Demersal fish assemblages on seamounts and other rugged features in the northeastern Caribbean

© The Author(s), 2017. This is the author's version of the work and is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 123 (2017): 90–104, doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2017.03.009.Recent investigations of demersal fish communities in deepwater (>50 m) habitats have considerably increased our knowledge of the factors that influence the assemblage structure of fishes across mesophotic to deep-sea depths. While different habitat types influence deepwater fish distribution, whether different types of rugged seafloor features provide functionally equivalent habitat for fishes is poorly understood. In the northeastern Caribbean, different types of rugged features (e.g., seamounts, banks, canyons) punctuate insular margins, and thus create a remarkable setting in which to compare demersal fish communities across various features. Concurrently, several water masses are vertically layered in the water column, creating strong stratification layers corresponding to specific abiotic conditions. In this study, we examined differences among fish assemblages across different features (e.g., seamount, canyon, bank/ridge) and water masses at depths ranging from 98 to 4060 m in the northeastern Caribbean. We conducted 26 remotely operated vehicle dives across 18 sites, identifying 156 species of which 42% of had not been previously recorded from particular depths or localities in the region. While rarefaction curves indicated fewer species at seamounts than at other features in the NE Caribbean, assemblage structure was similar among the different types of features. Thus, similar to seamount studies in other regions, seamounts in the Anegada Passage do not harbor distinct communities from other types of rugged features. Species assemblages, however, differed among depths, with zonation generally corresponding to water mass boundaries in the region. High species turnover occurred at depths <1200 m, and may be driven by changes in water mass characteristics including temperature (4.8–24.4 °C) and dissolved oxygen (2.2–9.5 mg per l). Our study suggests the importance of water masses in influencing community structure of benthic fauna, while considerably adding to the knowledge of mesophotic and deep-sea fish biogeography.Funding was provided by NOAA-OER for the 2014 E/V Nautilus cruise and by the USGS Environments and Hazards Program and Ocean Exploration Trust for the 2013 E/V Nautilus 807 cruise.2019-03-1

PRELIMINARY CHECKLIST OF THE UNDERSEA FAUNA OF THE ROSS SEA ANTARCTIC CONTINENTAL SHELF BASED ON YO-YO CAMERA SURVEYS

As part of an expedition aboard the Nathaniel B. Palmer RVIB, hundreds of still images were captured of the Ross Sea continental shelf seafloor. Using a crowd-sourced group of experts, we identified the fauna captured in these images, identifying over 1000 organisms to 15 major taxonomic groups (viz., anemones, bivalves, brittle stars, cephalopods, corals, crinoids, crustaceans, fishes, holothurians, isopods, pycnogonids, sea urchins, sea stars, sponges, tunicates). On the basis of the organisms we could identify to genus or species, we compiled a checklist of the fauna from this poorly-known area. The images from this yo-yo camera survey show a diverse community of life that was largely unknown for this sector and may reveal expanded ranges for some species and potentially new ecological information.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/168230/1/UMMP_MP_209-2.pdfMain ArticleSEL

FishfindR.net: A New Tool for Fish Biodiversity Collections Communication

Promotion of collection importance is paramount in securing a future in research and outreach through the exposure of diverse stakeholders to the incredible resource of biological collections. One outlet to increase exposure to collections’ data is through data aggregation. Data aggregation allows for a wide array of research, education and outreach activities that would otherwise be impossible. As the National Resource for Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections (ADBC) funded by the National Science Foundation - iDigBio has made large contributions to collections with regards to communication, outreach and community training. Two facets of iDigBio’s mission statement are: to facilitate the aggregation of collections data and to promote its use. Recently, a new resource for fish collections (fishfindR.net) has contributed to both the aforementioned missions. FishFindR utilizes data aggregated by iDigBio to explore, share and compare fish collection data as it is presented in the iDigBio portal via a web resource. The data is shown in accessible, easy to use and easy to read interfaces. This resource also provides the fish research community with a way to reconcile collection data to institutions from the iDigBio recordsets. This gives fish collections stakeholders data and tools that will be useful in communicating their value, advocating for support, applying best practices to their data publishing and improving collections’ sustainability as a community. Going forward, it is the hope that this resource will provide other taxonomic disciplines with a framework to provide similar services for their stakeholders and that through a network of taxonomic specific collection resources that collections’ staff will become similarly empowered to use their own data as a communication tool

