Marine Biodiversity Records

Research Article

Seven new records of fish (Teleostei: Perciformes) from coral reefs and pelagic habitats in southern Mindanao, the Philippines

Arthur R. Bosa1a2a3 c1 and Girley S. Gumanaoa4

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

a2 John D. Gerhart Field Station, The American University in Cairo, Kafr El-Gouna, Egypt

a3 Department of Marine Zoology, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands

a4 Research Office, Davao del Norte State College, New Visayas, 8105 Panabo, Philippines

Abstract

Seven coral reef-associated and deep-water fish species were found in a local fish market on Samal Island in the Davao Gulf, constituting the first records for the Philippine archipelago. The specific geographical distributions of Eumegistus illustris (Bramidae), Paracaesio kusakarii (Lutjanidae) and Saloptia powelli (Serranidae) are greatly enlarged by these observations. The first records of Ariomma brevimanum (Ariommatidae), Brama orcini (Bramidae), Aulacocephalus temminckii (Serranidae) and Pseudanthias fasciatus (Serranidae) confirm the Indo-Pacific-wide distributions of these species. In contrast to the other records, A. brevimanum and B. orcini were encountered regularly and length–weight relationships, not earlier provided in the scientific literature, were calculated. We also measured the largest specimen ever for B. orcini (total length of 420 mm). These observations substantiate the uniqueness of the poorly-studied fauna of the southern Philippines and underline the importance of marine Philippine fauna within the Coral Triangle.

(Received April 06 2013)

(Accepted June 10 2013)

Keywords

  • Ariommatidae;
  • biodiversity;
  • Bramidae;
  • Celebes Sea;
  • Coral Triangle;
  • Davao Gulf;
  • Lutjanidae;
  • Serranidae

Correspondence

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