Occurrence of Holacanthus clarionensis (Pomacanthidae), Stegastes leucorus, and Stegastes acapulcoensis (Pomacentridae) at Magdalena Bay, B.C.S., Mexico

Arturo Hernández-Velasco,Francisco J Fernández-Rivera-Melo,Juan Carlos Villaseñor-Derbez,Sara M Melo-Merino

doi:10.1186/s41200-016-0062-1

Arturo Hernández-Velasco, Francisco J Fernández-Rivera-Melo + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s41200-016-0062-1

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Abstract

Pomacanthids and Pomacentrids are mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, and inhabit shallow rocky and coral reefs. Due to their colorful patterns and unusual body shapes, they have been widely targeted by aquarium fish trade; these species are of great commercial interest. Here we document the occurrence of one Pomacanthid (Holacanthus clarionensis), and two Pomacentrids (Stegastes acapulcoensis, and S. leucorus) north of their reported distribution range during the 2014 warm water period in the eastern Tropical Eastern Pacific. Sightings took place at Magdalena-Almejas Bay complex, located in the western margin of the Baja California Peninsula. Using a series of abiotic data for the Tropical Eastern Pacific, we created a maximum entropy model for each species and identified that high probability of occurrence at Magdalena-Almejas Bay complex was only denoted for S. leucorus. Here we report the occurrence of H. clarionensis, S. acapulcoensis and S. leucorus 70 km, 300 km, and 300 km north of the northernmost reported limits.

Highlights

Pomacanthids and Pomacentrids are mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, and inhabit rocky and coral reefs between 1 and 30 m deep; a few species range to depths of 80 m or more (Thomson et al, 2000; Robertson & Allen 2008)
H. clarionensis summed 88 occurrence records, of which 68 % belong to the Revillagigedo Islands (Mexican Pacific), 25 % to the Gulf of California and less than 5 % to islands above the 25°N (South-Californian Pacific)
S. acapulcoensis had the highest number of records (358), with 9 % in the Galapagos Islands, 66 % in the Central American Pacific, 19 % in the Mexican Pacific, and 5 % in the Gulf of California

Summary

Introduction

Pomacanthids (angelfishes) and Pomacentrids (damselfishes) are mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, and inhabit rocky and coral reefs between 1 and 30 m deep; a few species range to depths of 80 m or more (Thomson et al, 2000; Robertson & Allen 2008). Along the Mexican coast, in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, registered species of this family include four angelfishes: Pomacanthus zonipectus (Gill, 1862), Holacanthus passer (Valenciennes, 1846), H. limbaughi (Baldwin, 1963), and H. clarionensis (Gilbert, 1891), and 13 damselfishes: Abudefduf troschelii (Gill, 1862), A. declivifrons (Gill, 1862), Azurina hirundo (Jordan & McGregor in Jordan & Evermann, 1898), Chromis alta (Greenfield & Woods, 1980), C. atrilobata (Gill, 1862), C. limbaughi (Greenfield & Woods, 1980), Hypsypops rubicundus (Girard, 1854), Microspathodon bairdii (Gill, 1862), M. dorsalis (Gill, 1862), Stegastes acapulcoensis (Fowler, 1944), S. flavilatus (Gill, 1862) S. leucorus (Gilbert, 1892) S. rectifraenum (Gill, 1862), and S. redemptus (Heller & Snodgrass, 1903). Piña-Espallargas et al (2001) have pointed that H. clarionensis, S. leucorus and S. acapulcoensis are considered as commercially important fish in Mexico’s ornamental fishery

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