Indo-Malay Archipelago Research Articles

Three new stingrays (Myliobatiformes: Dasyatidae) from the Indo-West Pacific.

Three undescribed stingrays were discovered as part of a broader revision of the family Dasyatidae that formed part of the Chondrichthyan Tree of Life project. This research forms part of a sequence of papers on rays aimed at describing unnamed species for inclusion in a multi-authored guide to rays of the world. The first part of this series focused on a redefinition of genera of the family Dasyatidae. The new Indo-West Pacific taxa are represented by separate genera from three dasyatid subfamilies: Himantura australis sp. nov. (northern Australia and Papua New Guinea), Taeniura lessoni sp. nov. (Melanesia) and Telatrygon biasa sp. nov. (Indo-Malay Archipelago). Himantura australis sp. nov., which belongs to a complex of four closely related reticulate whiprays, differs subtly from its congeners in coloration, morphometrics and distribution. Taeniura lessoni sp. nov. is the second species in a genus containing the widely-distributed T. lymma, which is possibly the most abundant stingray in shallow coral-reef habitats of the Indo-Pacific, with the new species apparently restricted to Melanesia. Taeniura lessoni sp. nov. is distinguishable by the absence of a distinctive pair of vivid blue longitudinal stripes on the dorsolateral edges of the tail which is one of the most distinctive features of T. lymma. Telatrygon biasa sp. nov. belongs to a small, recently designated genus of stingrays represented by four species in the tropical Indo-West Pacific. Telatrygon biasa sp. nov. differs from these species in morphometrics. The new species differs markedly from T. zugei in its NADH2 sequence. Telatrygon crozieri is resurrected as a valid northern Indian Ocean representative of the T. zugei complex.

A new species of guitarfish, Rhinobatos borneensis sp. nov. with a redefinition of the family-level classification in the order Rhinopristiformes (Chondrichthyes: Batoidea)

A new guitarfish, Rhinobatos borneensis sp. nov., is described from material collected at fish markets in Malaysian Borneo (South China Sea). This ray, which is almost plain coloured with faint orange blotches in adults, has a more colourful embryo marked with small pale ocelli with dark centres. Confused with R. schlegelii (Japan to Taiwan) and its junior synonym R. formosensis, new molecular data suggests it is more closely related to a subgroup of Rhinobatos from the Indo-Malay Archipelago that includes R. jimbaranensis, R. sainsburyi and R. whitei. Based on evidence from recent phylogenetic studies, the genus Rhinobatos is non-monophyletic, nor is the Rhinobatidae a monophyletic family-level group. Former subgenera of Rhinobatos, Acroteriobatus and Glaucostegus, are valid genus-level taxa supported by both morphological and molecular evidence. Moreover, amphi-American members of Rhinobatos, assigned herein to a new genus Pseudobatos, are not monophyletic with Rhinobatos, Acroteriobatus and Glaucostegus and its position within the newly erected order Rhinopristiformes needs to be reassessed. Several molecular studies have suggested that the family Rhinobatidae is polyphyletic and needs to be redefined. We propose a revised classification of the order Rhinopristiformes based on molecular analyses and supported by morphological data, making strong use of oronasal morphology. The group now contains 5 family-level taxa: three valid nominal taxa, Pristidae (2 genera, 5 species), Rhinidae (incorporating Rhynchobatidae, 2 genera, 9 species), Rhinobatidae (3 genera, 31 species); and two new taxa, Glaucostegidae (single genus, 6 species) and Trygonorrhinidae (3 genera, 8 species).

Comparative genetic population structure of three endangered giant clams (Cardiidae:Tridacnaspecies) throughout the Indo-West Pacific: implications for divergence, connectivity and conservation

