First records of the seamoth, Pegasus nanhaiensis (Actinopterygii: Syngnathiformes: Pegasidae), from the southern South China Sea, with notes on fresh coloration

Three seamoth specimens (45.5–56.9 mm standard length; SL) (Syngnathiformes: Pegasidae), originally identified as Pegasus laternarius Cuvier, 1829, but now recognized as representing P. nanhaiensis Zhang, Wang et Lin, 2020, a species recently described from the northern South China Sea off Yangjiang and Beihai, China, were obtained at a local fish market in Maha Chai, Samut Sakhon Province, Thailand on 6 July 2012, having been caught in the northern Gulf of Thailand. In addition, single specimens, reported as P. laternarius or Spinipegasus laternarius from Bidong Island, South China Sea off the Malay Peninsula (46.1 mm SL) and from Ko Kradat, Trat Province, eastern Gulf of Thailand (66.1 mm SL), were re-identified here as P. nanhaiensis. Thai specimens and Malaysian record represent the first records of P. nanhaiensis from Thailand and Malaysia, respectively, and from outside Chinese coastal waters. Additionally, the Bidong specimen is the southernmost record for the species. The fresh coloration of P. nanhaiensis is described for the first time.

A Review of Human-Elephant Ecological Relations in the Malay Peninsula: Adaptations for Coexistence

Understanding the relationship between humans and elephants is of particular interest for reducing conflict and encouraging coexistence. This paper reviews the ecological relationship between humans and Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in the rainforests of the Malay Peninsula, examining the extent of differentiation of spatio-temporal and trophic niches. We highlight the strategies that people and elephants use to partition an overlapping fundamental niche. When elephants are present, forest-dwelling people often build above-the-ground shelters; and when people are present, elephants avoid open areas during the day. People are able to access several foods that are out of reach of elephants or inedible; for example, people use water to leach poisons from tubers of wild yams, use blowpipes to kill arboreal game, and climb trees to access honey. We discuss how the transition to agriculture affected the human–elephant relationship by increasing the potential for competition. We conclude that the traditional foraging cultures of the Malay Peninsula are compatible with wildlife conservation.

Quaternary landscape dynamics boosted species dispersal across Southeast Asia

Sundaland, the inundated shelf separating Java, Sumatra and Borneo from the Malay Peninsula, is of exceptional interest to biogeographers for its species richness and its position at the junction between the Australasian and Indomalay biogeographic provinces. Owing to its low elevation and relief, its physiography is contingent on relative sea-level change, which drove Quaternary species burst in response to flooding episodes. New findings show that the region was predominantly terrestrial during the Late Pleistocene requiring a reassessment of the drivers of its recent biodiversity history. Here we show that physiographic changes have modified the regional connectivity network and remodelled the pathways of species dispersal. From combined landscape evolution and connectivity models, we found four phases of drainage reorganisation and river captures. These changes have fragmented the environment into multiple habitats connected by migratory corridors that cover 8% of the exposed shelf and stretch across the biogeographic provinces. Our results support the theory that rapidly evolving physiography could foster Quaternary biodiversification across Southeast Asia.

A breeding record of the brown hawk owl (Ninox scutulata) in Assam, India

The brown hawk owl, Ninox scutulata (Raffles, 1822) is a common, medium sized bird of prey on the Indian subcontinent and listed as of least concern. Its distribution range extends up to eastern Siberia, Japan, the Andmans, the Malay Peninsula, the Great and Lesser Sundas, Wallacea, Taiwan, the Philippines and Australia. There are 11 well documented subspecies across this wide distribution. A pair of brown hawk owls was observed nesting on a Dillenia indica tree (Family Dilleniaceae), in Guwahati, Kamrup District, Assam, India. The nest was in a cavity at a height of about 4 m. The tree was about 14 m tall and the main trunk was about 7 m in girth. It had a dense canopy with its large elliptical leaves.

GENEALOGY, DIASPORA, AND DA’WAH: The Religious Role of Sheikh Ibrahim al-Hadhrami in Pattani and Java

