F.L. de Castelnau's collection of fishes from the Cape of Good Hope described by Pieter Bleeker

The Dutch ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker described 34 species, including a new genus and five new species from a collection of fishes sent to him from the Cape of Good Hope by the French explorer, naturalist and diplomat, F.L. de Castelnau in 1858. A careful search of the Naturalis collection in Leiden found almost all the specimens received by Bleeker from Castelnau, including hitherto unrecognised types. Based on examination of this collection and a critical translation of Bleeker's 1859 paper on the fishes of the Cape of Good Hope it has been possible to resolve the taxonomic status of Bleeker's genus Pagrichthys (Pagrichthys castelnaui Bleeker, 1859, type by monotypy), previously considered a synonym of Sparus Linnaeus, 1758 but here regarded as a synonym of Lithognathus Swainson, 1839. The identity of the various species described by Bleeker, and type status of his new species are clarified: Cantharus castelnaui Bleeker, 1859 is a synonym of Pachymetopon blochii (Valenciennes, 1830); Pagrichthys castelnaui Bleeker, 1859 is a synonym of Lithognathus lithognathus (Cuvier, 1829); Seriola capensis Bleeker, 1859 (not previously recognised as a valid species) is a synonym of Seriola lalandi Valenciennes, 1833; Clinus dubuis Bleeker, 1859 (based on a misspelling of Castelnau's ms name dubius) is a valid name, and a synonym of Clinus superciliosus (Linnaeus, 1758); and Clinus dorsalis Bleeker, 1859 is valid as Muraenoclinus dorsalis (Bleeker, 1859).

A new species of Nemipterus (Pisces: Nemipteridae) from the Western Indian Ocean

A new species of threadfin bream, Nemipterus elaine, from the Western Indian Ocean is described. The new species is known so far only from off the coast of southern Mozambique, and appears most closely related morphologically and genetically to N. randalli Russell, 1986, but differs in having shorter pectoral and pelvic fins, and the upper caudal lobe produced to form a short, bright yellow filament (a long red trailing filament present in N. randalli). A key to the species of Nemipterus in the Western Indian Ocean is provided.

Redescription of Anthias xanthomaculatus Fourmanoir and Rivaton, and its reassignment in the genus Odontanthias Bleeker (Teleostei: Serranidae: Anthiadinae)

Anthias xanthomaculatus is redescribed from re-examination of the holotype. On the basis of fin shape, meristic details and presence of two closely spaced supraneural bones, it is assigned to the genus Odontanthias Bleeker. It is compared with known Odontanthias species, and shown to be a valid species of the genus and a possible senior synonym of O. grahami Randall Heemstra. Comparative data for the holotype and three non-type specimens of O. grahami are provided.

First record of Gauguin's blunt-nose lizardfish, Trachinocephalus gauguini Polanco, Acero Betancur 2016 (Teleostei: Synodontidae) outside the Marquesas Archipelago

Trachinocephalus gauguini Polanco, Acero Betancur, 2016 was described based on eighteen specimens collected from off the Marquesas Islands, the only location where this species has been recorded until now. Through morphological and molecular examination of Trachinocephalus specimens collected from an exploratory cruise conducted in June 2014 under the Tropical Deep-Sea Benthos program along the northern coast of the New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, we demonstrate the presence of this species in Papua New Guinea waters. This new record suggests a wide distribution for this rarely collected species in the western Pacific Ocean.

F.L. de Castelnau's Norman River fishes housed in the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney

Type specimens were located in the Macleay Museum for five species described by F.L. de Castelnau: Kurtus gulliveri (syntype), Pseudoambassis macleayi (lectotype and two paralectotypes), Pseudoambassis elongatus (lectotype and paralectotype), Acanthoperca gulliveri (syntype) and Engraulis nasutus (syntypes). The last-named is shown to be a senior subjective synonym of Anchovia aestuaria Ogibly 1910, and is referred to the genus Thryssa Cuvier 1829.

