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Thrissina supra sp. nov. is described based on 15 specimens collected from Sindh, Pakistan. The new species is closely related to Thrissina whiteheadi (Wongratana 1983), which is herein redescribed, both species having a relatively long upper jaw with the posterior tip slightly beyond the opercle posterior margin, the snout tip above the eye center level, similar numbers of gill rakers, ventral scutes, and fin rays, and the first supramaxilla absent. However, the former is characterized by higher counts of longitudinal scale rows (45–47 vs. 40–42 in T. whiteheadi), transverse scales (12 or 13 vs. 10 or 11), total gill rakers on the first, second, third, and fourth gill arches [35–39, 33–37, 22–24, and 18–22, respectively vs. 30–34 (rarely 36), 29–32 (34), 19–21 (23), and 15–18 (14, 19), respectively], and branched anal-fin rays [42–45 (rarely 40) vs. 39–42 (43)], a longer snout (3.7–4.1% SL vs. 3.1–3.6%), pelvic fin (9.0–10.4% SL vs. 7.7–9.0%), and mandible (17.3–18.3% SL vs. 15.4–17.2%), a shorter pelvic-fin insertion to anal-fin origin distance (17.0–18.8% SL vs. 19.1–24.2%), and distinct paired dark lines along the dorsum from the occiput to the caudal-fin base (vs. uniformly distributed dorsal melanophores).

The population dynamics of Stolephorus commersonnii (Lacepède, 1803) from a ringnet fishery operating off the northern coast of Tanga Region were evaluated based on monthly length-frequency data collected from August 2016 to August 2017. The total length (TL) and total weight (TW) of 14,410 individuals ranged from 22 to 130 mm and from 0.39 to 14.64 g respectively. S. commersonnii exhibited a negative allometric growth pattern with the length-weight relationship model: W = 0.00001 x L2.886. The von Bertalanffy growth function was Lt = 86.03 x (1 – e–1.19(t – (–0.01))) using ELEFAN I from the FiSAT II software tool package. Growth performance index and longevity were estimated at (ɸ) = 3.9 and Tmax = 2.5 yrs, respectively. The total (Z), fishing (F) and natural (M) mortalities were determined at 1.39, 0.53 and 0.86 yr-1, respectively. The current exploitation rate (Ecur) was estimated at 0.38. S. commersonnii exhibited a year-round breeding pattern, with two recruitment peaks in March and June/July. Length-at-first-capture (Lc50) and length-at-first-sexual maturity (Lm50) were 40.51 and 57.35 mm TL, respectively, suggesting growth overfishing. The stock of anchovy indicates an overfishing scenario requiring management intervention such as reducing fishing effort levels, increasing mesh sizes and introducing seasonal closures during peak spawning periods.

Relationships between fish length and otolith length, width and mass were examined in the Australian anchovy Engraulis australis (White, 1790) recovered from the food of Gannet examined from colonies at islands of Horuhoru Rock and Mahuki Islands in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand. The relationships between otolith length- fish total length (TL), otolith-weight-TL, and otolith-width-TL were investigated by means of non-linear regression models (TL = 0.54 OL 16.86, TL = 4.39 OW 7.61 and TL = 26.19 OWe 2.2). This study characterizes the first reference available on the relationship of fish size and otolith size and weight for E. australis obtained from bird’s food in the Pacific Ocean region

The aim of this study is to update the list of fish species in order to increase the knowledge about biodiversity of commercially important fishes of Puducherry coastal waters. This study also concentrated on the availability and threatened status of commercially important fish species. A total of 88 fish species under 36 families and 11 orders has been collected during the study. Order Perciformes were made up to 65% with 23 families and 58 species followed by Clupeidae 15% with 3 families and 13 species. Clupeiformes stand on top in the catch followed by perches and mackerel’s. The study revealed that there were noteworthy variations found in the ichthyofaunal diversity. Among the 36 families, only 27 families were seen in the caught without any depletion. Order Beloniformes and Gadiformes showed sudden appearance in the catch which were not seen for the past 7 years. IUCN status of 88species were studied, about 63% of species were under least concern and 8% near threatened, 3% vulnerable category, 7% data deficient, 19% not evaluated. Anthropogenic activities affect aquatic habitats leading to loss of many species as well as bring changes in the species composition. Therefore, ichthyofaunal diversity studies on regular basis are essential for sustainable management.

We record for the first time, Corica soborna Hamilton, 1822 from Godavari River, based on a single specimen collected from stream near Talai Village, Kumaram Bheem Asifabad District of Telengana State. In addition to a detailed description of its morphological characters, we also provide details on distribution, habitat and threats to the species.

The Atlantic thread herring Opisthonema oglinum, also known as Bermuda herring belongs to the family Clupeidae (Clupeiformes). Because of their economic and ecological importance, this species has been the target of several scientific studies. However, this is the first study of population genetics in O. oglinum. We sampled individuals of O. oglinum from seven localities along the Brazilian coast in South Atlantic, totaling 225 DNA sequences of control region in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The present results revealed no deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium as well as the presence of a single gene pool since high gene flow and non-significant population structure have been detected among populations. The D (Tajima) and Fs (Fu) neutrality tests were negative. In spite of non-significant D values, all Fs estimates were significant, indicating population expansion.

