Halichoeres sanchezi n. sp., a new wrasse from the Revillagigedo Archipelago of Mexico, tropical eastern Pacific Ocean (Teleostei: Labridae)

A new labrid fish species, Halichoeres sanchezi n. sp., is described from eight specimens collected in the Revillagigedo Archipelago in the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Mexico. The new species belongs to the Halichoeres melanotis species complex that is found throughout the region, differing by 2.4% in the mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase I sequence from its nearest relative, H. melanotis from Panama, and 2.9% from Halichoeres salmofasciatus from Cocos Island, off Costa Rica. The complex is distinguished from others in the region by having a black spot on the opercular flap and a prominent black area on the caudal fin of males. The juveniles and initial phase of the new species closely resemble those of H. salmofasciatus and Halichoeres malpelo from Malpelo Island of Colombia, differing in having an oblong black spot with a yellow dorsal margin on the mid-dorsal fin of initial-phase adults as well as on juveniles. In contrast, the terminal-phase male color pattern is distinct from other relatives, being vermilion to orangish brown with dark scale outlines, a white patch on the upper abdomen, and a prominent black band covering the posterior caudal peduncle and base of the caudal fin. The new species adds to the list of endemic fish species for the isolated archipelago and is an interesting case of island endemism in the region. The discovery was made during the joint 2022 collecting expedition to the archipelago, which featured a pioneering collaborative approach to an inventory of an island ichthyofauna, specifically including expert underwater photographers systematically documenting specimens in situ, before hand-collection, and then photographed fresh, tissue-sampled, and subsequently vouchered in museum collections.

Marine protected areas are a useful tool to protect coral reef fishes but not representative to conserve their functional role

Anthropogenic actions have direct and indirect impacts on natural systems, leading to significant alterations in marine ecosystems worldwide. One of the most notable problems is species loss, as the disappearance of species from an area can compromise ecological functions. This is at the core of a severe biodiversity crisis. To address and reverse these processes, marine protected areas (MPAs) have been utilized as a crucial tool to mitigate species loss, increase biomass, and serve as a fisheries management tool. However, there is a lack of information assessing MPAs from the perspective of their contribution to maintaining ecological functions. In recent decades, functional diversity (FD) indices have been widely used to assess ecosystem functioning. In this paper, we conducted an assessment using a global database of reef fish abundance to analyze the effect of No-Take Zones (NTZ) on the FD and "true" diversity (TD) indices of tropical reef fish assemblages in seven tropical biogeographic regions. We found a significant protective effect for some indices, although these responses were dependent on the bioregion. At the bioregional level, NTZs included lower numbers of species and functional entities than open access areas. Consequently, the functional richness protected within these zones partially represented the functional diversity in each biogeographic province. However, smaller-scale functional diversity indices responded to NTZ protection depending on the bioregion. Therefore, these results reinforce that the assessed NTZs are responsive to the protection of functional diversity, although they are not sufficient for safeguarding ecosystem functions in tropical reefs. This highlights the importance of expanding the number of protection entities worldwide with management strategies focused on coral reef fish functionality, as well as effective local/regional assessments. Thus, a new paradigm is necessary in the planning and creation of MPAs to safeguard ecosystem functions, with a priority given to the protection of ecosystem functions and habitats.

Data on the biomass of commercially important coral reef fishes inside and outside marine protected areas in the Philippines

