Correlation between Coral Reef Condition and the Diversity and Abundance of Fishes and Sea Urchins on an East African Coral Reef

Coral reefs are one of the most diverse marine ecosystems, providing numerous ecosystem services. This present study investigated the relationship between coral reef condition and the diversity and abundance of fishes, on a heavily fished East African coral reef at Gazi Bay, Kenya. Underwater visual censuses were conducted on thirty 50 × 5 m belt transects to assess the abundance and diversity of fishes. In parallel, a 25-m length of each of the same transects was recorded with photo-quadrats to assess coral community structure and benthic characteristics. For statistical analyses, multi-model inference based on the Akaike Information Criterion was used to evaluate the support for potential predictor variables of coral reef and fish diversity. We found that coral genus richness was negatively correlated with the abundance of macroalgae, whereas coral cover was positively correlated with both the abundance of herbivorous invertebrates (sea urchins) and with fish family richness. Similarly, fish family richness appeared mainly correlated with coral cover and invertebrate abundance, although no correlates of fish abundance could be identified. Coral and fish diversity were very low, but it appears that, contrary to some locations on the same coast, sea urchin abundance was not high enough to be having a negative influence on coral and fish assemblages. Due to increasing threats to coral reefs, it is important to understand the relationship among the components of the coral reef ecosystem on overfished reefs such as that at Gazi Bay.

Biodiversity of commercially important groupers (Epinephelidae) in Aceh, Indonesia: A checklist

The groupers, locally known as “kerapu” in Indonesia, are commercially valuable fish in Indonesia, including Aceh. The groupers are the first fish family to be plundered in most countries’ fisheries industries. However, the biodiversity information of the groupers fished in Aceh is limited. This study was aimed to inventories the grouper species landed in Aceh fish landing sites. The data collection was performed in some fish landing locations (TPI) located in Aceh. In general, this study revealed that Aceh has high grouper diversity. In total, 35 species of the Epinephelidae family were recorded. Epinephelus was the dominant genus found, followed by Cephalopholis, Plectropomus, Variola, Aethaloperca, Anyperodon, and Hyporthodus. Simeulue, Weh island, and Banda Aceh were the locations with the highest diversity of grouper in Aceh. Overall, the data collected from this study would be beneficial for the future management plan of grouper in Aceh and Indonesia.

Presence of Conchoderma auritum and C. virgatum (Maxillopoda, Lepadidae) and Gloiopotes huttoni (Copepoda, Caligidae) on the black marlin, from the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico

This is the first report of coexistence of pedunculate barnacles, Conchoderma auritum and C. virgatum in the mouth, and with the copepod Gloiopotes huttoni in the precaudal zone, on the black marlin, Istiompax indica, a as host. This is also the first note of a new non-mammalian host for C. auritum. The host specimen was caught in sport fishing in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, eastern Pacific. A review of registered occurrences of the genus Conchoderma in species of the fish family Istiophoridae is provided.

Pleistophora typicalis. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].

A description is provided for Pleistophora typicalis, known only from Myoxocephalus scorpius, the shorthorn sculpin or bull-rout, M. quadricornis, the fourhorn sculpin, and Taurulus bubalis, the longspined bullhead, all 3 species of the fish family Cottidae (Scorpaeniformes). Some information on its morphology, dispersal and transmission and conservation status is given, along with details of its geographical distribution (Europe (France, Russia and UK)) and hosts (Myoxocephalus scorpius, M. quadricornis and Taurulus bubalis).

Hotspots for rockfishes, structural corals, and large-bodied sponges along the central coast of Pacific Canada

Biological hotspots are places with outstanding biodiversity features, and their delineation is essential to the design of marine protected areas (MPAs). For the Central Coast of Canada’s Northern Shelf Bioregion, where an MPA network is being developed, we identified hotspots for structural corals and large-bodied sponges, which are foundation species vulnerable to bottom contact fisheries, and for Sebastidae, a fish family which includes species that are long-lived (> 100 years), overexploited, evolutionary distinctive, and at high trophic levels. Using 11 years of survey data that spanned from inland fjords to oceanic waters, we derived hotspot indices that accounted for species characteristics and abundances and examined hotspot distribution across depths and oceanographic subregions. The results highlight previously undocumented hotspot distributions, thereby informing the placement of MPAs for which high levels of protection are warranted. Given the vulnerability of the taxa that we examined to cumulative fishery impacts, prospective MPAs derived from our data should be considered for interim protection measures during the protracted period between final network design and the enactment of MPA legislations. These recommendations reflect our scientific data, which are only one way of understanding the seascape. Our surveys did not cover many locations known to Indigenous peoples as biologically important. Consequently, Indigenous knowledge should also contribute substantially to the design of the MPA network.