There are several problems in the historiography of Islam Nusantara nowadays. One of them is the lack of written sources, especially during the XIV-XV centuries. It was a significant period when the early generation of preachers (Walisongo) played a significant role in spreading Islam in the archipelago. Because of the limitations of written sources, some scholars assume Walisongo as a myth. This article aims to reveal the genealogy, sanad, and religious roles of one of the early Walisongo, Shaykh Ibrahim al-Hadrami, in Pattani and Java. This study applied historical research methods. It relied on critical testing and analysis, including heuristics, verification, interpretation, and historiography. Besides, the findings showed the continuity of the genealogy and sanad of Shaykh Ibrahim al-Hadrami and his descendants. They formed a network of Ulama and da’wah centers in Pattani and Java. In Pattani, Islamic preaching centers built by Sheikh Ibrahim al-Hadrami were continued by his descendants, such as Sheikh Ahmad bin Muhammad Zain al-Fathani and Sheikh Daud al-Fathani. They developed in Kedah, Kelantan, and several areas in the Malay Peninsula. Meanwhile, in Java, the centers of Islamic da’wah built by Sheikh Ibrahim al-Hadrami were continued by his two sons, Raden Rahmat (Sunan Ampel) and Raden Ali Murtadla (Sunan Gresik) and their descendants. Therefore, Islam developed throughout Java.الملخص : بعض مشاكل التاريخ الإسلامي في الأرخبيل لا تزال تطفو على السطح حتى الآن. منها، أنّ المصادر المكتوبة غير متوفّرة. خاصّة في القرن XV-XIV رغم أنّ تلك الفترة، فترة مهمّة حيث يلجأ الجيل المبكّر من الدواعي (والي سونغو) دوراً هامّاً في نشر الإسلام في الأرخبيل. بعض العلماء يعتبرون والي سونغو أسطورة، لأنّ المصادر المكتوبة محدودة. للمساهمة في الدراسة القائمة، تهدف هذه المادّة إلى الكشف عن الأنساب والسند والدور الديني من أحد الجيل الأوّل من والي سونغو – الشيخ إبراهيم الحضرمي- في باتاني وجاوى. تستخدم هذه الدراسة طرق البحث التاريخية التي تعتمد على الاختبار والتحليل النقدي بما في ذلك الاستدلال والتحقّق والتفسير والتأريخ. تظهر هذه الدراسة استمرارية أنساب وسند الشيخ إبراهيم الحضرمي وذريته الذين يشكلون شبكة من مراكز العلماء والدعوة في باتاني وجاوى. في باتاني، استمرّت مراكز الدعوة الإسلامية التي بناها الشيخ إبراهيم الحضرمي من قبل ذريته مثل الشيخ أحمد بن محمّد زين الفتحاني والشيخ داوود الفتحاني الذي تطوّر في كيدا وكلنتان وعدّة مناطق في شبه جزيرة الملايو. وفي نفس الوقت، استمرّت مراكز الدعوة الإسلامية في جاوى التي بناها الشيخ إبراهيم الحضرمي من قبل ولديه، رادين رحمة (سونان أمبل) ورادين عليّ مرتضى (سونان جريسيك) وذريتهم، حتى تطوّر الإسلام في جميع أنحاء جاوى.Abstrak: Beberapa permasalahan dalam historiografi Islam Nusantara sampai saat ini masih terus mengemuka, salah satunya adalah kurangnya sumber tertulis, khususnya masa abad XIV-XV. Padahal masa tersebut merupakan masa yang sangat penting dimana generasi awal para pendakwah (Walisongo) memainkan peranan signifikan dalam menyebarkan Islam di Nusantara. Keterbatasan sumber tertulis menjadikan sebagian cendekiawan menganggap Walisongo sebagai mitos. Untuk berkontribusi pada studi yang ada, artikel ini bertujuan untuk mengungkap silsilah, sanad dan peran keagamaan salah satu Walisongo generasi awal, yakni Syaikh Ibrahim al-Hadrami di Pattani dan Jawa. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode penelitian sejarah yang bertumpu pada pengujian dan analisis kritis meliputi heuristik, verifikasi, interpretasi, dan historiografi. Kajian ini menunjukkan ketersambungan silsilah dan sanad Syaikh Ibrahim al Hadrami serta keturunannya yang membentuk jejaring Ulama dan sentra-sentra dakwah di Pattani dan Jawa. Di Pattani, sentra-sentra dakwah Islam yang dibangun Syaikh Ibrahim al-Hadrami dilanjutkan oleh keturunannya, seperti Syaikh Ahmad bin Muhammad Zain al-Fathani and Syaikh Daud al-Fathani yang berkembang di Kedah, Kelantan dan beberapa kawasan di Semenanjung Melayu. Sedangkan di Jawa, sentra-sentra dakwah Islam yang dibangun Syaikh Ibrahim al-Hadrami dilanjutkan oleh kedua putranya, Raden Rahmat (Sunan Ampel) dan Raden Ali Murtadla (Sunan Gresik) beserta keturunannya sehingga Islam berkembang diseluruh wilayah tanah Jawa.

Sediment Sources and Dispersion on the Western Sunda Shelf, Malay Peninsula, Southern South China Sea