Encrasicholina integra sp. nov. is described from 10 specimens collected in Manokwari, West Papua, Indonesia. The new species is most similar to Encrasicholina oligobranchus (Wongratana 1983), which is redescribed, in sharing a short upper jaw with the posterior tip just reaching to the preopercle anterior margin, the dorsal and anal fins with three unbranched rays, a bony urohyal without fleshy knobs, and similar numbers of gill rakers. However, the former is characterized by a shorter head (its length 25.9–27.2% SL vs. 28.3–29.8% in E. oligobranchus), maxilla (its length 17.1–18.3% SL vs. 19.0–20.7%), and mandible (its length 17.5–18.7% SL vs. 19.1–20.5%), in addition to a deeper body (its depth 15.1–16.4% SL vs. 13.3–15.3%) and longer pelvic fin (9.3–10.2% SL vs. 8.7–9.4%).

Dussumieria albulina (Fowler 1934), formerly regarded as a junior synonym of Dussumieria acuta Valenciennes 1847, is shown to be a valid species and is redescribed on the basis of 29 specimens, including the holotype. Although the two species resemble each other morphologically, sharing body scales with numerous longitudinal striae posteriorly, a deep body, 26 or fewer lower gill rakers on the first gill arch, and 15 or fewer branchiostegal rays, the former is distinguished by lacking parasphenoid teeth (vs. distinct conical teeth on parasphenoid in D. acuta), higher gill raker counts (total gill rakers on first gill arch 33–41 vs. 30–38), a rather slender body (20.6–24.4% SL vs. 23.4–28.2% SL in individuals of D. acuta > 75 mm SL), and melanophores scattered on the 3rd to 9th (vs. 1st to 5th) pectoral-fin rays from the uppermost ray. Analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene in both species showed them to be separated by 12% mean p-distance. A redescription of D. acuta is also provided.

Two Japanese specimens of the Samoan anchovy, Stolephorus apiensis (Jordan et Seale, 1906), previously known only from Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Samoa, were confirmed during a revisionary taxonomic study of the genus. Although S. apiensis has been redescribed recently, details of its distributional range and habitat have remained unclear. The presently reported study sought to clarify some aspects of both. Two specimens of S. apiensis were examined, counts and proportional measurements following Hata and Motomura (2017). All measurements were made with digital calipers to the nearest 0.01 mm. Institutional codes follow Sabaj (2019). Two specimens, collected from Japanese river estuaries, represent the first Northern Hemisphere records of S. apiensis, extending the northern limit of the species’ distribution by approx. 4300 km. Stolephorus apiensis is considered to be widely distributed in the western Pacific from southern Japan to Samoa, most likely as a sometime inhabitant of estuarine waters. The new standard Japanese name “Nampu-ainokoiwashi” is proposed for the species.

Thrissina belvedere sp. nov. is described from 14 specimens collected in Ha Long Bay, northern Vietnam. The new species is closely related to Thrissina chefuensis (Gunther 1874) (redescribed herein), both species having a short upper jaw with the posterior tip slightly shortened to the posterior margin of the preopercle, an indistinct black blotch on the nape (but not on the dorsum just before the dorsal-fin origin), and similar numbers of scutes on the ventral edge of the body. However, the former is characterized by higher total gill-raker counts on the first, second, third, and fourth gill arches, and the third gill arch posterior face (59–66, 53–59, 33–37, 25–29, 7–10 respectively vs. 50–57, 44–52, 29–35, 23–27, and 5–8 in T. chefuensis), fewer branched anal-fin rays [24–27 vs. 24–30 (usually 27–29)], a deeper body (body depth 25.6–27.9% SL vs. 21.9–26.0%, the distance between the dorsal and anal fin origins 29.6–31.7% SL vs. 26.1–30.2%, and the caudal-peduncle depth 10.5–11.7% SL vs. 8.8–10.6%).

Although four species of the engraulid genus Thrissina (often regarded as Thryssa) have previously been recorded from waters around Taiwan, Thrissina encrasicholoides (Bleeker, 1852), known from the eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans (north to the Philippines), has not been to date. However, two specimens (100.1 and 100.6 mm standard length) of T. encrasicholoides were collected from south-western Taiwan. Their morphology and fresh coloration are described, the former being largely consistent with previous descriptions of the species: short maxilla, its posterior tip blunt, slightly beyond anterior margin of preopercle; 14 or 17 keeled scutes; and one scute weakly developed and lacking a ventral edge projection, immediately behind the isthmus. The specimens represent the first record of the species from Taiwanese waters and the northernmost record of the species.