Infection of the Parasitic Isopods on Commercial Fishes of the Northern Part of the East Coast of India

The present study report the parasitic isopod infection on commercial fishes of the northern part of the east coast of India collected during the period 2010-2015 from the marine water of Odisha and West Bengal. During the study, 394 isopods were collected after examining 2668 fishes. These include 14 species of isopods, out of which 13 belong to 5 genera under the family Cymothoidae, and a single species Alitropus typus belongs to the family: Aegidae. Of theses, 03 species viz., Catoessa boscii, Cymothoa eremita and Nerocila loveni are first record to the northern part of east coast of India. Out of the 2668 fishes examined, 326 examples belonging to 34 species under 19 different families were infected by different isopods. Member of the host fish family Carangidae was more parasitized by isopods, followed by Clupeidae, Scoberidae, and Leiognathidae. The dominant isopods were Nerocila phaiopleura and Catoessa boschii. The total prevalence was 12.21. The prevalence was high on the host fish Alepes djedaba and lowest on Lutjanus johnii. The total infection caused by genus Alitropus was 1.52%, Anilocra was 5.07%, Catoessa was 24.87%, Cymothoa was 0.25%, Nerocila was 65.73%, and Norileca was 2.55%. The isopod prevention was high during the post-monsoon and low during the monsoon period.

Effects of Polymetallic Ore Occurrences on Mercury Accumulation by Aquatic Biota in River Ecosystems

The study represents the data on metal content in the body of stoneflies Perla pallida Guerin-Meneville, 1838 (Plecoptera, Perlidae) and in muscles of the fish family Cyprinidae from the small tributaries of the Belaya River (Republic of Adygea, Northwest Caucasus) with ore mineralization of various metals including mercury. It was found that mercury (Hg) concentrations in stoneflies are corresponds to from the water basins without local Hg sources. Mercury content in stoneflies depends on season and is more intensive in early ontogenesis in winter than in the warm season. Mercury concentration in 0.01–0.72 mg/kg dry weight can cause the pathomorphological changes in the structure of organs and decrease the adaptive potential in competitive population of stoneflies, in general. The Hg concentration reached 0.09–0.69 mg/kg in the studied fish species (bleak, gudgeons, and barbels) and was similar to concentrations in stonefly larvae. This can be related with low size-weight parameters of fishes in samples as wells as with similar feeding patterns of hydrobionts.

Feeding preference of herbivorous fish: Family Scaridae

Parrotfish is one of dominant species in Indo-Pacific areas which have 9 genera and 83 species. In ecological perspective, the feeding behaviours of these fish very important, due to control population of algae in coral reef ecosystem. They used their jaw to excavate and scrape alga which living on coral substrata, so sometime resulted on erosion in substrates and coral. The aim of this research to record the diet preference of Scariids fish in NCF Putri Menjangan conservation area, Bali on January to february 2020. Group of Scariids fish was recorded by underwater camera for one minute then the bites scared were calculated manually and photographed. The result of study showed that 10 species from two genera (Chlorurus and Scarus) was dominantly herbivorous fish in this area. The highest number of fish bites at station 1 was obtained from S. qouyi species with a total of 41.27 bpm, while stations 2 and 3 were obtained from S. rivulatus species with a number of 40.96 bpm and 41.59 bpm, respectively. The majority of parrotfish species found chose to forage on dead coral with algae substrates because the water conditions were not optimal for the growth of coral, so many corals died and their skeletons were overgrown by algae.

The condition of reef fish (family Chaetodontidae) in Krueng Raya and Ujong Pancu waters, Aceh Besar District

This study aims to determine the condition of reef fish of the Chaetodontidae family in Krueng Raya and Ujong Pancu waters, Aceh Besar District. The study was conducted in October 2019, where six observation locations were representing the two regions. Fish observations were carried out using the Underwater Visual Census (UVC) method. The results of the study found four genera of Chaetodontidae fish consisting of 21 species. Benteng Inong Balee Station is the location with the highest number of individuals and species of Chaetodontidae fish, 38 individuals belonging to 11 species. On the other hand, Lhok Mee Station is the location with the least number of individuals and species of Chaetodontidae fish found, only 13 individuals belonging to 6 species. The highest abundance of Chaetodontidae fish was found at Ahmad Rhang Mayang Station (521.11 ind/ha). Meanwhile, the least abundance of Chaetodontidae fish was found at Lhok Mee Station, ( 115.38 ind/ha). The number of species, Krueng Raya waters have a higher number of Chaetodontidae fish species than Ujong Pancu waters. On the other hand, the abundance value Ujong Pancu waters have a higher average abundance value of Chaetodontidae fish than Krueng Raya waters. Overall, based on the biological index, the community structure of reef fish of the Chaetodontidae is still stable. Compared to previous study, the present study shows that, within a period of 6 years, the condition of Chaetodontidae fish in Aceh Besar waters has increased in the number of species, abundance, and diversity of fish.