Waitabu Marine Park Blog

Calling Fish Geeks.......

Thought you may be interested - lots of us have had trouble identifying the Tomato Anemone fish in Fiji, and it has just been identified as a new species, plus the new wrasse ID'd a couple of years ago is described.

See link

Fiji Amphiprion and Cirrhilabrus new species…mainly by DNA data

http://www.aqua-aquapress.com/latest_issues.html

Cheers,

Helen

Helen Sykes

The Great Fiji Butterflyfish Count
2 - 8 November 2008

e: info@fijibutterflyfishcount.com
http://www.fijibutterflyfishcount.com
www.fijibutterflyfishcount.blogspot.com

marine ecology consulting

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Aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology

Gerald R. Allen, Joshua Drew and Les Kaufman: Amphiprion barberi, a new species of anemonefish (Pomacentridae) from Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa, pp. 105-114

Abstract

Amphiprion melanopus, underwater photograph of adult, about 75.0 mm SL, Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, 3 m depth. Photo by G. R. Allen.

Amphiprion barberi, a new species of anemonefish fish, is described from 46 specimens, 16.3-85.8 mm SL, collected at depths of 2-10 m from coral reefs of Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. It is closely allied to A. melanopus, which is widely distributed in the western Pacific. The two species exhibit significant colour-pattern differences, including a mainly reddish orange body in A. barberi and dark brown or blackish body in A. melanopus. Adults of the new species also possess fewer spinules (11-19 versus 19-26) in the upper-opercular series than A. melanopus. Genetic data presented here confirms the separation of these species. (PDF)

Waitabu Marine Park Blog