Information on the genetic population structure of endangered giant clams is important for conservation programmes and the understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes. In this study, the genetic population structures of three codistributed and ecologically similar giant clam species (Tridacna crocea, T. maxima and T. squamosa) are compared. A fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase I gene was sequenced as a genetic marker in three giant clam species sampled throughout the Indo-West Pacific, from the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) and Red Sea (RS) to the Eastern Indian Ocean (EIO), across the centre of marine biodiversity in the Indo-Malay Archipelago (IMA) to the Western Pacific (WP) and the Society Islands in the Central Pacific (CP). All three species showed limited gene flow and a highly significant genetic population structure. The Phi(st)-values (P < 0.001) are 0.46, 0.81 and 0.68 for T. crocea, T. maxima and T. squamosa, respectively. Based on a hierarchical AMOVA they could be divided into three to six groups from West to East: (1) WIO (T. maxima and T. squamosa), (2) RS (T. maxima and T. squamosa), (3) EIO (including Java Sea in T. maxima), (4) central IMA, (5) WP and (6) CP (T. maxima). The distribution of the haplotype clades in the populations and the pairwise Fst-values between populations indicated a high level of gene flow in the central IMA for the three species. The concordant patterns suggest that geological history, sea-level changes during glacial periods of the Pliocene and Pleistocene, and oceanography are important factors shaping the genetic population structure of giant clams. The observed deep evolutionary lineages in the peripheral areas of the IMA might include cryptic species.

Phylogeography of the planktonic shrimp Lucifer hanseni Nobili 1905 in the Indo-Malayan Archipelago

Using partial sequences of two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 12S ribosomal RNA (12S rRNA), and one nuclear gene, 28S ribosomal RNA (28S rRNA), we investigated population genetics of the holoplanktonic shrimp Lucifer hanseni Nobili, 1905 in the Indo-Malayan Archipelago (IMA), encompassing Andaman Sea, Malacca Strait, Gulf of Thailand, Borneo Island, Philippines (hereafter collectively referred to as the Thailand-Malaysia-Philippine area: TMP), Celebes Sea (CS), and the waters near islands in the Western Pacific (WP) including Palau, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. The samples from the TMP showed the highest number of haplotypes. Significant phylogeographic structure was found in the L. hanseni populations (ΦST = 0.832 for COI, 0.159 for 12S rRNA, 0.783 for 28S rRNA). The total number of haplotypes was 46 in COI, 28 in 12S rRNA and 23 in 28S rRNA. The haplotype network analyses revealed two major clades for COI (subgroups: TMP + CS, WP) and for 12S rRNA and 28S rRNA (TMP, CS + WP). The CS and WP populations appeared isolated from the TMP populations. The samples from the CS showed low genetic diversity compared with the other samples at both haplotype and nucleotide levels, suggesting that the population CS experienced bottleneck events. This is the first demonstration of significant genetic structure of a holoplanktonic metazoan in IMA, which is suggested to be synergistically influenced by historical events (vicariance) and contemporary oceanographic circulations and corroborates the results of previous studies on other benthic/demersal animals with mero-planktonic phases.

Re-assessment of the Conservation Status of the Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin (Sousa chinensis) Using the IUCN Red List Criteria.

The IUCN Red List designation of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) is re-assessed in light of its newly recognized taxonomic status (it has recently been separated into three species) and findings that humpback dolphins along the coast of Bangladesh, and possibly eastern India, are phylogenetically distinct from other members of the Sousa genus. Sousa chinensis is found in Southeast/South Asia (in both the Indian and Pacific oceans), from at least the southeastern Bay of Bengal east to central China, and then south to the Indo-Malay Archipelago. There are no global population estimates, and the sum of available abundance estimates add up to about 5700 individuals, although only a portion of the range has been covered by surveys. This species occurs in shallow (<30m deep), coastal waters of the tropics and subtropics, and feeds mainly on small fishes. It has a similar reproductive biology to other large dolphins, occurs mostly in small groups, and generally has individual movements of about 50-200km(2). Major threats throughout the range include entanglement in fishing nets (primarily gillnets) and habitat destruction/degradation, although in some more industrialized areas, vessel traffic, and environmental contamination from organochlorines are also serious issues. Conservation management is largely lacking in most parts of the species' range, although there has been significant (though still inadequate) attention in some parts of China (e.g. Hong Kong and adjacent areas, and Taiwan). Much greater efforts are needed toward conservation of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins to stop apparent declines, and to lower the species' extinction risk. Sousa chinensis meets the IUCN Red List requirements for Vulnerable (under criteria A4cd), with fisheries bycatch and habitat loss/degradation being the main pervasive threats.