Sariakandi fish pass is unique connecting Jamuna and Bangali rivers through an engineered channel. A study was conducted on the fish pass aiming to improve fish diversity in north-west Bangladesh. Sampling at the fish pass, market census, interviewing the locals and focus group discussion were done to collect data from the study area. A total of 69 fish species under 9 orders and 26 families were recorded. Cypriniformes (22 species) was the most dominant order followed by Siluriformes (21 species), Perciformes (13 species), Clupeiformes (4 species), Synbranchiformes (4 species), Osteoglossiformes (2 species), Mugiliformes (1 species), Anguilliformes (1 species) and Tetraodontiformes (1 species). In total 30 threatened species in Bangladesh and globally recognized 9 species were recorded. This fish pass is not working during the dry or winter seasons but helps in the diversified fish migration diversity of Bengali and Jamuna river system during the flood time of Bangladesh. The present study recommends establishing effective fish passages in flood protection structures or dams in Bangladesh to retain the connectivity of fish migration routes and the improving of fish diversity. J. Biodivers. Conserv. Bioresour. Manag. 2019, 5(2): 53-62

Background The hydrogeological history of Lake Tanganyika paints a complex image of several colonization and adaptive radiation events. The initial basin was formed around 9-12 million years ago (MYA) from the predecessor of the Malagarasi-Congo River and only 5-6 MYA, its sub-basins fused to produce the clear, deep waters of today. Next to the well-known radiations of cichlid fishes, the lake also harbours a modest clade of only two clupeid species, Stolothrissatanganicae and Limnothrissamiodon. They are members of Pellonulini, a tribe of clupeid fishes that mostly occur in freshwater and that colonized West and Central-Africa during a period of high sea levels during the Cenozoic. There is no consensus on the phylogenetic relationships between members of Pellonulini and the timing of the colonization of Lake Tanganyika by clupeids. Results We use short-read next generation sequencing of 10X Chromium libraries to sequence and assemble the full mitochondrial genomes of S.tanganicae and L.miodon. We then use Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference to place them into the phylogeny of Pellonulini and other clupeiforms, taking advantage of all available full mitochondrial clupeiform genomes. We identify Potamothrissaobtusirostris as the closest living relative of the Tanganyika sardines and confirm paraphyly for Microthrissa. We estimate the divergence of the Tanganyika sardines around 3.64 MYA [95% CI: 0.99, 6.29], and from P.obtusirostris around 10.92 MYA [95% CI: 6.37-15.48]. Conclusions These estimates imply that the ancestor of the Tanganyika sardines diverged from a riverine ancestor and entered the proto-lake Tanganyika around the time of its formation from the Malagarasi-Congo River, and diverged into the two extant species at the onset of deep clearwater conditions. Our results prompt a more thorough examination of the relationships within Pellonulini, and the new mitochondrial genomes provide an important resource for the future study of this tribe, e.g. as a reference for species identification, genetic diversity, and macroevolutionary studies. LJMM is supported by her Nord University PhD grant 224000-131. LJMM and JAMR are further supported by JAMR’s start-up grant at Nord University, covering sequencing costs. The Special Research Fund of Hasselt University fnances LJMM (BOF19DOC31) and MPMV (BOF20TT06). MPMV is further supported by Czech Science Foundation standard project GA19-13573S and Hasselt University Global Minds project GM2O18INITO7. ELRDK was funded through VLIR-UOS (VLADOC scholarship NDOC2016PR006 and South Initiative project CD2018SIN218A101) and BOF Seal of Excellence of University of Antwerp. We thank Dovetail genomics for sequencing of the NGS data, Mathieu Tachon, Amalia Mailli, Armando J. Cruz-Laufer for their help with custom scripts, and Michael Matschiner for advice on divergence time dating.

Unusual development of a filamentous extension of the lower caudal-fin lobe was observed in eight male individuals of the Lessepsian migrant fish species Nemipterus randalli, collected from Gokova Bay, south-eastern Mediterranean Sea. It is suggested that this phenotypic trait is related to the highly successful invasion of this species in the eastern Mediterranean and may be associated with a shift towards either sexual dimorphism or a change in feeding behavior in a new environment.

Dussumieria torpedo, new species, is described from 18 specimens collected off the East African coast from Tanzania to South Africa. The new species closely resembles Dussumieria albulina in that both species have a deep body and a parasphenoid without teeth. However, D. torpedo, new species, is distinguished from D. albulina by having small pores posteriorly on the body scales (vs. numerous longitudinal striae posteriorly in D. albulina), a longer maxilla (33.4–34.9% of head length vs. 30.4–34.9% [less than 33.3% in specimens larger than 85 mm standard length]) and mandible (48.5–51.9% of head length vs. 44.8–50.6%), a greater number of pseudobranchial filaments (19–23 vs. 17–21), and indistinct melanophores scattered on the pectoral-fin rays (vs. distinct). A molecular analysis, which compared nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene of the new species with those of all other valid species of Dussumieria, revealed that D. torpedo, new species, has >9% mean p-distance divergence from its congeners.