Evaluation of the separation and purification of 227Th from its decay progeny by anion exchange and extraction chromatography

Thorium-227 is currently undergoing evaluation as a potential radionuclide for targeted cancer therapy, and as such a high chemical purity of the material is required. To establish a reliable procedure for radiochemical isolation of ²²⁷Th from the parent ²²⁷Ac and decay progeny, which includes the radiotherapeutic ²²³Ra, the performance of three different separation schemes based on ion-exchange and extraction chromatography have been evaluated. The results suggest that both ion exchange and extraction chromatographic techniques can be successfully used for the separation of ²²⁷Th from its decay progeny, however extraction chromatographic resins demonstrate favourable performance in terms of Th recovery and purification from radionuclide impurities.

A new species of Nemipterus (Pisces: Nemipteridae) from the Western Indian Ocean

A new species of threadfin bream, Nemipterus flavomandibularis, from the Western Indian Ocean is described and figured. The new species appears most closely related to N. bipunctatus (Valenciennes), but differs principally in colour pattern: N. flavomandibularis is distinct from N. bipunctatus in having two yellow bands on the snout, the upper lip narrowly edged with yellow; and lower lip and chin beneath lip yellow, this colour extending as a narrow band posteriorly to lower margin of opercle. Also, in N. flavomandibularus the scale rows below the lateral line are more or less horizontal (versus distinctly ascending anteriorly in N. bipunctatus), and the maxillary reaches to between level of posterior nostril and anterior margin of eye (versus reaching to below the anterior half of the eye in N. bipunctatus).

Dentex carpenteri, a new species of deepwater seabream from Western Australia (Pisces: Sparidae)

A new species of sparid fish, Dentex carpenteri, is described from nine type specimens collected off Ningaloo Reef near Exmouth, Western Australia. Four valid species of Dentex are currently known in the western Pacific, Dentex abei and D. hypselosomus in the Northern Hemisphere, and D. fourmanoiri and D. spariformis in the Southern Hemisphere. These four species comprise the "Dentex hypselosomus complex". Dentex carpenteri n. sp. is most similar to D. spariformis in overall body form, but differs from D. spariformis in having the posterior margin of the upper jaw not reaching or reaching slightly beyond a vertical at the anterior margin of eye; often with the greater part from the snout to the second infraorbital yellowish; deeper suborbital (9.7-10.9% SL); and a considerably deeper body (vs. posterior margin of upper jaw reaching clearly beyond anterior margin of eye; slight yellow region on snout; suborbital depth shallow (7.6-9.6% SL); and a less deep body in D. spariformis). The mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA genes (16S rRNA, 545 bp) of the above five species were analyzed using the Atlantic congener, Dentex macrophthalmus as an out-group, the results clearly indicating that D. carpenteri n. sp. is a valid and distinct species. A key to the "Dentex hypselosomus complex" is provided. The distributional information available for the five species from the western Pacific, including western Australia and the nearby eastern Indian Ocean, are discussed, with the species considered to be allopatric.

Imprint of monsoonal patterns on the fish assemblage in coastal waters of south-east India: a case study

The composition, species richness and diversity of a coastal fish assemblage from the Kalpakkam coast of south-east India are described along with temporal distribution patterns related to seasonal fluctuations in dissolved oxygen, salinity, pH, chlorophyll-a, phytoplankton and zooplankton species richness and density. A total of 244 fish species belonging to 21 orders, 87 families and 163 genera were recorded. The fish assemblage was dominated by reef-associated species, followed by demersal species. The majority of the species (63%) are widely distributed in the western Indo-Pacific as well as in the central Indo-Pacific. Jaccard's coefficient analysis showed three distinct seasonal patterns of fish occurrence: pre-monsoon (PrM), monsoon (M) and post-monsoon (PoM). The maximum number of species was during the PrM period, followed by the PoM and M periods. Species occurrence analysis showed Sardinella longiceps to be dominant during PrM and M periods, Leiognathus dussumieri during the M period and Secutor insidiator and Secutor ruconius during the M and PoM periods. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that salinity and rainfall were the two most influential environmental factors strongly correlated with temporal variation in the fish assemblage. The physico-chemical conditions, in combination with factors such as greater food availability and shelter, might control the seasonal local distribution of the ichthyofauna in these Indian coastal waters.