Thirty-nine surface sediment samples collected from the western Sunda Shelf off the Malay Peninsula (WSSMP) in the southern South China Sea (SCS) were analysed for grain size, major and trace elemental compositions, and light/heavy mineral contents to trace the sediment sources and their transport mechanisms in the study area. In the WSSMP, the surface sediments are relatively poorly sorted but transportable. A principal component analysis of 37 elements and grain size fractions indicates that the surface sediments can be grouped into four major assemblages in the study area. Integrating with the light/heavy minerals data in the 63–125 μm fractions of the surface sediment samples, to better trace the sediment sources of the coarse-grained components in the marine environment, the study area can be further divided into four sediment provinces. Province I is located in the northwestern part of the study area. The concentrations of TiO2, Na2O, garnet, siderite, and glauconite in Province I were higher than in the other provinces. The main sediment source for this province originated from the Kelantan River and the Gulf of Thailand transported by the northeastern monsoon current. Province II is located offshore of the Pahang and Endau Rivers. The percentages of TiO2, rare earth elements, Al2O3, quartz, plagioclase, hypersthene, and magnetite in the surface sediments were typically higher in this province than in the other provinces. The Pahang and Endau rivers provide most of the sediments to this province, which are transported by southward coastal currents. Province III is located in the northeastern and eastern parts of the study area, where the coarse-grained sediment fraction had relatively high hornblende and biotite contents. Sediments in this province are mostly transported from the Mekong River during the northeastern monsoon. The other parts of the study area belong to Province IV, where the surface sediment elemental and mineral concentrations were mostly between those of the other three provinces. Therefore, we suggest that Province IV has a mixed source due to inputs from the surrounding rivers.

Barrier to Gene Flow of Grey Mangrove Avicennia marina Populations in the Malay Peninsula as Revealed From Nuclear Microsatellites and Chloroplast Haplotypes

Contemporary mangrove forest areas took shape historically and their genetic connectivity depends on sea-faring propagules, subsequent settlement, and persistence in suitable environments. Mangrove species world-wide may experience genetic breaks caused by major land barriers or opposing ocean currents influencing their population genetic structure. For Malay Peninsula, several aquatic species showed strong genetic differentiation between East and West coast regions due to the Sunda shelf flooding since the Last Glacial Maximum. In this study genetic diversity and structure of Avicennia marina populations in Malay Peninsula were assessed using nuclear microsatellite markers and chloroplast sequences. Even though all populations showed identical morphological features of A. marina, three evolutionary significant units were obtained with nuclear and cytoplasmic markers. Avicennia marina along a 586 km stretch of the West coast differed strongly from populations along an 80 km stretch of the East coast featuring chloroplast capture of Avicennia alba in an introgressive A. marina. Over and above this expected East-West division, an intra-regional subdivision was detected among A. marina populations in the narrowest region of the Strait of Malacca. The latter genetic break was supported by an amova, structure, and barrier analysis whereas RST > FST indicated an evolutionary signal of long-lasting divergence. Two different haplotypes along the Western coast showed phylogeographic relationship with either a northern or a putative southern lineage, thereby assuming two Avicennia sources facing each other during Holocene occupation with prolonged separation in the Strait of Malacca. Migrate-n model testing supported a northward unidirectional stepping-stone migration route, although with an unclear directionality at the genetic break position, most likely due to weak oceanic currents. Low levels of genetic diversity and southward connectivity was detected for East coast Avicennia populations. We compared the fine-scale spatial genetic structure (FSGS) of Avicennia populations along the exposed coast in the East vs. the sheltered coast in the West. A majority of transects from both coastlines revealed no within-site kinship-based FSGS, although the remoteness of the open sea is important for Avicennia patches to maintain a neighborhood. The results provide new insights for mangrove researchers and managers for future in-depth ecological-genetic-based species conservation efforts in Malay Peninsula.

The Expansion of Penang under the East India Company

This study highlights that the British had long experiences in the Malay Peninsula before Francis Light’s acquisition and development of Penang, due to the central role of Malayan ports such as Kedah, Takuapa, Langkasuka, Terengganu, Palembang, Siak, and Malacca in global trade between China and India. Under the influence of Islam, Malacca (and, to a lesser extent, Kedah) became a Muslim Sultanate and reached its peak in this trading network, which attracted European traders (and subsequent colonialism), initially from Portugal and Spain, and later France, the Netherlands, and Britain. After the East India Company attained hegemony in India, it was strongly placed to extend its power from its presidencies in Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras. The EIC’s main focus was Bengal, where the Company founded the Fort William College as its headquarters in Calcutta. As trade with China became more important, the Malay Peninsula commensurately became a more attractive destination for investment due to its closer proximity to the Chinese sea lanes, and closer access to the Indo-Malay hinterlands and their products. In 1784, the EIC sent Kinloch to Aceh but he was unsuccessful in negotiating to establish a factory there. Nevertheless, they succeeded in establishing a foothold in Malaya with Francis Light’s embassy to Riau, Kedah, and Penang. Kedah also became prosperous under the Muslim Sultanates. Many Chinese and Indian merchants were settled there, benefitting from the trade in jungle products like camphor, betelnut, bird nests, situated near the Kedah River, was identified as a strategic location. Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Abidin Muazzam Shah II of Kedah (r. 1710-1778) at that time was facing many internal as well as external conflicts. His son Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah (r. 1778-1797) also suffered the same fate. As a result of internal crisis and dynastic intrigues, he agreed to lease Penang to the EIC in exchange for military assistance in 1785. In July 1786, Francis Light sailed from Calcutta and reached Penang in August, and thus Penang became an EIC stronghold.