Unidentified opistognathid. Lissner and Dorsey (1986) observed from a manned submersible a jawfish they were unable to identify at Tanner��� Cortes Bank, southern California., Published as part of Love, Milton S., Bizzarro, Joseph J., Cornthwaite, Maria, Frable, Benjamin W. & Maslenikov, Katherine P., 2021, Checklist of marine and estuarine fishes from the Alaska-Yukon Border, Beaufort Sea, to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, pp. 1-285 in Zootaxa 5053 (1) on page 150, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5053.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5578008, {"references":["Lissner, A. L. & Dorsey, J. H. (1986) Deep-water biological assemblages of a hard-bottom bank-ridge complex of the southern California continental borderland. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences, 85, 87 - 101."]}

Stock assessment is necessary to understand the status of fishery stocks. However, for the data-poor fishery, it is very challenging to assess the stock status. The length-based Bayesian biomass (LBB) technique is one of the most powerful methods to assess the data-poor fisheries resources that need simple length frequency (LF) data. Addressing the present gap, this study aimed to assess the stock status of three sardines (Sardinella fimbriata, Dussumieria acuta, and D. elopsoides) in the Bay of Bengal (BoB), Bangladesh using the LBB method. The estimated relative biomass for S. fimbriata was B/B0 &lt, BMSY/B0, indicating the overfished biomass, while the assessed B/B0 &gt, BMSY/B0 for D. acuta and D. elopsoides indicates healthy biomass. Additionally, for S. fimbriata, the length at first landing was smaller than the optimum length at first landing (Lc &lt, Lc_opt), indicating an overfishing status, but a safe fishing status was assessed for D. acuta and D. elopsoides (Lc &gt, Lc_opt). Therefore, increasing the mesh size of fishing gears may help to ensure the long-term viability of sardine populations in the BoB, Bangladesh.

The complete mitogenome of Sardinella zunasi was determined by next-generation sequencing. The S. zunasi mitogenome was a circular 16,307 bp molecule that contained 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and one control region (D-loop). The gene arrangement was consistent with other Sardinella mitogenomes. The phylogenetic relationships of 29 Clupeoidei species based on 13 protein-coding genes from the available mitogenomes were analyzed. Sardinella zunasi clustered with Sardinella among Clupeidae, suggesting a closer relationship with this genus. These results will be useful for understanding the phylogenetic relationships, taxonomic classification, and phylogeography of the genus Sardinella relative to other genera of Clupeoidei.

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Ilisha striatula is presented, and we also discussed its mitochondrial characteristics. The full length of the mitochondrial genome was 16,847 bp...

Despite being one of the richest Neogene deposits of marine fossil vertebrates along the Pacific coast of South America, no detailed study of bony fishes from the Bahia Inglesa Formation has been carried out. Through the revision of historical collections of the Caldera Paleontological Museum, we describe 27 fossil remains of bony fishes. Fossils described here are distributed in 13 taxa. Among these, Sardinops sp. cf. S. sagax (Clupeidae) represents the first fossil record of the genus for Chile, Labrodon sp. (Labridae) and Stelliferinae (Sciaenidae) are the first respective records for the southeast Pacific Ocean, Sarda sp. (Scombridae) represents the first fossil record for South America, Semicossyphus sp. (Labridae) and Anisotremus sp. (Haemulidae) are the first respective records for the Southern Hemisphere. Gymnosarda sp. (Scombridae) is described for the first time for the Neogene. We performed a paleobathymetric analysis of fossil fishes, including elasmobranchs, to understand the paleoenvironment followed by a similarity analysis that compares the faunal composition of the Bahia Inglesa Fm. with other fossil assemblages for the Pacific of South America. Our results show that the fish fauna from the Bahia Inglesa Fm. likely represents a depth range of 98 to 382 m with a mean depth range of 252 m in an uppermost bathyal environment. The assemblage from the Bahia Inglesa Fm. shows low taxonomic similarity levels with other Neogene geological units from the southeast Pacific Ocean. The study represents the first paleoecological and paleobiogeographic analysis of the fossil fish fauna from the Southeast Pacific. Key words. Atacama region. Clupeiformes. Eastern Pacific. Paleoenviroments. Perciformes. Ophidiiformes.

The new anchovy Stolephorus grandis n. sp., described on the basis of 10 specimens collected from Papua, Indonesia, and Australia, closely resembles Stolephorus mercurius Hata, Lavoué & Motomura, 2021, Stolephorus multibranchus Wongratana, 1987, and Stolephorus rex Jordan & Seale, 1926, all having double pigmented lines on the dorsum from the occiput to the dorsal-fin origin, a long maxilla (posterior tip just reaching or slightly beyond the posterior margin of preopercle), and lacking a predorsal scute. However, the new species clearly differs from the others in having fewer gill rakers (35–39 total gill rakers on the first gill arch in S. grandis vs. > 38 in the other species), a greater number of vertebrae (total vertebrae 42–43 vs. fewer than 41), longer caudal peduncle (21.9–23.7% SL vs. < 20.8%), and the depressed pelvic fin not reaching posteriorly to vertical through the dorsal fin-origin (vs. reaching beyond level of dorsal-fin origin).

The Dotted Gizzard Shad (Konosirus punctatus) was one of the most important commercial fish species in China, Japan and Korea. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of K. punctatus was presented. The full length of the mitochondrial genome was 16,705 bp, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNA genes, one non-coding control region (CR) and one origin of replication on the light-strand. The total nucleotide composition of mitochondrial DNA was 25.79%A, 25.09%T, 29.05%C, 20.08%G, and AT was 50.88%. The mitochondrial genome provides an important resource for solving taxonomic problems and studying molecular evolution.