This article contains the data on fish biomass inside and outside 57 locally managed marine protected areas (MPAs) and within the nationally protected Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park (TRNMP) from 57 coastal municipalities and 20 provinces in the Philippines. It includes the seven major commercially important coral reef fishes, namely, the surgeonfish (family Acanthuridae), parrotfish (subfamily Scarinae, family Labridae), snappers (family Lutjanidae), groupers (subfamily Epinephelinae, family Serranidae), goatfish (family Mullidae), sweetlips (family Haemulidae) and emperor (family Lethrinidae). Fish visual census (FVC) surveys were done by scuba diving along 10 m × 50 m belt transects established on upper reef slope, mostly with depths ranging from 5 to 10 m. Four to twelve transects were surveyed for the locally managed MPAs, half of which were established inside MPAs and the other half outside MPAs. Thirty-three transects were surveyed for the TRNMP. FVC was performed by swimming slowly and stopping every 5 m to record all the fish within a 10 m - wide belt. All FVC surveys were conducted from 2006 to 2014 between 9:00–16:00 hours. Each fish was identified to the species level and total length (TL) was estimated to the nearest centimeter. Fish biomass was estimated using the relationship between length (L) and weight (W) with the equation W = aL^b. The data we provide can be used for coral reef fisheries management and for monitoring and evaluation of coral reef fishes in the Philippines particularly for the MPAs included in this dataset. These data support the information presented in the article Muallil et al., 2019.

Buccal venom gland associates with increased of diversification rate in the fang blenny fish Meiacanthus (Blenniidae; Teleostei)

At the macroevolutionary level, many mechanisms have been proposed to explain explosive species diversification. Among them morphological and/or physiological novelty is considered to have a great impact on the tempo and the mode of diversification. Meiacanthus is a genus of Blenniidae possessing a unique buccal venom gland at the base of an elongated canine tooth. This unusual trait has been hypothesized to aid escape from predation and thus potentially play an important role in their pattern of diversification. Here, we produce the first time-calibrated phylogeny of Blenniidae and we test the impact of two morphological novelties on their diversification, i.e. the presence of swim bladder and buccal venom gland, using various comparative methods. We found an increase in the tempo of lineage diversification at the root of the Meiacanthus clade, associated with the evolution of the buccal venom gland, but not the swim bladder. Neither morphological novelty was associated with the pattern of size disparification in blennies. Our results support the hypothesis that the buccal venom gland has contributed to the explosive diversification of Meiacanthus, but further analyses are needed to fully understand the factors sustaining this burst of speciation.

Molecular, morphological and fossil input data for inferring relationship among viviparous brotulas (Bythitidae) - Resulting in a family status change for Dinematichthyidae

This article comprise the data related to the research article (Møller et al., 2016) [1], and makes it possible to explore and reproduce the topologies that allowed [1] to infer the relationship between the families Bythitidae and Dinematichthyidae. The supplementary data holds nexus-input files for the Bayesian analysis and the '.xml'-input files - with and without nucleotide data - that are used in the fossil-calibrated phylogenetic analysis with a relaxed clock model. The resulting topologies are provided as '.new'-files together with a characters matrix file for traits to trace across the inferred phylogenies.

Homogeneity of coral reef communities across 8 degrees of latitude in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea

Coral reef communities between 26.8 °N and 18.6 °N latitude in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea were surveyed to provide baseline data and an assessment of fine-scale biogeography of communities in this region. Forty reefs along 1100 km of coastline were surveyed using depth-stratified visual transects of fish and benthic communities. Fish abundance and benthic cover data were analyzed using multivariate approaches to investigate whether coral reef communities differed with latitude. A total of 215 fish species and 90 benthic categories were recorded on the surveys. There were no significant differences among locations in fish abundance, species richness, or among several diversity indices. Despite known environmental gradients within the Red Sea, the communities remained surprisingly similar. The communities do, however, exhibit subtle changes across this span of reefs that likely reflect the constrained distributions of several species of reef fish and benthic fauna.