Genetic population structure of the blue sea star Linckia laevigata in the Visayas (Philippines)

Coral reef associated marine invertebrates, such as the blue sea starLinckia laevigata, have a life history with two phases: sedentary adults and planktonic larvae. On the one hand it is hypothesised that the long pelagic larval duration facilitates large distance dispersal. On the other hand, complex oceanographic and geographic characteristics of the Visayan seascape could cause isolation of populations. The study aims to investigate the genetic diversity, genetic population structure and gene flow inL. laevigatato reveal connectivity among populations in the Visayas. The analysis is based on partial sequences (626 bp in length) of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI) from 124 individuals collected from five localities in the Visayas. A comparative analysis of these populations with populations from the Indo-Malay Archipelago (IMA) published previously is also presented. Genetic diversity was high (h = 0.98, π = 1.6%) and comparable with preceding studies. Analyses of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed a lack of spatial population differentiation among sample sites in the Visayas (ΦST-value = 0.009;P &amp;gt; 0.05). The lack of genetic population structure indicates high gene flow among populations ofL. laevigatain the Visayas. Comparative analysis with data from the previous study indicates high connectivity of the Visayas with the central part of the IMA.

Limited connectivity and a phylogeographic break characterize populations of the pink anemonefish, Amphiprion perideraion, in the Indo-Malay Archipelago: inferences from a mitochondrial and microsatellite loci.

To enhance the understanding of larval dispersal in marine organisms, species with a sedentary adult stage and a pelagic larval phase of known duration constitute ideal candidates, because inferences can be made about the role of larval dispersal in population connectivity. Members of the immensely diverse marine fauna of the Indo-Malay Archipelago are of particular importance in this respect, as biodiversity conservation is becoming a large concern in this region. In this study, the genetic population structure of the pink anemonefish, Amphiprion perideraion, is analyzed by applying 10 microsatellite loci as well as sequences of the mitochondrial control region to also allow for a direct comparison of marker-derived results. Both marker systems detected a strong overall genetic structure (ΦST = 0.096, P < 0.0001; mean Dest = 0.17; FST = 0.015, P < 0.0001) and best supported regional groupings (ΦCT = 0.199 P < 0.0001; FCT = 0.018, P < 0.001) that suggested a differentiation of the Java Sea population from the rest of the archipelago. Differentiation of a New Guinea group was confirmed by both markers, but disagreed over the affinity of populations from west New Guinea. Mitochondrial data suggest higher connectivity among populations with fewer signals of regional substructure than microsatellite data. Considering the homogenizing effect of only a few migrants per generation on genetic differentiation between populations, marker-specific results have important implications for conservation efforts concerning this and similar species.

Disentangling a taxonomic nightmare: a revision of the Australian, Indomalayan and Pacific species of Altica Geoffroy, 1762 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae).

The genus Altica Geoffroy, 1762, is revised for Australia, the west Pacific region and the Indomalayan Archipelago, with 6 valid species: A. aenea (Olivier, 1808); A. birmanensis (Jacoby, 1896); A. caerulea (Olivier, 1791); A. corrusca (Erichson, 1842); A. cyanea Weber, 1801; A. gravida (Blackburn, 1896). The following new synonymy is recognised, in original combinations, senior synonym first: Galeruca aenea Olivier = Haltica ignea Blackburn, 1889, syn. nov., = Haltica bicolora Jacoby, 1904, syn. nov., = Altica jussiaeae Gressitt, 1955, syn. nov.; Galeruca caerulea Olivier = Haltica elongata Jacoby, 1884, syn. nov., = Altica brevicosta Weise, 1922; Haltica corrusca Erichson = Haltica pagana Blackburn, 1896, syn. nov.; Haltica birmanensis Jacoby = Haltica indica Shukla, 1960, syn. nov. Altica brevicosta and A. birmanensis are removed from synonymy with A. cyanea and A. indica is removed from synonymy with A. caerulea. The Altica caerulea of Maulik and subsequent authors (not Olivier) is a misidentification of two species, correctly named A. cyanea and A. birmanensis. The Altica cyanea of Maulik and subsequent authors (not Weber) is a misidentification, correctly named A. aenea. Altica bicosta Shukla, 1960, is removed from synonymy with A. brevicosta and regarded as a valid species. Altica splendida Olivier, 1808, and Haltica ferruginis Blackburn, 1889, are transferred to Sutrea Baly, 1876, as S. splendida (comb. nov.) and S. ferruginis (comb. nov.). The type species of Sutrea is designated as S. elegans Baly, 1876. Altica albicornis Medvedev, 2004, is transferred to Phygasia Dejean, 1836, as P. albicornis (comb. nov.). Lectotypes are designated for A. australis, A. birmanensis, A. caerulea, A. cyanea, A. elongata, A. ignea and A. pagana. A neotype is designated for A. aenea. Altica caerulea is newly recorded from Australia and A. cyanea is removed from the Australian fauna. Altica corrusca and A. gravida are endemic to Australia; all published records of these species from outside Australia refer to the widespread Asian-Pacific species A. aenea. The single record of the European Altica oleracea (L., 1758) from New Caledonia is regarded as a label error and this species removed from the Pacific fauna. A key, based primarily on genitalic structures, is provided for the six regional species and all are redescribed. Host plant records are reviewed: A. corrusca is a minor agricultural pest; A. aenea, A. caerulea and A. cyanea may be useful for biocontrol of weeds.