Sardinella dayi Regan 1917, the taxonomic status of which has long been uncertain, is redescribed on the basis of 27 specimens, including the holotype. Although Whitehead (1985) regarded the nominal species as a junior synonym of Sardinella jussieui (Valenciennes 1847), the former differs from S. jussieui in having higher counts of gill rakers on the first gill arch (59–77 + 92–118 = 155–190 vs. 49–60 + 88–106 = 137–158 in S. jussieui), a longer head (26.3–29.6% SL vs. 22.7–24.9%), upper jaw (10.9–12.4% SL vs. 9.6–10.7%), and lower jaw (11.5–13.1% SL vs. 10.3–11.7%), a shorter anal-fin base (13.5–16.2% SL vs. 16.7–18.5%), and body scales with numerous pores (pores absent in S. jussieui). Redescriptions of both species are provided.

Sardine is the common name for several small-sized pelagic species from Clupeiformes, representing a resource of great importance in the global fishery. Great efforts have been made to utilise these species as dried, smoked, and restructured fish products. However, in most of these products, it is quite challenging to identify the individual species as the external features are lost during processing, paving the way for species mislabelling. In this study, DNA barcoding (max, using about 650 bp, described as FDB; mini, of about 192 bp, described as MDB) was used for species identification of 139 specimens taken from 48 sardine products (canned and dried seasoning) randomly collected from local markets in Nanjing, China. Moreover, species specific primers were designed for Sardina pilchardus, with the aim to screen the species of S. pilchardus in mixed products. Results highlighted a success rate of amplification from 38.1% for FDB to 97.9% for MDB. Only one sample failed the Sanger-sequencing, and species-specific real time PCR confirmed the existence of S. pilchardus in the product. A maximum species identity in the range of 98-100% was obtained for all readable sequences and 11 species/genera were identified, belonging to 5 orders (Scorpaeniformes, Perciformes, Clupeiformes, Aulopiformes, Scombriformes). Significant legislative and managerial shortcomings and incentives to facilitate the market access of certain species, together with public indifference, represent the main reasons for fish fraud in China.

This study presents an extensive review of published and unpublished occurrence records of fish species in the Rio Negro drainage system within the Brazilian territory. The data was gathered from two main sources: 1) litterature compilations of species occurrence records, including original descriptions and revisionary studies; and 2) specimens verification at the INPA fish collection. The results reveal a rich and diversified ichthyofauna, with 1,165 species distributed in 17 orders (+ two incertae sedis), 56 families, and 389 genera. A large portion of the fish fauna (54.3% of the species) is composed of small-sized fishes < 10 cm in standard length. The main groups are Characiformes (454 species; 39.0%), Siluriformes (416; 35.7%), Gymnotiformes (105; 9.0%), and Cichliformes (102; 8.8%). The species composition differs between the main aquatic environments, such as: main channel (159 species), lakes (296), tributary rivers (596), small streams (234), seasonal beaches (186), and rapids (41). Part of the ichthyofauna is shared with adjacent basins, such as the Orinoco, rivers of the Guiana Shield, lower Solimões/Amazonas and upper Amazonas, which contributes to the remarkable ichthyofaunal diversity of the basin. A high rate of species endemism was observed in Characidae (24), Loricariidae (18), Cichlidae (18) and Callichthyidae (18), totalling 156 species (13.4%) endemic to the basin. An estimation of the species richness for the Rio Negro basin, considering 23 published references, resulted in 1,466 and 1,759 species (Jackknife 1 and 2, respectively), which seems reasonable when considering the large number of morphotypes left out of the present list and the low sampling effort in many areas of the basin. The results presented herein provide an additional tool for environmental managers and decision makers for conservation purposes of one of the richest and most well-preserved sub-basins of the Rio Amazonas system.

Thrissina cultella sp. nov., and Thrissina serena sp. nov., are described from the Bay of Bengal and northwestern Indian Ocean, respectively. Although both species resemble T. vitrirostris (Gilchrist and Thompson 1908), which is redescribed from both type and non-type specimens, in having a long upper jaw (posterior tip reaching to pectoral-fin insertion) and similar numbers of gill rakers and ventral scutes, the two new species differ in having fewer transverse scales (9–10 in both vs. 11–12 in T. vitrirostris). Thrissina cultella differs from T. serena in having a slender body [24.4–26.9% of standard length (SL) vs. 26.6–29.4% SL in T. serena], shorter head (25.2–27.1% SL vs. 26.2–27.3%) and pectoral fin (17.5–19.1% SL vs. 19.5–21.3%), and longer pelvic fin (9.3–10.5% SL vs. 7.8–8.7%).

