New species of fresh water fish found

Verenaisi Raicola
Thursday, July 22, 2010

TWO new scientific papers have been published highlighting the discovery of two new species of freshwater fishes unique to Fiji and only known from two river systems in Vanua Levu.

Wetlands International-Oceania staff Aaron Jenkins and Kinikoto Mailautoka made the new discoveries as part of surveys for the Ecosystem Based Management project.

This month, the scientific paper entitled "Hippichthys albomaculosus, a new species of freshwater pipefish (Pisces: Syngnathidae) from Fiji" was released in Aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, co-authored by Mr Jenkins and Kinikoto Mailautoka.

This handsome pipefish was found in a small mangrove lined tributary near the mouth of the Dreketi River and is distinguished from other species by several characteristics including 10-11 white spots on the lower trunk region.

This species reaches around 9cm long and the males carry the eggs in a trunk pouch until they hatch.

This paper is significant as not only is it Fiji's newest endemic animal species, it is the first new freshwater pipefish (related to a seahorse) to be discovered in about the past 30 years.

Taxonomic description work was all done in-country, based out of the USP and, recognising the capacity being built in country, the second author is the first indigenous Fijian to have co-authored a new species of fish.

The second new species of fish was also first collected by the Wetlands International-Oceania team but described overseas by Dr. Helen Larson of the Northern Territory Museum.

As part of a large review paper last month in the international journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, the new freshwater goby, Redigobius lekutu has been described.

The species gains its name from the Lekutu river where it was first discovered although it is also now known from the Dreketi river system.

This species is significant as it also is only known from Vanua Levu and only generally in clean water in the upper catchment areas of these two rivers with high forest cover and nowhere else on earth.

It only reaches about 2.5 cm in length and is threatened by catchment disturbances such as logging, invasive species and gravel extraction in particular.

Mr Jenkins, a fish biologist who manages Wetlands International work in the region and also represents Oceania to the global IUCN/WI Freshwater Fish Specialist Group states, "These recent publications are timely to help remind us of the unique and fragile nature of Fijian freshwaters and aquatic biodiversity. Only over the last decade or so are we beginning to gain a clear picture of the global uniqueness of Fijian and other Pacific Island freshwater fish faunas."

http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=152099