Review of the Cardinalfishes (Perciformes: Apogonidae) of the Red Sea

Twelve genera and 54 species of cardinalfishes are reported from the Red Sea. The Red Sea cardinalfishes include: Apogon annularis Rüppell, A. apogonides (Bleeker), Apogon bryx Fraser, A. campbelli Smith, A. coccineus Rüppell, A. cookii Macleay, A. cyanosoma Bleeker, A. erythrosoma n. sp., A. exostigma (Jordan & Starks), A. fleurieu (Lacepède), A. fraenatus Valenciennes, A. guamensis Valenciennes, A. gularis Fraser & Lachner, A. heptastygma Cuvier, A. isus Randall & Böhlke, A. kallopterus Bleeker, A. leptacanthus Bleeker, A. multitaeniatus Cuvier, A. nigrofasciatus Lachner, A. pharaonis Bellotti, A. pselion Randall, Fraser & Lachner, A. pseudotaeniatus Gon, A. quadrifasciatus Cuvier, A. queketti Gilchrist, A. semiornatus Peters, A. smithi (Kotthaus), A. spilurus Regan, A. taeniatus Cuvier, A. talboti Smith, A. timorensis Bleeker, A. zebrinus Fraser, Randall & Lachner, Apogonichthys perdix Bleeker, Archamia bilineata Gon & Randall, Archamia fucata (Cantor), Archamia lineolata (Cuvier), Cercamia eremia (Allen), Cheilodipterus lachneri Klausewitz, C. lineatus (Forsskål), C. macrodon LacepPde, C. novemstriatus (Rüppell), C. pygmaios Gon, C. quinquelineatus Cuvier, Foa fo Jordan & Seale, Fowleria aurita (Valenciennes), F. marmorata (Alleyne & Macleay), F. vaiulae (Jordan & Seale), F. variegata (Valenciennes), Neamia octospina Smith & Radcliffe, Pseudamia gelatinosa Smith, Rhabdamia cypselura Weber, R. nigrimentum (Smith), R. spilota Allen & Kuiter, Siphamia permutata Klausewitz, and Sphaeramia orbicularis (Cuvier). Twelve (22%) of the apogonid species are endemic. Seven species, i.e. Apogon apogonides, A. campbelli, A. erythrosoma, A. talboti, Foa fo, Rhabdamia spilota and Sphaeramia orbicularis, are new to the Red Sea. Apogon coccineus of previous authors is a complex of three species, including campbelli Smith and erythrosoma n. sp. The dark-striped species of Apogon of the Red Sea previously identified as angustatus, endekataenia, fasciatus, or novemfasciatus are cookii and nigrofasciatus. Red Sea apogonids identified by previous authors as Apogon bandanensis, monochrous, nubilus and savayensis, are guamensis and zebrinus. Apogon micromaculatus Kotthaus is A. spilurus Regan. The specimen of Apogon kiensis reported by Smith (1961) from the Red Sea is A. bryx, recently described from the Philippines. In the genus Fowleria, polystigma (Bleeker) and punctulata (Rüppell) are junior synonyms of variegata (Valenciennes). F. abocellata Goren & Karplus is a junior synonym of vaiulae (Jordan & Seale), and isostigma (Jordan & Seale) does not occur in the Red Sea. Apogon cupreus and A. latus, both of Cuvier, are unidentifiable. A. hyalosoma and A. taeniophorus are doubtful records

Electric organ discharges of South African Marcusenius species (Teleostei: Mormyridae) and their effectiveness as indicators of local species diversity

Recent morphological and genetic studies have revealed two new species of snoutfish in South Africa, Marcusenius caudisquamatus and M. krameri, which had been confused with M. pongolensis, the South African bulldog fish. All known mormyriform fish are nocturnal and emit electric organ discharges (EODs) for communication that are characteristic for their species. This paper examines whether or not the EODs of these three closely-related South African species can be differentiated from each other. An EOD pulse of a bulldog fish consists of a head-positive phase P, followed by a head-negative phase N of short duration. We measured and compared six variables of the EOD pulse waveform for South African samples for the three species from different locations using MANOVA, ANOVA and Discriminant Analysis, with M. devosi from Kenya as an outgroup. The EOD waveforms, normalized to the same P-phase amplitude, varied significantly from each other in four variables, most strongly in the amplitude of the N phase and the duration of the P phase. In two species, M. devosi and M. krameri, there was no evidence of difference between sexes, in contrast to M. pongolensis and M. caudisquamatus whose male pulses were of longer duration. M. devosi and M. krameri were statistically significantly independent of each other and of any other group studied. By contrast, the M. pongolensis specimens from different locations showed a high degree of variability amongst each other, including significant separation, and overlap with M. caudisquamatus