EARLY HOLOCENE BURIAL PRACTICE AT NIAH CAVE, SARAWAK

The West Mouth of Niah Cave, Sarawak, contains one of the largest series of stratified prehistoric burials in Southeast Asia. Initial classification grouped up to 39 burials as ‘Mesolithic’ or pre-Neolithic (B. Harrisson 1967), including ‘flexed’, ‘seated’ and ‘mutilation’ burials, and subsequent radiocarbon dates on human bone produced a date range for these burials of 15,121-5659 cal. BC (Brooks et al. 1977; T. Harrisson 1975). However, due to the technical infancy in dating bone samples at that time, these dates are now generally discredited (Spriggs 1989). In light of renewed investigation of cave stratigraphy and new radiocarbon dates, this paper reviews the classification and date range of early Holocene burials at Niah Cave. The spatial and temporal patterning in burial practice at the site is discussed and compared to the regional data. It is proposed that the commencement of discrete burial in the early Holocene forms a horizon across the Indo-Malay Archipelago which reflects a broad cultural shift in the perception of dead and cultural attitudes to their appropriate treatment, one result of which was the creation of tangible ancestral identities. Early Holocene burial practice was varied both at a local and regional level, including primary as well as secondary burial. One widespread element is the use of fire, either represented as fully cremated remains or physically present within the grave structure itself.

New insight on population genetic connectivity of widespread amphidromous prawn Macrobrachium lar (Fabricius, 1798) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae)

Due to the sparse and unstable nature of insular freshwater habitats, marine larval dispersal of amphidromous species is considered a critical element of population persistence. We assessed population genetic structure of freshwater prawn Macrobrachium lar across its range that encompasses two biogeographic barriers: the vast open ocean separating Western and Central Pacific regions and the Indo-Malay archipelago separating Indian and Pacific oceans. A total of 173 samples collected from 21 islands throughout the Indo-Pacific were sequenced at 16S and 28S rDNA. We observed distinct genetic isolation of populations located at the eastern and southwestern edge of the species range but no evidence of an effect of the Indo-Pacific barrier. Differentiation patterns are consistent with a stepping-stone model of dispersal. Genetic differences of Central Pacific populations may reflect founder events associated with colonization of isolated islands, or be a signature of a past bottleneck after population depletion caused by drastic climatic events.

Australasian sky islands act as a diversity pump facilitating peripheral speciation and complex reversal from narrow endemic to widespread ecological supertramp.

