Abstract
BackgroundAcanthurus guttatus is distributed from the Maldives to the Hawaiian Archipelago and the Pitcairn Islands, and as north as Ryukyu Islands and as south as New Caledonia. The only known locality in the Eastern Tropical Pacific is Clipperton Atoll where three vagrant specimens have been observed.MethodsOn June 2016 and April 2017 small groups of A. guttatus were observed and photographed during SCUBA diving and snorkeling surveys for touristic suitability at Isla del Coco National Park, Costa Rica.ResultsSix specimens of A. guttatus were observed swimming over shallow rocky reefs at Isla del Coco, a volcanic island located in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.ConclusionsThis study represents the first record of A. guttatus at Isla del Coco, the second known location of occurrence in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, and the easternmost known range for the Whitespotted surgeonfish.
Highlights
Acanthurus guttatus is distributed from the Maldives to the Hawaiian Archipelago and the Pitcairn Islands, and as north as Ryukyu Islands and as south as New Caledonia
The East Pacific Barrier (EPB) has long been considered one of the greatest obstructions to the dispersal of marine shallow-dwelling species (Ekman, 1953; Mayr, 1954; Briggs, 1961; Grigg & Hey, 1992; Robertson et al, 2004). This is a large extension of deep-waters arising from the Line Islands (Central Pacific) to Clipperton Atoll (Eastern Tropical Pacific), without any islands or shallow waters for about 4000 km to 7000 km (Ekman, 1953; Briggs, 1961; Robertson et al, 2004)
The observed fishes and the photographs display the morphological characteristics that allow the identification of this reef fish (Fig. 2). These characteristics are: an ovalshaped gray body with two white bars, and many little white spots on the posterior body, as described by Robertson and Allen (2015). These characteristics differentiate A. guttatus from other similar surgeonfishes occurring in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) such as Acanthurus achilles (Shaw, 1803), Acanthurus nigricans (Linnaeus, 1758), Acanthurus triostegus (Linnaeus, 1758), Acanthurus xanthopterus (Valenciennes, 1835), and Ctenochaetus marginatus (Valenciennes, 1835)
Summary
Acanthurus guttatus is distributed from the Maldives to the Hawaiian Archipelago and the Pitcairn Islands, and as north as Ryukyu Islands and as south as New Caledonia. The East Pacific Barrier (EPB) has long been considered one of the greatest obstructions to the dispersal of marine shallow-dwelling species (Ekman, 1953; Mayr, 1954; Briggs, 1961; Grigg & Hey, 1992; Robertson et al, 2004) This is a large extension of deep-waters arising from the Line Islands (Central Pacific) to Clipperton Atoll (Eastern Tropical Pacific), without any islands or shallow waters for about 4000 km to 7000 km (Ekman, 1953; Briggs, 1961; Robertson et al, 2004). The most updated and detailed list of the fish species for Cambra et al Marine Biodiversity Records (2018) 11:4
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
