Marine Biodiversity Records

Research Article

First record of the dottyback Manonichthys alleni (Teleostei: Perciformes: Pseudochromidae) from the Philippines

Arthur R. Bosa1a2a3 c1 and Henny M. Smitsa4

a1 Department of Biology, School of Science and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, PO Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt

a2 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands

a3 Research Office, Davao del Norte State College, New Visayas, 8105 Panabo, Philippines

a4 Hydromax, Sta. Ana Wharf, Davao City 8000, Philippines

Abstract

Several specimens of the pseudochromid Manonichthys alleni, with total length ranging from 45 to 60 mm, were observed at depths of 19–28 m in a coral reef in the Davao Gulf in the southern Philippines. Each specimen lived within a separate colony of the tubular sponge Callyspongia aerizusa. This constitutes the first record in the Philippine archipelago of a dottyback so far only known from Indonesian and Malaysian waters.

(Received August 08 2012)

(Accepted March 26 2013)

Keywords

  • Callyspongia ;
  • Davao Gulf;
  • Mindanao;
  • Porifera;
  • Pseudochrominae;
  • Pseudochromis ;
  • symbiosis

Correspondence

c1 Correspondence should be addressed to: A.R. Bos, Department of Biology School of Science and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, PO Box 74, New Cairo 11835, Egypt email: arthurrbos@yahoo.com