FishfindR.net: A New Tool for Fish Biodiversity Collections Communication

Promotion of collection importance is paramount in securing a future in research and outreach through the exposure of diverse stakeholders to the incredible resource of biological collections. One outlet to increase exposure to collections’ data is through data aggregation. Data aggregation allows for a wide array of research, education and outreach activities that would otherwise be impossible. As the National Resource for Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections (ADBC) funded by the National Science Foundation - iDigBio has made large contributions to collections with regards to communication, outreach and community training. Two facets of iDigBio’s mission statement are: to facilitate the aggregation of collections data and to promote its use. Recently, a new resource for fish collections (fishfindR.net) has contributed to both the aforementioned missions. FishFindR utilizes data aggregated by iDigBio to explore, share and compare fish collection data as it is presented in the iDigBio portal via a web resource. The data is shown in accessible, easy to use and easy to read interfaces. This resource also provides the fish research community with a way to reconcile collection data to institutions from the iDigBio recordsets. This gives fish collections stakeholders data and tools that will be useful in communicating their value, advocating for support, applying best practices to their data publishing and improving collections’ sustainability as a community. Going forward, it is the hope that this resource will provide other taxonomic disciplines with a framework to provide similar services for their stakeholders and that through a network of taxonomic specific collection resources that collections’ staff will become similarly empowered to use their own data as a communication tool

Data from: A survey of digitized data from U.S. fish collections in the iDigBio data aggregator

Recent changes in institutional cyberinfrastructure and collections data storage methods have dramatically improved accessibility of specimen-based data through the use of digital databases and data aggregators. This analysis of digitized fish collections in the U.S. demonstrates how information from data aggregators, in this case iDigBio, can be extracted and analyzed. Data from U.S. institutional fish collections in iDigBio were explored through a strictly programmatic approach using the ridigbio package and fishfindR web application. iDigBio facilitates the aggregation of collections data on a purely voluntary fashion that requires collection staff to consent to sharing of their data. Not all collections are sharing their data with iDigBio, but the data harvested from 38 of the 143 known fish collections in the U.S. that are in iDigBio account for the majority of fish specimens housed in U.S. collections. In the 22 years since publication of the last survey providing information on these 38 collections, 1,219,168 specimen records (lots), 15,225,744 specimens, 3,192 primary types, and 32,868 records of secondary types have been added. This is an increase of 65.1% in the number of cataloged records and an increase of 56.1% in the number of specimens. In addition to providing specimen-based data for research, education, and various outreach activities, data that are accessible via data aggregators can be used to develop accurate, up-to-date reports of information on institutional collections. Such reports present collections data in an organized and accessible fashion and can guide targeted efforts by collections personnel to meet discipline-specific needs and make data more transparent to downstream users. Data from this survey will be updated and published regularly in a dynamic web application that will aid collections staff in communicating collections value while simultaneously giving stakeholders a way to explore collections holdings as they relate to the institutions in which they are housed. It is through this resource that collections will be able to leverage their data against those of similar collections to aid in the procurement of financial and institutional support

Fish Diversity of the Upper Tapanahony River, Suriname

We provide an annotated list of fishes collected from the Tapanahony River, the largest tributary of the Marowijne River, in Suriname. A total of 19 sites were sampled in the Upper Tapanahony River during the minor dry season. The expedition yielded 127 species from 83 genera representing 29 families and four orders. Characiformes dominated collections in terms of species. In addition to collecting several taxa endemic to the Upper Tapanahony River, we report the first record of Acestrorhynchus heterolepis for Suriname as well as several likely undescribed taxa.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/172868/1/UMMZ MP 211.pdf-1Description of UMMZ MP 211.pdf : Main ArticleSEL