Sardinella tawilis, the only known freshwater sardinella in the world, is endemic to Taal Lake, Philippines. Previous studies found the Taiwan sardinella, S. hualiensis, to be morphologically very similar to S. tawilis and identified it as the marine sister species of S. tawilis. In this study, DNA barcoding using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene was carried out to analyze species demarcation in the Sardinella genus, focusing primarily on the relationship between S. tawilis and S. hualiensis. The neighbour-joining (NJ) tree that was constructed using Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) model showed a single clade for the two species with 100% bootstrap support. K2P interspecific genetic divergence ranged from 0% to 0.522%, which is clearly below the suggested 3–3.5% cutoff for species discrimination. Recombination activating gene 1 (RAG1), mitochondrial control region (CR), cytochrome b, 16S rRNA, and S7 markers were used to further validate the results. Sardinella tawilis and S. hualiensis clustered together with a bootstrap support of 99–100% in each of the NJ trees. Low interspecific genetic distances between S. tawilis and S. hualiensis for all the markers except CR could be attributed to incipient allopatric speciation.

The occurrence of a Lessepsian migrant, the Golani round herring, Etrumeus golanii DiBattista, Randall et Bowen, 2012, is reported here for the first time from the Alboran Sea (south-west Mediterranean). On May 2018, twenty individuals were caught by a commercial purse-seiner off Fnideq (Morocco), but five females and two males, were kept by the fisherman for further analyses. This new finding confirms the expansion of this Lessepsian migrant throughout the Mediterranean Sea.

A new sardine, Sardinellapacificasp. n., is described on the basis of 21 specimens collected from the Philippines. The new species closely resembles Sardinellafimbriata (Valenciennes, 1847), both species having lateral scales with centrally discontinuous striae, a dark spot on the dorsal-fin origin, more than 70 lower gill rakers on the first gill arch, the pelvic fin with eight rays, and 17 or 18 prepelvic and 12 or 13 postpelvic scutes. However, the new species is distinguished from the latter by lower counts of lateral scales, pseudobranchial filaments, and postpelvic scutes (38–41, 14–19 and 12–13, respectively vs. 44–46, 19–22 and 13–14), and a shorter lower jaw (10.4–11.6% of standard length vs. 11.1–12.2%). Sardinellapacificasp. n. is known only from the Philippines, whereas S.fimbriata is restricted to the Indian Ocean, although previously considered to be an Indo-West Pacific species, distributed from India to the Philippines.

The basic biology and ecology of the South African east coast round herring Etrumeus wongratanai was investigated from samples of fish collected between 2013 and 2016. This species is short-lived and reaches a maximum of 3 years of age, with rapid growth in its first year of life. It reproduces from June to December (austral summer) and condition factor was lowest in May through to August and increased from September, probably reflecting the physiological strain before and during spawning. Fish larvae were the most important food items consumed during summer, whereas eucalanid copepods were the most important prey at other times of the year. Stable-isotope data suggest that there are gradual changes in the trophic level with increasing fish size, δ15 N and δ13 C values also differed between seasons. The results obtained here are compared with those of other Etrumeus species, regionally and globally.

Three species of digenetic trematodes of the Family Hemiuridae Looss, 1899, Subfamily Aphanurinae Skrjabin & Guschanskaja, 1954 with their prevalence, intensity of infection and mean abundance are reported Aphanuroides lethrini, Aphanurus stossichii and Aphanurus tuberculatus. A total of 26 specimens of Thryssa malabarica (Bloch, 1795) were examined for digenean infection. Prevalence of infection of A. lethrini, A. stossichii and A. tuberculatus were 11.53%, 69.23% and 15.38%, respectively, the intensity of infection were 1.6, 3.1 and 2.5 and the mean abundance were 0.19, 2.15 and 0.38, respectively. The prevalence, intensity and mean abundance of infection were at the maximum level in A. stossichii infection. Recovery of these parasites from T. malabarica represents a new host record and the first report from Kerala. The characteristic features of the recovered digeneans are discussed.

Mulya MB, Jhon AH, Harahap ZA. 2021. Population dynamics of anchovy pekto (Stolephorus waitei) in the waters of Malacca Strait, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 22: 2693-2698. Anchovy pekto or Stolephorus waitei (Engraluidae: Clupeiformes) is one of the fish in the eastern coastal part of North Sumatra, occupying the waters of Malacca Strait. This research presents the population dynamics of S. waitei following its age, growth, mortality, and recruitment pattern based on the length-frequency data. Fork length (FL) and total weight (TW) data of S. waitei were collected at three sites from April to September 2018. A total of 1994 specimens with FL from 4.0 to 6.7 cm and TW from 0.2 to 2.3 g with the length-weight relationship of TW = 0.073FL3.0046 (R2=0.765) indicated a near isometric and positive allometric growth in the water region. The relative condition factor (Kn) ranged from 1.01 to 1.02, indicating an estimate of good condition of the fishes. The growth parameters based on von Bertalanffy was 6.56 cm (L?) with the growth coefficient (K) of 0.34 yr-1 and t0 (anchovy age at zero length ) of 0.6506. The total mortality (Z), natural mortality (F), and catch mortality (M) of S. waitei were 0.64, 1.39, and 0.75 yr-1 respectively, which suggest that the fishing activities of S. waitei are still in normal intensity. The recruitment pattern of S. waitei was stable between April and August with its peak in June by 14.21%. The fishing activities may then be limited during the spawning months (May to June) of S. waitei to maintain their population in the Strait of Malacca.

