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 Invertebrates |
Vertebrates (pdf)
A survey of reef fish diversity in Port Shelter (pdf)
by
Ken
Ching1, Anna Situ
and Allen To
1Environmental
Education & Resources Centre
Despite a lot of published and unpublished studies of fish fauna in local waters (Leung, 1994; ERM, 1998; Cornish, 1999; Ni & Kwok 1999; Sadovy & Cornish, 2000), few have documented the fish diversity in Sai Kung waters. With the proposed Fisheries Protection Area in Port Shelter likely to be in place in the near future (AFCD 2004), studies on fish diversity within Port Shelter would provide valuable baseline information for subsequent conservation, management and education purposes.
Monthly underwater visual censuses commenced in early 2006. Surveys were conducted at six sites within Port Shelter, namely Sharp Island, Shelter Island, Kau Sai Chau, Jin Island, Bluff Island and Trio Island. Surveys were concentrated along patches of coral communities and adjacent sandy and rocky areas. Transects were laid along shallow communities with relatively high coral coverage. Divers or snorkellers swam along two 50 m belt transects, with a belt width of 2.5 m on both sides. Fish encountered within the belt transect were recorded (Table 1), to species level if possible, and photographs taken of most species for subsequent verification.
A large proportion of the species recorded is made up of relatively widely distributed and abundant species in Hong Kong waters (Fig. 1). However, a few relatively rare species worth notice are spotted knifejaw darkfin hind (Fig. 2) (Cephalopholis urodeta), and one of few local records of axilspot hogfish (Fig. 3) (Bodianus axillaris) and snowflake moray (Fig. 4) (Echidna nebulosa). Surveys will continue till October 2006.
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| Fig 1. Spotted knifejaw, Oplegnathus punctatus (Photo: Ken Ching). |
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| Fig 2. Darkfin hind, Cephalopholis urodeta. (Photo: Ken Ching) |
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| Fig 3. Axilspot hogfish, Bodianus axilliaris. (Photo: Ken Ching) |
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| Fig 4. Snowflake moray, Echidna nebulosa (Photo: Ken Ching) |
Bibliography
AFCD (2004). New Regulatory Framework for Fishing Activities in Hong Kong. Public Consultation – Proposed Establishment of a Regulatory Framework for Fishing Activities in Hong Kong Waters. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
Cornish A.S. (1999). Fish Assemblages Associated with Shallow Fringing Coral Communities in Sub-tropical Hong Kong: Species Composition, Spatial and Temporal Patterns. PhD Thesis. The University of Hong Kong. 290pp.
ERM (1998). Fisheries Resources and Fishing Operations in Hong Kong Waters. HKSAR Government, Hong Kong. 255pp.
Leung A.W.Y. (1994). The Fish Fauna of Lobster Bay, Cape d’Aguilar, Hong Kong. MPhil thesis. The University of Hong Kong.
Ni I.H. & Kwok K.Y. (1999). Marine fish fauna in Hong Kong waters. Zoological Studies, 38(2): 130-152.
Sadovy Y. & Cornish A.S. (2000). Reef Fishes of Hong Kong. Hong Kong University Press. 321pp.
Table 1. A total of 106 fish species recorded in the surveys.