Schistura pantherina Page, Plongsesthee and Randall

Schistura pantherina, Page, Plongsesthee and Randall (Figs. 1–3) Holotype. NIFI 4675, 60.2 mm SL; Thailand, Kanchanaburi Prov., Thong Pha Phum, Mae Khlong basin, Mae Nam Kwai Noi system, Kroeng Krawia, on Hwy 323 at km 32, near Prang Phe, 14º58'17"N, 98º38'24"E, 24 Apr. 2011, Rungthip Plongsesthee, F. William H. Beamish, Larry M. Page and Randal A. Singer. Paratypes. UF 184183, 26.7 –42.0 mm SL, Thailand, Kanchanaburi Prov., Thong Pha Phum, Mae Khlong basin, Mae Nam Kwai Noi system, Kroeng Krawia, on Hwy 323, 14º55'N, 98º40E, 22 Feb. 2012, Rungthip Plongsesthee and Raphael Lagarde. Diagnosis. Member of genus Schistura as defined by Kottelat (1990). Distinguished from all other species of Schistura by unique color pattern consisting of 11–16 black spots along mid-side, black spots on top of head and predorsal area continuing as a row of spots to the caudal base, and a short vertical black bar at the caudal-fin base. It is further distinguished from similar species by the following combination of characters: no black suborbital bar; lateral line extending almost to caudal fin; dorsal-fin rays iv, 8½; anal-fin rays iii, 5½; pectoral-fin rays i, 10; pelvic-fin rays i, 7; and caudal fin with 9 branched rays in upper half, 8 branched rays in lower half. Description. Body shape and color are shown in Figures 1–3. Morphometric data are in Table 1. Largest specimen is the holotype, 60.2 mm SL, 74.7 mm TL. Body long, slender, slightly deeper than wide. Body depth fairly uniform throughout, slightly deeper at dorsalfin origin than at caudal peduncle. Profile of snout and head pointed, more so in juveniles. Snout moderately pointed in dorsal view. Head depressed; eye oval, longer than high, near dorsal profile, directed dorsolaterally. Dorsal-fin origin above pelvic-fin origin. Pectoral fin reaches over half distance from pectoral-fin origin to pelvicfin origin. Pelvic fin reaches anus. Axillary pelvic lobe present. Anal fin not reaching caudal fin. Margins of dorsal and anal fins convex. Caudal fin emarginate. Small adipose crest on dorsal margin, none or very small crest on ventral margin, of caudal peduncle; dorsal crest more pronounced on juvenile. No suborbital flap; no apparent sexual dimorphism. Body scaled, except scales absent on venter anterior to pelvic fin. Scales embedded on anterior side of body, becoming less so near vertical from origin of dorsal fin. Scales embedded on venter between pelvic fins and anus. Scales on anterior part of body deeply embedded; lateral line complete nearly to caudal fin with about 115 scales and 90 pores on holotype; 82 scales around narrowest part of caudal peduncle on holotype. Dorsal-fin rays iv, 8½; anal-fin rays iii, 5½; pectoral-fin rays i, 10; pelvic-fin rays i, 7; caudal fin with 9 branched rays in upper half, 8 branched rays in lower half. Cephalic lateralis system (pores countable on two specimens) with 4 + 8 supraorbital pores, 8 infraorbital pores, 8–9 preoperculomandibular, and 3 supratemporal pores. Lips moderately thick, pleated, covered with unculi; upper lip with very small median incision; lower lip with median notch in small individuals, with median incision in larger individuals (Fig. 3). Processus dentiformis present. Inner rostral barbel almost reaching to corner of mouth; outer rostral barbel reaching horizontally to anterior edge of orbit. Maxillary barbel reaching horizontally to or slightly past posterior edge of orbit. Barbels covered with unculi. Anterior nostril at base of short flap. Coloration. In life (Fig. 2), Schistura pantherina has a row of 11–16 greenish-black spots or blotches along the side. In larger individuals, the first few and the last few are confluent, and all spots are overlain by a dusky silver-gray stripe. In smaller individuals, the stripe is darker and the spots are less obvious. The midlateral row of spots is followed by a medial to slightly submedial black basicaudal bar that spans approximately 6–11 rays. Greenish-black spots and vermiculations on top of the head and predorsal area continue as a row of spots to the caudal base. The predorsal area immediately in front of the dorsal fin and the first dorsal ray are tinged with red. The upper half of the head is yellow-green, the lower half is yellow-white. There is a diffuse preorbital bar but no black suborbital bar. The lower side of the body and venter are yellow-white and lack dark pigment. The dorsal fin has a sub-basal row of black spots, one on each ray, followed distally by a clear area that is deeper at the front of the fin than at the rear, then by two more rows of smaller black spots along the rays. The distal one-fourth of the fin is clear. The caudal fin has a red tinge along the upper- and lower-most rays and two faint bars formed by rows of small brown to black spots. The pectoral and pelvic fins are suffused with red and yellow; the anal fin is clear. The smallest individuals examined (32.1–38.2 mm SL) have the pattern of the largest individual except the midlateral black stripe is more pronounced, the dorsal and lateral blotches are smaller and lighter in color, and the fins lack the red and yellow pigments. In preserved specimens, the greenish aspect of the black spots and blotches, and the red and yellow pigments on the fins are absent. The dark spots, especially those on the dorsum are more brown than black. Etymology. The name, pantherina, Latin adjective meaning 'like a panther,' is in reference to the spotted pattern on the dorsum and sides of some members of the felid genus Panthera. Distribution and ecological notes. Schistura pantherina is known only from the Kroeng Krawia, Kwai Noi, Mae Khlong basin, in the Thong Pha Phum District of Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand (Fig. 4). Specimens were captured in flowing water in shallow rubble and gravel riffles (Fig. 5). This is the second species of Schistura that appears to be endemic to this basin, the other being S. tenebrosa (Kangrang et al. 2012).Published as part of Page, Lawrence M., Plongsesthee, Rungthip, Beamish, F. William H., Kangrang, Punnatut, Randall, Zachary S., Singer, Randal A. & Martin, Zachary P., 2012, Schistura (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae) in the Mae Khlong basin in southwestern Thailand with description of a new species, pp. 319-328 in Zootaxa 3586 on pages 320-32