The new sardine Sardinella ventura n. sp. (Teleostei: Clupeiformes: Clupeidae) is described on the basis of 10 specimens collected from Mauritius. The new species is most similar to Sardinella dayi Regan 1917 in having non-deciduous scales with pores and discontinuous striae, a dark spot on the dorsal-fin origin, the pelvic fin with 8 rays, and similar number of gill rakers, in addition to very similar numbers of keeled scutes. However, the new species is distinguished from S. dayi by having a shorter caudal peduncle [6.2–7.6% SL (mean 7.0%) vs. 8.2–12.0% (9.2%) in S. dayi], larger eye [8.4–9.9% (9.0%) vs. 6.8–8.0% (7.4%)] and orbit [9.6–12.3% (10.7%) vs. 8.5–10.2% (9.3%)], longer pectoral [21.0–22.7% (21.5%) vs. 17.0–21.0% (19.8%)] and pelvic fins [12.5–13.5% (12.8%) vs. 10.4–12.2% (11.2%)], and a greater numbers of pseudobranchial filaments [17–19 (modally 17) vs. 18–22 (19)], lateral scale rows in longitudinal series [41–43 (41) vs. 38–42 (40)] and transverse scales [11 or 12 (12) vs. 11]. There were significant differences in seven meristic and 14 morphometric characters between the two species.

Konosirus punctatus is an important species for the structure of marine ecosystems. Meanwhile, it is a native species in the northwest Pacific Ocean and supports important commercial fishery. In the present study, we generated the whole transcriptome of K. punctatus from combined tissues (muscle, liver, gill, heart, kidney, swim bladder and sexual gland) using Illumina RNA-seq technology and a total of 46087110 clean reads were obtained, corresponding to 6531521430 nucleotides. Meanwhile, 10000 clean reads were randomly selected and compared with NT database to examine the possible contamination. Results showed that 6754 clean reads were distributed among some species closely related with K. punctatus, indicating no-pollution. De novo assembly was performed and all clean reads were assembled to produce 71610 longest unigenes with an N50 of 906 bp. Among all the unigenes, 43974 unigenes were annotated in at least one database and 3172 unigenes were annotated in all databases. All unigenes were further analyzed to predict the gene structure and we have obtained a total of 54864 coding sequences (CDSs) and 17326 simple sequence repeats (SSRs). Saturation analyses were applied to evaluate the accuracy of gene expression and we hypothesized that the detection of gene expression might be effective. Finally, single-copy orthologous genes were applied to construct the phylogenetic relationship of K. punctatus. Results showed that K. punctatus diverged from the common ancestor with Alosa alosa, Alosa pseudoharengus and Sardina pilchardus at approx. 61.16–92.52 MYA. The present study will provide a foundational molecular information for the biological research of K. punctatus.

This checklist of the Mediterranean fishes of Israel enumerates 469 species which is an addition of 62 species since the previous checklist of 2005. This new checklist includes 58 Condrichthys and 411 Osteicthys species. Most newly-recorded species are of Red Sea origin (Lessepsian migrants)—38 species, 25 species are from previously poorly investigated habitats, mainly deep water, while two species reached the Mediterranean most likely by ballast water and two are aquaculture escapees. The dramatic increase in the number of Lessepsian migrants (an average of 2.5 species per year) is most likely due to the increased water influx between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, following the recent opening of the new parallel, 72 km, “new canal” and the enlargement of other parts of the Suez Canal.

espanolEn el presente trabajo se describe e ilustra una nueva especie, parasita del estomago de la anchoa de rio Lycengraulis grossidens (Agassiz, 1829) en el estuario de Bahia Blanca y el rio Parana, Argentina, proponiendo su denominacion como Stomachicola lycengraulidis n. sp. El nuevo taxon se diferencia de sus congeneres del golfo de Guinea y oceano Indico, S. bayagbonai y S. singhi, respectivamente, principalmente en la estructura del aparato reproductor, el desarrollo del ecsoma y del saco del sinus. De la primera de ellas se distingue principalmente por la presencia de dos protuberancias frontales a nivel del lobulo preoral, ausentes en los especimenes estudiados. Ademas en terminos generales S. bayagbonai comprende individuos ligeramente mas grandes con faringe, testiculos y ovarios de mayor tamano. Yse distingue de S. singhi por el ducto y saco hermafrodita mas pequenos y poseer un receptaculo seminal bien desarrollado, ausente en los especimenes de la Bahia de Bengala. Cuando se comparo el tamano relativo del ecsoma, se encontraron diferencias significativas entre ambas poblaciones de digeneos examinadas, siendo que los especimenes colectados en el Rio Parana tenian un mayor desarrollo que aquellos obtenidos en el estuario de Bahia Blanca. El hospedador, L. grossidens, migra hacia el rio Parana en invierno y primavera y luego, desde diciembre a marzo, realiza migraciones troficas hacia el mar y se lo encuentra a todo lo largo de la costa de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Por esta razon, aqui se hipotetiza que el desarrollo de la cola es afectado por condiciones ambientales, tales como el pH y la osmolaridad del estomago, asi como la salinidad o temperatura del agua. EnglishThis paper describes and illustrates a new species of digenetic trematode, parasitic in the stomach of the sabretooth anchovy Lycengraulis grossidens (Agassiz, 1829) from the Bahia Blanca estuary and the Parana River, Argentina, designated as Stomachicola lycengraulidis n.sp. The new taxon differs from S. bayagbonai and S. singhi congeneric species from the Gulf of Guinea and Indian Ocean respectively, mainly in the body size, the structure of the reproductive system, the development of the ecsoma and the sinus sac. It differs from the first one mainly in the presence of two frontal protuberances at the level of the preoral lobe, which are absent in the specimens studied here. Also in general terms, S. bayagbonai is comprised of slightly larger individuals, with larger pharynx, testicles and ovary. And it differs from S. singhi by their smaller duct and hermaphroditic sac and for having a well developed seminal receptacle, which is absent in the Bay of Bengal specimens. When comparing the relative size of the ecsoma, we found significant differences among both of the populations of digeneans examined, the worms collected in the Parana River was more developed than those from the Bahia Blanca estuary. The host, L. grossidens, migrates to the Parana river in winter and spring and then, from December to March it makes a trophic migration towards the sea and is found all along the Atlantic coast of Buenos Aires province. For this reason, it is here hypothesized that the relative development of the tail, is affected by environmental conditions, such as pH and osmolarity of the stomach, salinity and/or water temperature.