Feeding ecology of some fish species occurring in artisanal fishery of Socotra Island (Yemen)

The demersal species Lethrinus borbonicus, Lethrinus mahsena, Lethrinus microdon, Lethrinus nebulosus, Lutjanus bohar, Lutjanus gibbus, Lutjanus kasmira, Epinephelus fasciatus, Epinephelus stoliczkae, Carangoides gymnostethus and Euthynnus affinis are important coastal fishes species of the northern coast of Socotra (Yemen), exploited by local fishery. The biology and feeding ecology of these species are poorly known in the area. A total of 1239 specimens were sampled from the main fishing landing site of the island (Hadibo). Total length and weight were measured, stomach contents were analyzed, diet overlap, Fulton's Condition index, and trophic levels were estimated. C. gymnostethus, L. microdon and L. kasmira occupied the highest position (T=4.50), L. nebulosus occupied the lower one (TL=3.41). The role of the increasing abundance of small pelagic fish in the diet of many species after the upwelling event is evident, but also different feeding strategies are reported, according to fish ecology.

A new classification of viviparous brotulas (Bythitidae) - with family status for Dinematichthyidae - based on molecular, morphological and fossil data

The order Ophidiiformes is a large but not very well known group of fishes, unique among teleosts for showing high diversity in both deep sea and shallow reef habitats. The current classification includes more than 500 species, 115 genera and four families, based primarily on mode of reproduction: viviparous Aphyonidae and Bythitidae vs oviparous Carapidae and Ophidiidae. Since 2004 we revised the bythitid tribe Dinematichthyini, described more than 100 new species and noticed that this group has unique morphological characters, perhaps supporting a higher level of classification than the current status. Here we study the viviparous families phylogenetically with partial mitochondrial (nd4, 16s) and nuclear (Rag1) DNA sequences (2194bp). We use a fossil calibration of otolith-based taxa to calibrate the age of the clade comprising bythitid and dinematicththyid representatives, together with fossil calibrations adopted from previous phylogenetic studies. The separation of the order into two major lineages, the viviparous Bythitoidei and the oviparous Ophidioidei is confirmed. At the familial level, however, a new classification is presented for the viviparous clades, placing Aphyonidae as a derived, pedomorphic member of Bythitidae (new diagnosis provided, 33 genera and 118 species). The current subfamily Brosmophycinae is considered polyphyletic and we propose family status for Dinematichthyidae (25 genera, 114 species), supported by unique, morphological synapomorphic characters in the male copulatory apparatus. Previous use of the caudal fin separation or fusion with vertical fins is ambiguous. Age estimates based on calibrated molecular phylogeny agrees with fossil data, giving an origin within the Cretaceous (between 84 and 104mya) for a common ancestor to Ophidiiformes.

Temporal comparison and predictors of fish species abundance and richness on undisturbed coral reef patches

Large disturbances can cause rapid degradation of coral reef communities, but what baseline changes in species assemblages occur on undisturbed reefs through time? We surveyed live coral cover, reef fish abundance and fish species richness in 1997 and again in 2007 on 47 fringing patch reefs of varying size and depth at Mersa Bareika, Ras Mohammed National Park, Egypt. No major human or natural disturbance event occurred between these two survey periods in this remote protected area. In the absence of large disturbances, we found that live coral cover, reef fish abundance and fish species richness did not differ in 1997 compared to 2007. Fish abundance and species richness on patches was largely related to the presence of shelters (caves and/or holes), live coral cover and patch size (volume). The presence of the ectoparasite-eating cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus, was also positively related to fish species richness. Our results underscore the importance of physical reef characteristics, such as patch size and shelter availability, in addition to biotic characteristics, such as live coral cover and cleaner wrasse abundance, in supporting reef fish species richness and abundance through time in a relatively undisturbed and understudied region.

