Mangrove fishes of New Guinea

Abstract

Fishes were collected with rotenone from 14 mangrove swamps, 2 in northern Australia, 6 in Papua New Guinea and 6 in Irian Jaya. Over 200 species from 58 families were found. The 12 families found in the most mangrove swamps were Hemiramphidae (13 of 14), Gobiidae (13), Apogonidae (13), Tetraodontidae (10), Blenniidae (10), Lutjanidae (9), Ophichthidae (9), Eleotridae (8), Pomacentridae (8), Toxotidae (8), Ambassidae (8), and Siganidae (7). The number of families collected per mangrove swamp ranged from 9 to 25, the number of species from 12 to 57, and the number of specimens from 59 to 818. Among the most abundant species in some mangroves were two anchovies (Thrissina baelama and Stolephorus commersonii), a cardinalfish (Apogon lateralis), two ambassids (Ambassis interruptus and Priopidichthys gymnocephalus), an atherinid (Atherinomorous endrachtensis), a pomacentrid (Neopomacentrus taeniurus), and a goby (Oligolepis moloanus). Species found in the most mangroves were the archerfish Toxotes jaculator, a blenny Omox biporos and a cardinalfish Apogon lateralis (8 of 14); a cardinalfish Fowleria cf. marmorata, two gobies, Acentrogobius cf. triangularis and Pandaka cf. pygmaea (7); a pipefish Hippichthys spicifèr, a third species of cardinalfish Sphaeramia orbicularis, three gobies, Oligolepis moloanus, Parioglossus sp., and Yongeichthys cf. nebulosus, and an elebtrid Eleotris cf. fusca (6). Comparisons are made between the New Guinea mangrove fish fauna and the mangrove fishes in 7 other studies from North Borneo, South Viet Nam, India, Madagascar, Florida, and Puerto Rico.