Examination of the original descriptions and available type specimens of nominal species previously regarded as synonyms of Stolephorus indicus (van Hasselt 1823) and Stolephorus commersonnii Lacepede 1803, plus a large number of non-type specimens representing an extensive geographic range, confirmed the validity of Stolephorus balinensis (Bleeker 1849), S. commersonnii, S. indicus, Stolephorus rex Jordan and Seale 1926, and Stolephorus scitulus (Fowler 1911), in addition to three new species, Stolephorus belaerius sp. nov., Stolephorus mercurius sp. nov., and Stolephorus zephyrus sp. nov. Diagnoses and detailed color descriptions are given for all of the valid species, with neotype designations for S. balinensis, S. commersonnii, and S. indicus, and clarification of their taxonomic history. Two mitochondrial markers (cytochrome b and cytochrome oxidase I genes) enabled the reconstruction of the phylogenetic relationships of five of the species examined morphologically, the genetic distinctiveness of each being indicated by at least 2.4% mean p-distance divergence from the others in the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene.

The study of fisheries marketing channel and market margins is a useful tool for market management and a crucial system for creating an effective and well-planned marketing strategy. The aim of the research is to know about the fish marketing channel, marketing margins, fish availability and difficulties related fish marketing system in three fish markets of Rajbari, Bangladesh from June to December 2019. Here, data were collected through questionnaire surveys, focus group discussions and field visits. A total of 109 species of fish and shellfish were available in the fish market. Perciformes (28.97% of total fishes) were the most dominant followed by Cypriniformes (23.37%), Siluriformes (19.63%), Clupeiformes (7.48%) and Decapoda (7.48%). A total of 19 species of processed fish were available including dried (77.77% of total processed fishes), salted (16.67%) and fermented (5.56%) that arrived from Dhaka and Chattogram. The price of fish and processed fish depends on consumer demand, availability, season, storage facilities and marketing channel. The length of marketing channel of freshwater fishes was comparatively shorter such: fisherman or farmer – auctioneer – wholesaler – retailer – consumer. Marine fishes arrived from other places like Khulna, Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar, Jashore, Barishal, Chandpur, Bhola where supplier purchased those fishes through auctioneer and supply to other cities where retailer bought fishes through wholesaler and delivery to consumer. The market channel of processed fishes was the longest. However, the market margin of marine fishes is comparatively higher than freshwater fishes. The unplanned market location (P.I = 0.80) was major constraints followed by insufficient drainage system, low supply of fish for Covid-19 pandemic, high transportation cost, and traditional fish transportation system. This research, therefore, would suggest that modern equipped fish market with high quality cold storage and ice factories could help to maintain the better quality of fish and reduce economic losses.

The current status of the inland waters ichthyofauna of Turkey is revised, and an updated checklist of the freshwater fishes is presented. The latest checklist included all species listed in the available previous study that was published in 2015, which is now updated after a period of five years. We revised the validity of previously accepted species and added newly described and reported species in Turkey. Some previously erroneously reported species and not established alien fishes were excluded from this checklist. A total of 384 fish species belonging to 20 orders and 34 families have been reported in the inland waters of Turkey. Among these, 15 species (3.9%) are non-native and 208 species (54.2%) are considered as endemic to Turkey. A total of 119 species previously reported from Turkey have been excluded from Turkish ichthyofauna list, either in the present study or in previous studies.

This is an annotated checklist of the marine fish species of Lebanon (Levant coast, eastern Mediterranean). It comprises a total of 367 fish species distributed in 159 families and 27 orders, out of which 70 species are non-indigenous and 28 are recorded for the first time from Lebanon. The checklist includes all names and citations of species found in the literature, as well as references to specimens available in museum collections. It also includes an updated zoogeographic distribution and conservation status for each species. Threats were estimated based on surveys and observations made over the last two decades; broadly categorized conservation actions were also suggested.