Indices for assessing coral reef fish biodiversity: the need for a change in habits

We present the first representative and quantified overview of the indices used worldwide for assessing the biodiversity of coral reef fishes. On this basis, we discuss the suitability and drawbacks of the indices most widely used in the assessment of coral fish biodiversity. An extensive and systematic survey of the literature focused on coral reef fish biodiversity was conducted from 1990 up to the present. We found that the multicomponent aspect of biodiversity, which is considered as a key feature of biodiversity for numerous terrestrial and marine ecosystems, has been poorly taken into account in coral reef fish studies. Species richness is still strongly dominant while other diversity components, such as functional diversity, are underestimated even when functional information is available. We also demonstrate that the reason for choosing particular indices is often unclear, mainly based on empirical rationales and/or the reproduction of widespread habits, but generally with no clear relevance with regard to the aims of the studies. As a result, the most widely used indices (species richness, Shannon, etc.) would appear to be poorly suited to meeting the main challenges facing the monitoring of coral reef fish biodiversity in the future. Our results clearly show that coral reef scientists should rather take advantage of the multicomponent aspect of biodiversity. To facilitate this approach, we propose general guidelines to serve as a basis for the selection of indices that provide complementary and relevant information for monitoring the response of coral reef fish biodiversity in the face of structuring factors (natural or anthropic). The aim of these guidelines was to achieve a better match between the properties of the selected indices and the context of each study (e.g. expected effect of the main structuring factors, nature of data available).

Marine managed areas and associated fisheries in the US Caribbean

The marine managed areas (MMAs) of the U.S. Caribbean are summarized and specific data-rich cases are examined to determine their impact upon fisheries management in the region. In this region, the productivity and connectivity of benthic habitats such as mangroves, seagrass and coral reefs is essential for many species targeted by fisheries. A minority of the 39 MMAs covering over 4000km(2) serve any detectable management or conservation function due to deficiencies in the design, objectives, compliance or enforcement. Fifty percent of the area within MMA boundaries had no-take regulations in the U.S. Virgin Islands, while Puerto Rico only had 3%. Six case studies are compared and contrasted to better understand the potential of these MMAs for fisheries management. Signs of success were associated with including sufficient areas of essential fish habitat (nursery, spawning and migration corridors), year-round no-take regulations, enforcement and isolation. These criteria have been identified as important in the conservation of marine resources, but little has been done to modify the way MMAs are designated and implemented in the region. Site-specific monitoring to measure the effects of these MMAs is needed to demonstrate the benefits to fisheries and gain local support for a greater use as a fisheries management tool.

Species-specific effects of near-future CO(2) on the respiratory performance of two tropical prey fish and their predator

Ocean surface CO2 levels are increasing in line with rising atmospheric CO2 and could exceed 900μatm by year 2100, with extremes above 2000μatm in some coastal habitats. The imminent increase in ocean pCO2 is predicted to have negative consequences for marine fishes, including reduced aerobic performance, but variability among species could be expected. Understanding interspecific responses to ocean acidification is important for predicting the consequences of ocean acidification on communities and ecosystems. In the present study, the effects of exposure to near-future seawater CO2 (860μatm) on resting (M˙ O2rest) and maximum (M˙O2max) oxygen consumption rates were determined for three tropical coral reef fish species interlinked through predator-prey relationships: juvenile Pomacentrus moluccensis and Pomacentrus amboinensis, and one of their predators: adult Pseudochromis fuscus. Contrary to predictions, one of the prey species, P. amboinensis, displayed a 28-39% increase in M˙O2max after both an acute and four-day exposure to near-future CO2 seawater, while maintaining M˙O2rest. By contrast, the same treatment had no significant effects on M˙O2rest or M˙O2max of the other two species. However, acute exposure of P. amboinensis to 1400 and 2400μatm CO2 resulted in M˙O2max returning to control values. Overall, the findings suggest that: (1) the metabolic costs of living in a near-future CO2 seawater environment were insignificant for the species examined at rest; (2) the M˙O2max response of tropical reef species to near-future CO2 seawater can be dependent on the severity of external hypercapnia; and (3) near-future ocean pCO2 may not be detrimental to aerobic scope of all fish species and it may even augment aerobic scope of some species. The present results also highlight that close phylogenetic relatedness and living in the same environment, does not necessarily imply similar physiological responses to near-future CO2.