Conserving pattern and process in the Southern Ocean: designing a Marine Protected Area for the Prince Edward Islands

South Africa is currently proclaiming a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of its sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. The objectives of the MPA are to: 1) contribute to a national and global representative system of MPAs, 2) serve as a scientific reference point to inform future management, 3) contribute to the recovery of the Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides), and 4) reduce the bird bycatch of the toothfish fishery, particularly of albatrosses and petrels. This study employs systematic conservation planning methods to delineate a MPA within the EEZ that will conserve biodiversity patterns and processes within sensible management boundaries, while minimizing conflict with the legal toothfish fishery. After collating all available distributional data on species, benthic habitats and ecosystem processes, we used C-Plan software to delineate a MPA with three management zones: four IUCN Category Ia reserves (13% of EEZ); two Conservation Zones (21% of EEZ); and three Category IV reserves (remainder of EEZ). Compromises between conservation target achievement and the area required by the MPA are apparent in the final reserve design. The proposed MPA boundaries are expected to change over time as new data become available and as impacts of climate change become more evident

Paratrachichthys heptalepis, a New Roughie (Pisces, Trachichthyidae) from the Hawaiian Islands

A new species of trachichthyid fish, Paratrachichthys heptalepis, is described from 33 specimens that were collected by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Honolulu Laboratory, in a series of cruises in the Hawaiian Island s. The depth range of the catches was 50- 255 m. P. heptalepis is closely related to P. prosthemius Jordan and Fowler, from Japan, and P. novaezelandicus Kotlyar, from New Zealand

FIGURE 3 in Scale ontogeny in the cardinalfish family Apogonidae

FIGURE 3. Ontogeny of transforming ctenoid scales in Taeniamia pallida. (a) Cycloid stage (SAIAB 96212, 18.4 mm). (b) & (c) Spinoid and early ctenoid stage showing baseline of spines and first row of ctenii with no truncation (SAIAB 96212, 20 & 25.5 mm, respectively). (d) adult scale with spines and first row of ctenii truncated (SAIAB 96247, 57.2 mm)

