Schindleria parva, a new species of Schindler's fish (Teleostei: Schindleriidae: Schindleria) from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Red Sea.

Schindleria parva, a new species of the family Schindleriidae, is described from two specimens collected from the central Red Sea of Saudi Arabia. The new species is characterized by lack of pigmentation on the body, possession of an inconspicuous gas bladder and the presence of small teeth on the premaxillae. The holotype is a female of 11 mm standard length (SL) (11.9 mm total length) and the paratype is a male of 9 mm SL. Dorsal fin rays 10 (9) anal fin rays 9 (7). The body depth at pectoral-fin origin 5% (4%) of SL, depth at anal-fin origin 8% (7%) SL, predorsal length 63% (65%) SL, preanal length 72% (72%) SL, the first anal-fin ray situated below the fourth dorsal-fin ray), a total of 23 + 16 myomeres. The female contained a series of 30 rectangular eggs in a single row, whereas the male is characterized by a short rod-like urogenital papilla. Species of the genus Schindleria are likely the smallest marine vertebrates on the planet and S. parva is likely the smallest Schindleria species in the Red Sea. The global diversity of Schindleria is likely underestimated due to the paedomorphic features of this genus. Its fast generation times make it a species-rich genus of high turnover rates, thus potentially highly important for the trophic food webs of coral reefs. Thus, this finding advances knowledge on the biodiversity of the Red Sea, highlights its conservation significance, and contributes towards the understanding of the complexity of the coral-reef fish community.

Epinephelus geoffroyi (Klunzinger, 1870) (Pisces: Serranidae), a valid species of grouper endemic to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The grouper Epinephelus geoffioyi (Klunzinger), type locality Red Sea, previously regarded as a synonym of E. chlorostigma (Valenciennes) is recognized as a valid species. It is differentiated from E. chlorostigma by having 25-29 (modally 27) gill rakers vs. 23-26 (modally 24), a more angular anal fin, the dark spots on the abdomen more widely separated, and lacking a clear white margin posteriorly on the caudal fin. The missing holotype of E. geoffroyi was found at the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart (SMNS 233, 191 mm). Epinephelits chlorostigma is wide-ranging from the Gulf of Aden and east coast of Africa to Samoa; it is reported from the depth range of 32-280 m. Epinephelus geoffroyi is presently known only from the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden at depths of 3-32 m. Illustrations are provided for three other species of groupers with numerous small dark spots, E. areolatus (Forsskål), E. gabriellae Randall & Heemstra, and E. polylepis Randall & Heemstra, that are, or might be, sympatric with E. geoffroyi.

Freshwater fishes of Israel; a revised and updated annotated checklist2023.

The current status of the freshwater fishes of Israel is revised, and an updated checklist is presented. The confirmed freshwater fishes of Israel comprise 55 species belonging to nine orders, 14 families, and 39 genera. Among these, 19 species (34.6%) are alien, and four species (7.3%) are considered endemic to Israel. The orders with the largest numbers of species in the ichthyofauna of Israel are Cypriniformes (19 species), followed by Cichliformes (14 species), Cyprinodontiformes (seven species), Mugiliformes (six species), Siluriformes (four species), Salmoniformes (two species), and the others represent one species in each. At the family level, the Cichlidae have the greatest number of species (14 species; 25.5% of the total species), followed by Cyprinidae (10 species), Leuciscidae and Mugilidae (six species in each), Aphaniidae (four species), Nemacheilidae and Poecilidae (three species in each). According to IUCN Red List criteria, among 36 naturally distributed species (alien species not included), two species are extinct (EX) and nine species (25.0%) are categorized as threatened extinctions, with two (5.6%) CR, four (11.1%) EN, and three (8.3%) VU.

Fishes of Afghanistan; a revised and updated annotated checklist.

The current status of the ichthyofauna of Afghanistan is revised, and an updated checklist is presented. The confirmed fishes of Afghanistan comprise 121 species belonging to 11 orders, 22 families, and 68 genera. Among these, 18 species (14.9%) are alien, and 7 species (5.8%) are considered endemic to Afghanistan. The orders with the largest numbers of species in the ichthyofauna of Afghanistan are Cypriniformes (88 species), followed by Siluriformes (14 species), Anabantiformes (4 species), Acipenseriformes, Salmoniformes, and Cyprinodontiformes (3 species in each). At the family level, Cyprinidae have the greatest number of species (36 species; 29.8% of the total species), followed by Nemacheilidae (22 species), Leuciscidae (12 species), Danionidae (8 species), and Sisoridae (6 species). A total of 48 species previously reported from Afghanistan have been excluded from the checklist, either in the present study or in previous studies. According to the IUCN Red List criteria, among 121 listed fish species, 19 (15.7%) are in the threatened categories, with 4 (3.3%) CR, 6 (5.0%) EN, and 9 (7.4%) VU. Of the total number of taxa assessed, 5.0% (6 species) are NT and 51.2% (62 species) are LC. A total of 29 species are (24.0%) Not Evaluated (NE) and 5 species (4.1%) are classified as DD.

