus pretiosus , Acanthocybium solandri , Auxis rochei , Auxis thazard , Euthynnus alletteratus , Katsuwonus pelamis , Thunnus alalunga , Thunnus obesus , Xiphias gladius , Istiophorus platypterus , Kajikia albida , Makaira nigricans , Tetrapturus pfluegeri , Hyperoglyphe perciformis , Schedophilus sp., Cantherhines macrocerus , Sphoeroides pachygaster and Diodon eydouxii are recorded for the first time from Ascension Island. We have recognized two previous records as identification errors and indicate 11 other records as doubtful. Including the 40 new records, we now list 173 fish species from Ascension Island, of which 133 might be considered ‘coastal fish species’. Eleven of these (8.3%) appear to be endemic to the island and a further 16 species (12%) appear to be shared endemics with St Helena Island.

A new species of the clingfish genus Apletodon (Teleostei: Gobiesocidae) from Sao Tome and Principe, eastern central Atlantic

The clingfish Apletodon wirtzi sp. nov. is described on the basis of ten specimens and colour photos from Bombom Island, Principe Group, Sao Tome and Principe, eastern central Atlantic Ocean. The species is very small, apparently not exceeding 16 mm total length; it is characterized by having three pores in the mandibular canal, the head length 2.2–2.5 in standard length: SL, the head broad, head width in males 3.6–4.0 (mean 3.8) in SL, the snout in males long, more or less pointed, conical, preorbital length in males 3.1–4.0 in head length, the occipital region with a large pinkish blotch behind each eye (in alcohol specimens), and the lower sides of the body with a row of dark blotches, scattered with white spots in between. The new species is compared with other species of the genus; a key to the males of the four known species of the eastern Atlantic genus Apletodon is presented.

Revision of the family Draconettidae (Teleostei), with descriptions of two new species and a new subspecies

The family Draconettidae is revised. The following species are considered as valid: Centrodraco acanthopoma from the NW and NE Atlantic; C. gegonipus from the SE Pacific; C. insolitus from the Indian Ocean off NW Australia; C. nakaboi n. sp. from the NW and SE Pacific; C. oregonus oregonus from the W Atlantic; C. oregonus lineatus n. subsp. from the W Indian Ocean; C. ornatus from the W Pacific; C. pseudoxenicus from Japan and the South China Sea; C. rubellus n. sp. from the Hawaiian Islands and Indonesia; C. striatus from the SE Pacific; Draconetta xenica from the Indo-West Pacific. The species are described and illustrated; a key to genera and species of the Draconettidae is presented.

A new species of the genus Callionymus from India (Teleostei: Callionymidae)

Summary Callionymus megastomus sp. nov. is described and compared with allied species. Features which distinguish it from allied species are as follows: 1. (1)The combination of three spines in the first dorsal fin, constantly ten rays in the second dorsal fin, and nine rays in the anal fin with a preopercular spine formula of ; 2. (2)the extremely protractile maxillary complex, with a very long processus ascendens of the premaxillary; 3. (3)the shape and colour pattern of the first dorsal fin.

Diplecogaster tonstricula, a new species of cleaning clingfish (Teleostei: Gobiesocidae) from the Canary Islands and Senegal, eastern Atlantic Ocean, with a review of the Diplecogaster-ctenocrypta species-group

ABSTRACT The Diplecogaster-ctenocrypta species-group is reviewed; it comprises two species. The clingfish Diplecogaster ctenocrypta from the Canary Islands is redescribed. The new species Diplecogaster tonstricula, a facultative cleaner of other teleosts, is described on the basis of eight specimens and colour photos from Senegal and the Canary Islands, eastern Atlantic Ocean. The species is small, apparently not exceeding 23 mm total length; it is characterised by having nine dorsal-fin rays, eight anal-fin rays, 24–25 pectoral-fin rays, 14–15 principal caudal-fin rays, 13–16 rakers on third gill arch, pelvic disc without lateral papillae in region A, disc region B with two rows of weak papillae, interorbital distance 4.1–4.6 in head length, distance between disc and anus 14–17% of SL, head and body with 10–13 narrow vertical brownish bars, cheek with a white ocellus surrounded by black, and with a small black spot in the middle. The new species is compared with other species of the genus; a key to the six known species of the eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea and South African genus Diplecogaster is presented. A checklist is provided for the species of Diplecogaster and their synonyms.

