458
D. M. COHEN:
Table 6. Superfamily Triacanthoidea in the Indian Ocean
W. Indian
E. Indian
W. Pacific
omen
X
fraserbrunneri
X
X
centriscoides
X
X
japonicus
X
X
nieuhofi
X
X
weberi
X
X
angustifrons
X
X
oxycephalus
X
X
platycheilus
X
X
X
ethiops
X
X
X
navigatoris
X
X
X
biaculeatus
X
X
X
strigilifer
X
X
X
retrospinus
X
X
They average about 11 to 12 cm in length and probably live on or near the bottom as
adults; some are known to have pelagic larvae. Fourteen species live in the Indian Ocean,
of which 1 is a western Indian Ocean endemic; 1 is found in the western and eastern
Indian Ocean; 6 live in the eastern Indian Ocean and the Pacific; and 6 are widespread,
having been taken from the western Indian Ocean to the western Pacific.
Genus Parapercis, family Mugiloididae contains 32 Indo-Pacific tropical and temperate species, of which 14 are known from the tropical Indian Ocean (Table 7; data
Table 7. Genus Parapercis (Family Mugiloididae) in the tropical Indian Ocean
Red Sea
W. Indian
E. Indian
W. Pacific
Cent. Pacific
simulata
X
X
somaliensis
X
bivitatta
X
trispi/ota
X
emeryana
X
X
tetracantha
X
X
hexophthalma
X
X
X
X
polyophthalma
X
X
X
nebulosa
X
X
X
xanthozoa
X
X
X
alboguttata
X
X
X
cephalopunctata
X
X
X
schaundslandi
X
X
pulchella
X
X
from SCHULTZ, 1968). Four species are found only in the western Indian Ocean; 2 species
are found in the eastern Indian Ocean and Pacific and 8 species occur from the western
Indian Ocean to the Pacific.
These 2 shelf groups seem to agree with the first category of shore fishes in that about
half of the Indian Ocean species are widespread. For shore and shelf fishes combined,
only 29% of the species considered were restricted to part or all of the Indian Ocean
and not found also in the Pacific.