Freshwater fishes of Iraq: a revised and updated annotated checklist2023.

The current status of the freshwater fishes of Iraq is revised, and an updated checklist is presented. The confirmed freshwater fishes of Iraq comprise 98 species belonging to 16 orders, 28 families, and 56 genera. Among these, 21 species (21.4%) are alien, and three species (3.0%) are considered endemic to Iraq. The orders with the largest numbers of species in the ichthyofauna of Iraq are Cypriniformes (57 species), followed by Siluriformes (12 species), Mugiliformes and Cyprinodontiformes (six species in each), Acanthuriformes and Cichliformes (three species in each), Centrarchiformes and Gobiiformes (two species in each), and the others represent only one species. At the family level, the Cyprinidae have the greatest number of species (28; 28.3% of the total species), followed by Nemacheilidae (16 species), Leuciscidae (eight species), Mugilidae (six species), Sisoridae (five species), and Xenocyprididae (four species in each). A total of 20 species that have been previously reported from Iraq have been excluded from the checklist. According to IUCN Red List criteria, among 77 naturally distributed species (alien species not included), 10 species (13.0%) are categorized as threatened extinctions, with three (3.9%) as CR, one (1.3%) as EN, and six (7.8%) as VU. A total of 38 taxa were assessed (49.4%) as LC, 27 species were not assigned NE (35.1%), and two species (2.0%) were classified as DD, i.e., with insufficient knowledge.

Freshwater fishes of Syria: a revised and updated annotated checklist-2023.

The current status of the freshwater fishes of Syria is revised, and an updated checklist is presented. The confirmed freshwater fishes of Syria comprise 108 species belonging to 15 orders, 25 families, and 51 genera. Among these, 11 species (10.2%) are alien, and six species (5.6%) are considered endemic to Syria. The orders with the largest numbers of species in the ichthyofauna of Syria are Cypriniformes (68 species), followed by Siluriformes and (nine species), Cichliformes (eight species), Mugiliformes (seven species), Cyprinodontiformes (six species), and others represent one species in each. At the family level, Cyprinidae has the greatest number of species (30 species; 27.8% of the total species), followed by Leuciscidae (21 species), Nemacheilidae (11 species), Cichlidae (eight species), and Mugilidae (seven species). According to IUCN Red List criteria, among 97 naturally distributed species (alien species not included), Tristramella sacra extinct (EX) and 24 species (26.5%) are categorized as threatened extinctions, CR, EN, and VU (eight species in each). A total of 17 species previously reported from Syria have been excluded from the checklist, either in the present study or in previous studies.

Raja mauritaniensis: a replacement name for Raja africana Capapé, 1977 (Rajiformes: Rajidae), a junior homonym of Raja africana Bloch amp; Schneider, 1801 (Myliobatiformes: Dasyatidae).

Raja africana Capapé, 1977 is a primary junior synonym of Raja africana Bloch Schneider, 1801 and therefore permanently invalid (International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, article 57.2) and must be replaced. Raja africana Bloch Schneider, 1801 was first described by Bloch Schneider (1801: 367), based on a specimen from Guinea, West Africa (eastern Atlantic Ocean). The unique holotype is extant in the Zoologisches Museum of the Humboldt University, Berlin (ZMB 7837, a partial dry skin). The species was treated as valid as Urogymnus africanus (Bloch Schneider 1801) by Compagno Roberts (1984: 285), but later synonymized with Urogymnus asperrimus (Bloch Schneider 1801) in the subfamily Urogymninae of the family Dasyatidae (Myliobatiformes) by Compagno (1986: 141), Capapé Desoutter (1990: 63) and Séret (2016: 1418). It is widespread in the eastern Atlantic, Red Sea and IndoWest Pacific.

Neopomacentrus flavicauda: a replacement name for Neopomacentrus xanthurus Allen amp; Randall, 1981 (Perciformes: Pomacentridae), a secondary junior homonym of Dascyllus xanthurus Bleeker, 1853.

N/A.

Freshwater and brackish water fishes of Sakhalin Island (Russia) in inland and coastal waters: an annotated checklist with taxonomic comments.

