Twenty-three new records of commercial fish species (Actinopterygii) from the Socotra Archipelago (north-western Indian Ocean)

The entire Socotra Archipelago is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The unique ichthyofauna of Socotra accumulates fish species from different ecoregions, including commercial species which represent an important part of the local fishery. Positive identification of fish species and knowledge of their distributions are important for management strategies in fisheries and biodiversity conservation. Commercial fish species were collected at sea, taken from fish markets or landing sites, or observed underwater during two field trips in 2018 and 2019. Twenty-three new records of commercial fish species from twelve families are reported from the Socotra Archipelago based on collections and/or photographs: Plicomugil labiosus (Valenciennes, 1836); Epinephelus magniscuttis Postel, Fourmanoir et Guézé, 1963; Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834); Epinephelus morrhua (Valenciennes, 1833); Epinephelus rivulatus (Valenciennes, 1830); Alectis indica (Rüppell, 1830); Carangoides fulvoguttatus (Forsskål, 1775); Parastromateus niger (Bloch, 1795); Selar crumenophthalmus (Bloch, 1793); Uraspis helvola (Forster, 1801); Gerres oblongus Cuvier, 1830; Etelis coruscans Valenciennes, 1862; Diplodus omanensis Bauchot et Bianchi, 1984; Polysteganus coeruleopunctatus (Klunzinger, 1870); Lethrinus crocineus Smith, 1959; Gymnocranius elongatus Senta, 1973; Gymnocranius sp.; Wattsia mossambica (Smith, 1957); Argyrosomus japonicus (Temminck et Schlegel, 1843); Umbrina robinsoni Gilchrist et Thompson, 1908; Polydactylus plebeius (Broussonet, 1782); Histiopterus typus Temminck et Schlegel, 1844; and Siganus sutor (Valenciennes, 1835). The presence of the following three species are confirmed for Socotra Archipelago: Epinephelus malabaricus (Bloch et Schneider, 1801); Pristipomoides filamentosus (Valenciennes, 1830); and Sphyraena obtusata Cuvier, 1829. The following species represent the first verified records for the Arabian region: Epinephelus magniscuttis, Etelis coruscans, Lethrinus crocineus, Wattsia mossambica, and Gymnocranius sp. Species of two families, Sciaenidae and Polynemidae are reported for Socotra for the first time. Information on each species’ identification and its distribution are provided. Twenty-three commercial species new for the Socotra Archipelago were reported in this study, as a result, a total of about 255 species of fish are considered as exploited in the local small-scale fishery

First record of Meganthias natalensis (Actinopterygii: Serranidae: Anthiadinae) from the Socotra Archipelago (north-western Indian Ocean), with notes on Odontanthias and Sacura

The anthiadine fish Meganthias natalensis (Fowler, 1925) is reported for the first time from the Socotra Archipelago based on a single female specimen of 27.5 cm standard length taken by hook-and-line off Abd al-Kuri Island at a depth of 100–120 m. The voucher specimen represents a substantial northern extension of the distributional range for the species and the first record for the Arabian region. A description of the specimen is provided and the distribution of the species in the Western Indian Ocean is summarized. The mitochondrial COI sequence matched vouchered Meganthias natalensis sequences from South Africa, confirming the species identification. A phenetic tree of COI sequences of available species of the genera Meganthias, Odontanthias, and Sacura is presented. It shows that the species form well-separated monophyletic lineages and the tree implies that the nominal genera Odontanthias and Sacura are paraphyletic and in need of a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis

New record of the spiny pufferfish, Tylerius spinosissimus (Regan, 1908), from Israel, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea (Actinopterygii: Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae)

The spiny pufferfish, Tylerius spinosissimus (Regan, 1908), is recorded for the first time from the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea, based on a specimen collected off Eilat, Israel at a depth of 350–400 m. This finding also confirms the occurrence of the species in the Red Sea which was previously based on an unsubstantiated record

New record of the Red scorpionfish, Scorpaena scrofa (Actinopterygii: Scorpaeniformes: Scorpaenidae) from deep waters off Israel, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea

This study examines the distribution of the red scorpionfish, Scorpaena scrofa Linnaeus, 1758, in the Red Sea, in order to get a better picture of the distribution and dispersal of this species. The species is recorded for the first time from the Gulf of Aqaba, based on a specimen collected off Eilat, Israel at a depth of 400 m. This finding also confirms the occurrence of the species in the Red Sea and links up with a recent record from Saya de Malha Bank, western Indian Ocean

Living Marine Resources of Kuwait, Eastern Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates

This field guide covers the major resource groups likely to be encountered in the fisheries of Kuwait, Eastern Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. It includes marine plants, shrimps, lobsters, crabs, bivalves, gastropods, cephalopods, sharks, batoid fishes, bony fishes, sea snakes, sea turtles, sea birds, and marine mammals. In order to serve as a tool for ecological and biodiversity studies, all species known from the Gulf of certain groups are included. These include the sharks, batoid fishes, bony fishes, sea turtles, and marine mammals. Each resource group is introduced by a general section on technical terms and measurements pertinent to that group and an illustrated guide to higher taxonomic groups when relevant. Species are then treated in a subsequent guide that includes scientific nomenclature, common English and Arabic names where available, size information, information on habitat, biology, and fisheries, diagnostic features, and one or more illustrations, some of which are included in color. The guide is fully indexed and a list of references is appended.https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/biology_books/1005/thumbnail.jp

Diversity and composition of estuarine and lagoonal fish assemblages of Socotra Island, Yemen

00001 ăWOS:000384300800021International audienceEstuarine and lagoonal surveys of Socotra Island and selected sites on the Hadhramout coast of Yemen were conducted with the objective of documenting and analysing fish diversity and assemblage structure. A total of 74 species in 35 families were recorded, among which 65 species in 32 families were from Socotra and 20 species in 17 families were from mainland Yemen. Twenty-one species represent new faunal records for Socotra. Including historic records re-examined in this study, the total fish species richness of estuaries and lagoons of Socotra Island reaches 76, which is relatively high compared to species inventories of well-researched coastal estuaries in southern Africa. Five species dominate the occurrence and abundance frequencies: Terapon jarbua, Hyporhamphus sindensis, Aphanius dispar, Ambassis gymnocephala and Chelon macrolepis. Rarefaction and extrapolation analyses suggest that the actual number of fish species inhabiting some of those estuaries might be higher than the one observed. Thus, additional sampling at specific sites should be conducted to record other less conspicuous species. Ordination and multivariate analyses identified four main distinct assemblage clusters. Two groups are geographically well structured and represent northern Socotra and mainland Yemen, respectively. The other two assemblage groups tend to be determined to a greater extent by the synchrony between physical (e.g. estuary opening periods) and biological (e.g. spawning and recruitment periods) variables than by geographical location. Finally, the single intertidal lagoon of Socotra represents by itself a specific fish assemblage. The high proportion of economically important fish species (38) recorded underscores the paramount importance of these coastal water bodies as nursery sites, and for sustaining vital provisioning ecosystem services