|
Family |
Species |
|
Gymnuridae |
Gymnura sp. |
|
Muraenidae |
Gymnothorax reevesii |
|
Echidna nebulosa |
|
|
Mugilidae |
Mugil cephalus |
|
Belonidae |
Tylosurus crocodilus crocodilus |
|
Syngnathidae |
Hippocampus kuda |
|
Fistulariidae |
Fistularia commersonii |
|
Scorpaenidae |
Paracentropogon longispinus |
|
Pterois volitans |
|
|
Scorpaenopsis cirrhosa |
|
|
Scorpaenopsis diabolus |
|
|
Sebastiscus marmoratus |
|
|
Dactylopteridae |
Dactyloptena orientalis |
|
Platycephalidae |
Ratabulus megacephalus |
|
Serranidae |
Cephalopholis boenak |
|
Cephalopholis urodeta |
|
|
Epinephelus merra |
|
|
Epinephelus quoyanus |
|
|
Epinephelus trimaculatus |
|
|
Plectropomus leopardus |
|
|
Diploprion bifasciatum |
|
|
Apogonidae |
Apogon doederleini |
|
Apogon fasciatus |
|
|
Apogon fleurieu |
|
|
Apogon niger |
|
|
Apogon pseudotaeniatus |
|
|
Cheilodipterus artus |
|
|
Sillaginidae |
Sillago maculata |
|
Echeneidae |
Echeneis naucrates |
|
Carangidae |
Selaroides leptolepis |
|
Trachinotus blochii |
|
|
Leiognathidae |
Leiognathus brevirostris |
|
Gerreidae |
Gerres macrosoma |
|
Lutjanidae |
Lutjanus argentimaculatus |
|
Lutjanus russellii |
|
|
Lutjanus stellatus |
|
|
Pterocaesio tile |
|
|
Haemulidae |
Diagramma pictum |
|
Plectorhinchus cinctus |
|
|
Sparidae |
Acanthopagrus latus |
|
Acanthopagrus schlegeli |
|
|
Pagrus major |
|
|
Erynnis cardinalis |
|
|
Lethrinidae |
Lethrinus nebulosus |
|
Nemipteridae |
Scolopsis vosmeri |
|
Mullidae |
Parupeneus biaculeatus |
|
Parupeneus multifasciatus |
|
|
Parupeneus indicus |
|
|
Upeneus tragula |
|
|
Pempheridae |
Pempheris ovalensis |
|
Pinguipedidae |
Parapercis snyderi |
|
Monodactylidae |
Monodactylus argenteus |
|
Cheilodactylidae |
Cheilodactylus zonatus |
|
Chaetodontidae |
Chaetodon auriga |
|
Chaetodon auripes |
|
|
Chaetodon melannotus |
|
|
Chaetodon octofasciatus |
|
|
Chaetodon speculum |
|
|
Chaetodon wiebeli |
|
|
Heniochus acuminatus |
|
|
Kyphosidae |
Girella melanichthys |
|
Microcanthus strigatus |
|
|
Oplegnathidae |
Oplegnathus punctatus |
|
Pomacentridae |
Abudefduf bengalensis |
|
Abudefdus sexfasciatus |
|
|
Abudefduf sordidus |
|
|
Abudefduf vaigiensis |
|
|
Amphiprion clarkii |
|
|
Chromis notata |
|
|
Dascyllus reticulatus |
|
|
Neopomacantrus bankieri |
|
|
Neopomacentrus cyanomos |
|
|
Stegastes fasciolatus |
|
|
Labridae |
Halichoeres tenuispinis |
|
Halichoeres nebulosus |
|
|
Labroides dimidiatus |
|
|
Pteragogus enneacanthus |
|
|
Stethojulis interrupta |
|
|
Thalassoma lunare |
|
|
Bodianus axillaris |
|
|
Scaridae |
Scarus ghobban |
|
Blenniidae |
Cirripectes filamentosus |
|
Entomacrodus stellifer lighti |
|
|
Tripterygiidae |
Enneapterygius etheostomus |
|
Callionymidae |
Dactylopus dactylopus |
|
Gobiidae |
Amblyeleotris gymnocephala |
|
Amblygobius phalaena |
|
|
Cryptocentrus leptocephalus |
|
|
Cryptocentrus strigilliceps |
|
|
Cryptocentrus sp. |
|
|
Istigobius diadema |
|
|
Ptereleotridae |
Ptereleotris hanae |
|
Ptereleotris microlepis |
|
|
Acanthuridae |
Acanthurus dussumieri |
|
Acanthurus olivaceus |
|
|
Zanclidae |
Zanclus cornutus |
|
Siganidae |
Siganus canaliculatus |
|
Sphyraenidae |
Sphyraena barracuda |
|
Sphyraena sp. |
|
|
Monacanthidae |
Monacanthius chinensis |
|
Cantherhines pardalis |
|
|
Ostraciidae |
Ostracion cubicus |
|
Ostracion immaculatus |
|
|
Tetraodontidae |
Arothron hispidus |
|
Chelonodon patoca |
|
|
Takifugu alboplumbeus |
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