Zoogeography of the Fishes of the Indian Ocean
457
Three other groups of shorefishes show a very different pattern. The acanthurid
subfamily Nasinae has 16 species throughout the Indo-Pacific. Nasines average about
50 cm in length and tend to be larger fishes than are the species of Acanthurus, and they
live in deeper waters in channels, between coral banks and at the reef margins. Thirteen
species are found in the Indian Ocean (SMITH, 1966); 1 is a Red Sea endemic; 2 live only
in the western Indian Ocean and 10 are found from the western Indian Ocean to the
Table 5. Genera of Tribe Salariini (Family Blenniidae) in the Indian Ocean
Red Sea
W. Indian
E. Indian
W. Pacific
Cent. Pacific
Alloblenniu$
X
Pereulixia
X
Hirculops
X
X
X
Antennablennius
X
X
X
Prealticus
X
X
X
Andamia
X
X
Mimoblennius
X
X
X
Alticus
X
X
X
X
X
Atrosalarias
X
X
X
X
X
Cirripectes
X
X
X
X
X
Ecsenius
X
X
X
X
X
I stiblennius
X
X
X
X
X
Salarias
X
X
X
X
X
Glyptoparus
X
X
X
X
Stanulus
X
X
X
X
Entomacrodus
X
X
X
X
Pacific. The circumtropical blenny genus Entomacrodus has 22 species, 7 of which
live in the Indian Ocean; all but 1 are found in the Pacific as well (SPRINGER, 1967). The
shallow-water anglerfishes of the family Antennariidae are sedentary species averaging
about 10 cm in lenth. They number about 55 species, of which 20 have been found in
the tropical Indian Ocean; 2 are known only from the eastern Indian Ocean; another
eastern Indian Ocean species lives also in the Pacific; 17 species are widespread, ranging
from the western Indian Ocean to the Pacific (SCHULTZ, 1957, 1964).
The preceding 3 groups contain 39 Indian Ocean species of which 85% are widespread
in distribution, being found from the western Indian Ocean to the Pacific. There is little
endemism in the Red Sea or in the eastern and the western Indian Ocean. Only a single
species is found in the eastern and western Indian Oceans and is not found in the Pacific
as well.
2. Tropical Continental Shelf
Data suitable for the analysis of distribution in continental shelf fishes are sparse. I have
used 2 groups, both of which include some shallow-water fishes but appear to have most
of their species distributed at depths of 30 to 400 meters.
Superfamily Triacanthoidea consists of 26 species of tropical plectognath fishes
found in the Indo-Pacific and western Atlantic (Table 6; data from TYLER, 1968, 1970).
457
Three other groups of shorefishes show a very different pattern. The acanthurid
subfamily Nasinae has 16 species throughout the Indo-Pacific. Nasines average about
50 cm in length and tend to be larger fishes than are the species of Acanthurus, and they
live in deeper waters in channels, between coral banks and at the reef margins. Thirteen
species are found in the Indian Ocean (SMITH, 1966); 1 is a Red Sea endemic; 2 live only
in the western Indian Ocean and 10 are found from the western Indian Ocean to the
Table 5. Genera of Tribe Salariini (Family Blenniidae) in the Indian Ocean
Red Sea
W. Indian
E. Indian
W. Pacific
Cent. Pacific
Alloblenniu$
X
Pereulixia
X
Hirculops
X
X
X
Antennablennius
X
X
X
Prealticus
X
X
X
Andamia
X
X
Mimoblennius
X
X
X
Alticus
X
X
X
X
X
Atrosalarias
X
X
X
X
X
Cirripectes
X
X
X
X
X
Ecsenius
X
X
X
X
X
I stiblennius
X
X
X
X
X
Salarias
X
X
X
X
X
Glyptoparus
X
X
X
X
Stanulus
X
X
X
X
Entomacrodus
X
X
X
X
Pacific. The circumtropical blenny genus Entomacrodus has 22 species, 7 of which
live in the Indian Ocean; all but 1 are found in the Pacific as well (SPRINGER, 1967). The
shallow-water anglerfishes of the family Antennariidae are sedentary species averaging
about 10 cm in lenth. They number about 55 species, of which 20 have been found in
the tropical Indian Ocean; 2 are known only from the eastern Indian Ocean; another
eastern Indian Ocean species lives also in the Pacific; 17 species are widespread, ranging
from the western Indian Ocean to the Pacific (SCHULTZ, 1957, 1964).
The preceding 3 groups contain 39 Indian Ocean species of which 85% are widespread
in distribution, being found from the western Indian Ocean to the Pacific. There is little
endemism in the Red Sea or in the eastern and the western Indian Ocean. Only a single
species is found in the eastern and western Indian Oceans and is not found in the Pacific
as well.
2. Tropical Continental Shelf
Data suitable for the analysis of distribution in continental shelf fishes are sparse. I have
used 2 groups, both of which include some shallow-water fishes but appear to have most
of their species distributed at depths of 30 to 400 meters.
Superfamily Triacanthoidea consists of 26 species of tropical plectognath fishes
found in the Indo-Pacific and western Atlantic (Table 6; data from TYLER, 1968, 1970).