Based on a critical analysis of scientific publications for the last 200 years and on the collected specimens, a complete annotated list of both typical freshwater ichthyofauna of Sakhalin Island, with the inclusion of marine species that can be found in brackish coastal waters, is reported for the first time. The annotated list includes 226 species classified in three classes, 26 orders, 68 families, 29 subfamilies, and 148 genera. For 160 species, information is provided on collection samples deposited in various museums around the world, 36 of which are type specimens. For each species, conservation status (according to IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the Red Book of the Sakhalin region), zoogeographic characteristics (distribution within Sakhalin Island and globally), abundance and commercial value are given. For a number of species, more detailed information on synonymy and nomenclature is provided. The study area is located in the western North Pacific and includes the entire coast of Sakhalin Island in the Sea of Okhotsk and the northern Sea of Japan, as well as the adjacent Sea of Okhotsk coast of northern Hokkaido, Japan.

The marine ichthyofauna of Lebanon: an annotated checklist, history, biogeography, and conservation status.

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.

Response to the comments regarding "The marine teleost fishes of the Sea of Marmara; an updated and annotated checklist" by Artüz amp; Fricke (2019).

Our recent paper Artüz Fricke (2019) provided an updated list of marine teleost fishes of the Sea of Marmara. Bilecenoglu argues that our paper includes mistranslations of some previous research, misinterpretation and incomplete examination of certain published biodiversity data related to the Sea of Marmara (Bilecenoglu 2020). We answer his comments below.

Freshwater lampreys and fishes of Turkey; a revised and updated annotated checklist 2020.

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.

Intertidal fishes of Mauritius with special reference to shallow tidepools.

Intertidal fishes are found in large numbers and play an important role in their ecosystems, but knowledge of their ecology is still very limited in many tropical regions. Within this context, data from intertidal fishes in Mauritius were compiled from different sources and intertidal resident species were examined in Mauritian tidepools. A total of 292 fish species occurring in Mauritius were reported from intertidal habitats, of which 62 species represent permanent intertidal residents. The species number in the studied pools increased, not only with the proportion of stones and rock covering the pool bottom, but also with pool facilities, for example, the supply of boulders and a high coverage of macro-algae. All examined pools were dominated by two species, Bathygobius coalitus and Istiblennius edentulus. Their abundance increased with decreasing pool size, peaking in pools with a surface area between 1-2 m2 during the lowest level of ebb tide. This 'overcrowding effect' may be linked to the absence of predators in these very small pools. The comparison of present data with results of a survey made in the same area in 1995 suggested a decrease of resident species occurred during the last decades, probably linked to human influences, such as eutrophication and water pollution.

The marine teleost fishes of the Sea of Marmara; an updated and annotated checklist.

A revised check-list of the teleost fishes for Sea of Marmara includes 263 species in 78 families, providing a short historical background and comments on problematic reports. The paper also includes a discussion of other literature reports on taxonomic changes to serve as a guideline for future survey work and ecological studies, including some data regarding the economic importance of some species.

The fishes of St Helena Island, central Atlantic Ocean-new records and an annotated check-list.

A check-list of the fishes of St Helena Island is presented. The following species are recorded for the first time from St. Helena Island: Rhincodon typus, Mobula tarapacana, Muraena melanotis, Caranx latus, Seriola rivoliana, Balistes capriscus, Lutjanus jocu, Centropyge aurantonotus, Acanthurus coeruleus, Lepidocybium flavobrunneum, Tetrapturus pfluegeri, Coelorinchus geronimo, Pentaceros richardsoni, Gephyroberyx darwinii, Brotula cf multibarbata, Poromitra crassiceps, Echiostoma barbatum, Malacosteus niger, Pachystomias microdon. Including these nineteen new records there are 189 fish species currently known from St Helena. Three of them appear to be undescribed. Eight species and two subspecies are currently considered endemic to St. Helena Island.

Checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, western Pacific Ocean, with 810 new records.

A checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of New Ireland Province is presented, with special emphasis on Kavieng District, combining both previous and new records. After the recent KAVIENG 2014 expedition, a total of 1325 species in 153 families were recorded from the region. The largest families are the Gobiidae, Pomacentridae, Labridae, Serranidae, Apogonidae, Lutjanidae, Chaetodontidae, Blenniidae, Carangidae, Acanthuridae, Scaridae, Holocentridae, Syn-gnathidae, Lethrinidae and Scorpaenidae. A total of 810 fish species (61.1 % of the total marine and estuarine fish fauna) are recorded from New Ireland for the first time.The fish fauna of New Ireland includes 142 species in transitional waters and 1264 species in marine habitats, and 54 species species in freshwater habitats. Zoogeographically, 1179 species have a wide distribution range, most frequently a broad Indo-West Pacific distribution. Among the remaining species, just 12 are endemic to New Ireland.

Two new species of stargazers of the genus Uranoscopus (Teleostei: Uranoscopidae) from the western Pacific Ocean.