The history of marine fish systematics in South Africa

South African marine fish collections and systematic research are relatively young, essentially a product of the 20th century. Their history in South Africa comprises three distinct periods: the emergence of fish collections (before 1895), the beginning of research (1895-1945) and modern research (1945-1999). From the outset of their arrival in South Africa in the mid-17th century, the European settlers of the Cape Colony supplemented their diet with fishes. Therefore it is not surprising that when natural history museums appeared in the 19th century fishes were among the first specimens they procured or received from the public. In these early days, fishes were acquired for display purposes and were curated together with other natural history specimens. There were no fish collections as such and, in many ways, the early history of South African fish collections closely followed the history of the institutions in which they were housed. Major political events in South Africa between 1850-1910 had little effect on the slow growth offish collections as the low influx of specimens from the public did not change. None of the museums did any active fish collecting and no fish research as such took place during these years. The second period in the growth of fish collections in South Africa was characterised by a general shift to collecting for research rather than display. It was also a period during which the need for aquatic research was recognized by and began to attract funding from the South African government, starting with the establishment of the Marine Biological Survey in Cape Town. However, with the exception of the Albany Museum's self-trained J.L.B. Smith, no trained marine fish systematists were working in museums either as curators or as researchers. In the first half of the 20"' century South Africa experienced the fast growth of the fishing industry, the development of academic and applied research in marine biology, and the thriving of sport fishing. These developments created a demand for well-trained professional ichthyologists. J.L.B. Smith was the first to fill this professional gap. The growth rate offish collections increased significantly through the interaction between museum scientists, such as Smith in Grahamstown and K.H. Barnard in Cape Town, with the fishing industry, government biologists and fisheries officers, and anglers. Barnard's review of the South African marine fish fauna was published in mid-I920s. The discovery of the first living coelacanth placed South African ichthyology and Smith on the international stage. The identification of this fish, made by a relatively inexperienced Smith, changed the way ichthyology has been viewed in South Africa. At the beginning of the third period, largely due to the establishment of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in 1945, science in South Africa underwent a process of reorganisation. As funding became more available museums were able to enlarge their research staff. Natural history museums hired qualified experts to conduct research and manage collections of specific groups of organisms. For the first time, trained ichthyologists started working in museums and initiated research projects that were the main contributors to the growth of fish collections around the country. Furthermore it was a period of consolidation offish collections resulting in two large marine fish collections, one at the South African Museum, Cape Town, and another at the J .L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Grahamstown. This period also witnessed the establishment of the latter as a research institute dedicated to the study of fishes and its rise to international prominence. The last 55 years at J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology can be divided into two distinct periods, 1945-1967 and 1968-1999, each consisting of similar elements of research work and objectives. These included the research and production of major reviews of the fish faunas of South Africa, the western Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean, as well as research on the coelacanth. While in the former period the work was done by one scientist, J.L.B. Smith, the latter period has been characterised by collaborative projects including scientists from South Africa and abroad. As this history shows, the establishment of a viable, long-lasting collection is a lengthy process. For about 60 years the durability of fish collections depended on the enthusiasm and persistence of individual curators and scientists who were not ichthyologists. More often than not, enthusiasm disappeared when such individuals left their museums. This dependence existed until Rhodes University College established the Department of Ichthyology (1947) and the South African Museum created a post specifically for the curation of the fish collection (1957) and thus ensured continuity. The continuity of biosystematic research in South Africa has been a minor concern for the nation's systematists for decades. The threats to marine fish systematics have been of a financial, political and professional nature. The latter has been the most serious one because of the dearth of South Africans trained in marine fish systematics. After J.L.B. Smith's death in 1968 M.M. Smith had to work hard to convince the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and Rhodes University that she could step into her late husband's shoes. Realizing that there was nobody to take over from her she initiated the first and only postgraduate programme in ichthyology in South Africa. The teaching started in the academic year of 1970171 at the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, but to date only one student has completed a thesis in marine fish systematics. Due to the government's transformation policy all the practising marine fish systematists in South Africa will be retiring in the course of the present decade. Consequently, if no aspiring, motivated students appear on the scene in the next couple of years marine fish systematics in this country will be in a deep crisis by the year 2010, possibly even earlier

FIGURE 5 in Scale ontogeny in the cardinalfish family Apogonidae

FIGURE 5. SEM images of scales sampled from selected scorpaenid species. (a, b) Parascorpaena mossambica SAIAB 35158, 12.8 mm and 14.6 mm, respectively. (c) Pterois mombassae SAIAB 68969, 14.9 mm and SAIAB 14532, 71.5 mm. (d) Scorpaenopsis venosa SAIAB 40271, 17.9 mm. (e) Dendrochirus brachypterus SAIAB 87001, 35.8 mm. (f) D. brachypterus SAIAB 4163, 77 mm. (g) Scorpaenodes guamensis SAIAB 98510, 14.0 mm and 43.5 mm. fo = scale focus

FIGURE 3 in A review of the deepwater cardinalfish genus Epigonus (Perciformes: Epigonidae) of the Western Indian Ocean, with description of two new species

FIGURE 3. Distribution of seven species of the Epigonus constanciae group in the Western Indian Ocean.Published as part of Okamoto, Makoto & Gon, Ofer, 2018, A review of the deepwater cardinalfish genus Epigonus (Perciformes: Epigonidae) of the Western Indian Ocean, with description of two new species, pp. 261-291 in Zootaxa 4382 (2) on page 263, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4382.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/118216

Enigmatic tissue in the orobranchial chamber of cardinalfishes of the genus Siphamia (Perciformes, Apogonidae)

An unusual tissue covering the tongue and occasionally part of the gill chamber of many species of the Indo-Pacific cardinalfish genus Siphamia is described and compared with an earlier description of a similar tissue found in the cichlid species Alcolapia grahami inhabiting lakes of the African Rift Valley. Species of both genera are mouth brooders. The Siphamia tissue is globular and its cells are oblong, whereas the A. grahami tissue is single-layered, with larger, columnar cells. The tissues of both have the characteristics of a mucosa and show evidence of active synthesis. While ion regulation has been proposed for the A. grahami tissue, the function of the Siphamia tissue is unknown, but a role in feeding, or antibiotic or appetite-suppressing functions have been suggested.Keywords: Alcolapia grahami, Cichlidae, histology, SEM, TE