Diplogrammus (Climcacogrammus) pygmaeus sp. nov., a new callionymid fish (Pisces, Perciformes, Callionymoidei) from the South Arabian Coast, Northwestern Indian Ocean

Summary Diplogrammus (Climacogrammus) pygmaeus sp. nov. is described and compared with other species of the genus Diplogrammus. Features which distinguish it from the allied species are as follows: 1. (1)The combination of four spines in the first dorsal fin, eight rays in the second dorsal fin, and seven rays in the anal fin, with a preopercular spine formula of ; 2. (2)the unusually broad snout (seen from above); 3. (3)the anterior spines of the first dorsal fin in the male elongate but not filamentous; 4. (4)colour markings.

On a new species of the family Callionymidae (Pisces, Perciformes, Callionymoidei), Callionymus stigmatopareius sp. nov. from Mozambique

Summary Callionymus stigmatopareius sp. nov. is described and compared with allied species of the genus Callionymus. Features which distinguish it from similar species are as follows: 1. 1the combination of 8 rays in the 2nd dorsal fin and 7 rays in the anal fin with preopercular spine formula ; 2. 2unusually long anal fin rays; 3. 3colour markings.

Synchiropus novaehiberniensis, a new species of dragonet from New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, western Pacific Ocean, with a review of subgenus Synchiropus (Neosynchiropus) and description of a new subgenus (Teleostei: Callionymidae)

ABSTRACT A new species of dragonet, Synchiropus novaehiberniensis from off northern New Ireland, Papua New Guinea, is described on the basis of a male and a female specimen collected with a trawl in 74–92 m depth off Kavieng. The new species is characterized within the subgenus Synchiropus (Neosynchiropus) Nalbant, 1979 by a small branchial opening; head short (3.2–3.6 in SL); eye large (2.5–2.6 in head length); preopercular spine with a short, upcurved main tip, three curved points on its dorsal margin, ventral margin and base smooth; first dorsal fin higher than second dorsal fin, with four spines but no filaments, first spine longest; second dorsal fin distally slightly convex, with eight branched rays (last divided at base); anal fin with seven unbranched rays (last divided at base); 21–22 pectoral-fin rays; caudal fin elongate, distally rounded, slightly asymmetrical (upper rays shorter than lower rays); thorax, lower opercle and pelvic-fin base with small ocelli; back in male with four dark brown saddles; anal fin dark grey. The subgenus Synchiropus (Neosynchiropus) is reviewed and distinguished from Synchiropus (Acommissura) subgen. nov. An updated checklist of the species in the two subgenera is provided; the new species is compared with allied species. Revised keys to callionymid fish species of New Guinea, as well as of the subgenera Synchiropus (Neosynchiropus) and Synchiropus (Acommissura) subgen. nov. are presented. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AACA51E1-FBD6-412D-B09A-78540E7089B4

Twenty-one new records of fish species (Teleostei) from Madang and Papua New Guinea (western Pacific Ocean)

New records of fish species are reported from Papua New Guinea: Gymnothorax angusticauda (Muraenidae) from Madang, Coloconger scholesi Chan 1967 (Colocongridae) from Madang and New Guinea, Acromycter longipectoralis Karmovskaya 2004 (Congridae), Doryrhamphus melanopleura (Bleeker, 1858) and Festucalex gibbsi Dawson 1977 (Syngnathidae) from Madang, Lioscorpius longiceps Gunther 1880 (Setarchidae) from Madang, Morobe and New Guinea, Neomerinthe megalepis Fowler 1938 and Pontinus rhodochrous (Gunther 1872) (Scorpaenidae) from Madang and New Guinea, Parabembras curtus (Temminck & Schlegel 1843) (Parabembridae) from Morobe and New Guinea, Chrionema chryseres Gilbert 1905 and Pteropsaron levitoni Iwamoto 2014 (Percophidae) from Madang and New Guinea, Blenniella caudolineata (Gunther, 1877) and Petroscirtes xestus Jordan & Seale, 1906 (Blenniidae) from Madang, Synchiropus orstom Fricke 2000 (Callionymidae) from West Sepik, Sandaun and New Guinea, Rexea antefurcata Parin 1989 (Gempylidae), Lepidoblepharon ophthalmolepis Weber 1913 (Citharidae), Engyprosopon macrolepis (Regan, 1908) (Bothidae), Aseraggodes kimurai Randall & Desoutter-Meniger 2007 (Soleidae), Cynoglossus bilineatus (Lacepede, 1802) and Symphurus multimaculatus Lee, Munroe & Chen 2009 (Cynoglossidae) from Madang and Tylerius spinosissimus (Regan 1908) (Tetraodontidae) from Morobe and Papua New Guinea. This papers also includes new depths records for Coloconger scholesi, Lioscorpius longiceps, Neomerinthe megalepis, Pontinus rhodochrous, Parabembras curtus, Chrionema chryseres and Synchiropus orstom .