Two new species of stargazers in the Uranoscopus albesca species-complex of the family Uranoscopidae are described from Papua New Guinea, which shares among other characters a concave posterodorsal margin of the pectoral fin. Uranoscopus brunneus n. sp. is described from a single specimen from off southwestern New Britain, and is characterised by lower edge of preopercle with 8 spines; labial fimbriae poorly-developed; anterior nostril with a long tubiform valve, posterior nostril a slit-like pore; supracleithrum with a sharp spine at rear end and five small spines inside; dorsoposterior margin of pectoral fin concave; 62 oblique scale-rows along the sides of the body in adult; pectoral-fin membranes dark brown. Uranoscopus kishimotoi n. sp., described from a single specimen from West Sepik Province, is characterised by the lower edge of preopercle with 3 spines; no labial fimbriae; both anterior and posterior nostrils with long tubiform valves; supracleithrum with a sharp spine at rear end and one additional small spine inside; dorso-posterior margin of pectoral fin concave; 59 oblique scale-rows along the sides of the body in adult; upper pectoral-fin membranes pale, lower membranes brown. The distribution of the species in the U. albesca species-complex is discussed.

Checklist of the Red Sea Fishes with delineation of the Gulf of Suez, Gulf of Aqaba, endemism and Lessepsian migrants.

The current checklist provides for each species of the Red Sea its records in the Gulf of Suez, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea main basin and its general distribution.This new checklist of Red Sea fishes enumerates 1207 species, representing 164 families. Of these, 797 species were recorded from the Gulf of Aqaba and 339 from the Gulf of Suez. The number of species from the Gulf of Suez is evidently lower than the actual number not including 27 Lessepsian (Red Sea) migrants to the Mediterranean that most likely occur in the Gulf. The current list includes 73 species that were newly described for science since the last checklist of 2010. The most specious Osteichthyes families are: Gobiidae (134 species), Labridae (66), Apogonidae (59), Serranidae (including Anthiadinae) (44), Blenniidae (42), Carangidae (38), Muraenidae (36), Pomacentridae (35), Syngnathidae (34), Scorpaenidae (24) and Lutjanidae (23). Among the families of Chondrichthyes, the most specious families are the Carcharhinidae (18 species) and Dasyatidae (11). The total number of endemic species in the Red Sea is 174 species, of these, 34 species are endemic to the Gulf of Aqaba and 8 to the Gulf of Suez.

Taxonomic review of the deep water flathead genus Parabembras with description of the new species Parabembras multisquamata from the western Pacific Ocean (Teleostei, Parabembridae).

Three valid species of Parabembras are recognized: P. curta, P. robinsoni, and the new species P. multisquamata. Parabembras robinsoni from the southwestern Indian Ocean (South Africa to Mozambique) is easily distinguishable from the other species in having eleven spines in the first dorsal fin, a distinct symphyseal knob on the lower jaw, two preocular spines, and a single lachrymal spine. Parabembras multisquamata from the southwestern Pacific (Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea) and the Philippines, and P. curta, known from the northwestern Pacific (southern Japan to South China Sea), are similar in sharing the absence of a symphyseal knob on the lower jaw, the presence of two lachrymal spines, and a single preocular spine, but the former is clearly distinguished from the latter in usually having 10 spines in the first dorsal fin (vs. eight or nine spines in P. curta), 9-11 supraocular spines (vs. 6-8 in P. curta), 40-44 pored lateral line scales (vs. 34-39 in P. curta), and the pectoral fin extending beyond the level of the anus (vs. not reaching to the level of the anus in P. curta).

Dysomma alticorpus, a new species of cutthroat eel from the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea (Teleostei: Synaphobranchidae).

The cutthroat eel Dysomma alticorpus n. sp. is described based on a single specimen collected in a trammel net at a depth of 350m off Eilat, Israel, Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea. The new species belongs to the Dysomma anguillare species complex, which comprises species possessing a well-developed pectoral fin, intermaxillary teeth, a uniserial row of 7-15 large compound teeth in the lower jaw (which may be followed by a few smaller teeth), and an anteriorly situated anus with the trunk shorter than the head length. It is characterised by a combination of the following characters: origin of the dorsal fin well anterior to the base of the pectoral fin, predorsal length 13.8% TL; preanal length 22.8% TL; three compound teeth on the vomer; head pores: IO 4, SO 3; M 6; POP 0; AD 1, F 0, ST 0; lateral-line pores: predorsal 4, prepectoral 8, preanal 14, total 57-58, the last at the posterior two-thirds of the total length; MVF 7-16-115; total vertebrae 115. Dysomma alticorpus n. sp. is compared with other species of the genus. A revised key to the species of the genera Dysomma and Dysommina is provided.