The Australasian archipelago is biologically extremely diverse as a result of a highly puzzling geological and biological evolution. Unveiling the underlying mechanisms has never been more attainable as molecular phylogenetic and geological methods improve, and has become a research priority considering increasing human-mediated loss of biodiversity. However, studies of finer scaled evolutionary patterns remain rare particularly for megadiverse Melanesian biota. While oceanic islands have received some attention in the region, likewise insular mountain blocks that serve as species pumps remain understudied, even though Australasia, for example, features some of the most spectacular tropical alpine habitats in the World. Here, we sequenced almost 2 kb of mitochondrial DNA from the widespread diving beetle Rhantus suturalis from across Australasia and the Indomalayan Archipelago, including remote New Guinean highlands. Based on expert taxonomy with a multigene phylogenetic backbone study, and combining molecular phylogenetics, phylogeography, divergence time estimation, and historical demography, we recover comparably low geographic signal, but complex phylogenetic relationships and population structure within R. suturalis. Four narrowly endemic New Guinea highland species are subordinated and two populations (New Guinea, New Zealand) seem to constitute cases of ongoing speciation. We reveal repeated colonization of remote mountain chains where haplotypes out of a core clade of very widespread haplotypes syntopically might occur with well-isolated ones. These results are corroborated by a Pleistocene origin approximately 2.4 Ma ago, followed by a sudden demographic expansion 600,000 years ago that may have been initiated through climatic adaptations. This study is a snapshot of the early stages of lineage diversification by peripatric speciation in Australasia, and supports New Guinea sky islands as cradles of evolution, in line with geological evidence suggesting very recent origin of high altitudes in the region.

Himantura tutul sp. nov. (Myliobatoidei: Dasyatidae), a new ocellated whipray from the tropical Indo-West Pacific, described from its cytochrome-oxidase I gene sequence

It has been previously established that the Leopard Whipray, Himantura leoparda, consists of two genetically isolated, cryptic species, provisionally designated as ‘Cluster 1’ and ‘Cluster 4’ (Arlyza et al., Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 65 (2013) [1]). Here, we show that the two cryptic species differ by the spotting patterns on the dorsal surface of adults: Cluster-4 individuals tend to have larger-ocellated spots, which also more often have a continuous contour than Cluster-1 individuals. We show that H. leoparda's holotype has the typical larger-ocellated spot pattern, designating Cluster 4 as the actual H. leoparda. The other species (Cluster 1) is described as Himantura tutul sp. nov. on the basis of the nucleotide sequence of a 655-base pair fragment of its cytochrome-oxidase I gene (GenBank accession No. JX263335). Nucleotide synapomorphies at this locus clearly distinguish H. tutul sp. nov. from all three other valid species in the H. uarnak species complex, namely H. leoparda, H. uarnak, and H. undulata. H. tutul sp. nov. has a wide distribution in the Indo-West Pacific, from the shores of eastern Africa to the Indo-Malay archipelago. H. leoparda under its new definition has a similarly wide Indo-West Pacific distribution.

Cryptic species of Nereididae (Annelida : Polychaeta) on Australian coral reefs

We investigate the presence of cryptic species among three highly variable nereidid polychaetes commonly found in Australian coral reefs − Nereis denhamensis Augener, 1913, Perinereis suluana (Horst, 1924) and Pseudonereis anomala Gravier, 1901 − based on morphological and molecular data (mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, COI, and nuclear histone H3). DNA extracted and sequenced from 70 specimens from northern Australia and the Philippines indicated the existence of eight species: three matched the types of existing species; four are newly described (Nereis heronensis, sp. nov., N. lizardensis, sp. nov., Perinereis pictilis, sp. nov. and Pseudonereis anomalopsis, sp. nov.) from NE Australia, and one species is described but not named due to lack of material. Nereis denhamensis, N. heronensis, sp. nov. and N. lizardensis, sp. nov. are distinguished from each other by proboscidial paragnath number and morphology of the metamorphosed female. Perinereis suluana can only be separated from P. pictilis, sp. nov. by colour pattern, while Pseudonereis anomala, P. anomalopsis, sp. nov. and P. sp. differ in colour pattern and the number and arrangement of paragnaths. Nereis (Lycoris) tydemani from Maluku, Indonesia, is newly synonymised with P. anomala. Divergence times estimated using COI indicated that speciation in all three groups occurred in the mid Miocene (20–17 ± 7 mya), which corresponds to a period of restricted east–west dispersal as Australia collided with the Indo-Malay archipelago, followed by range expansion opportunities in NE Australia as a result of flourishing coral reefs responding to warming seas and rising sea levels.

Phylogeography of the Indo‐West Pacific maskrays (Dasyatidae, Neotrygon): a complex example of chondrichthyan radiation in the Cenozoic

Maskrays of the genus Neotrygon (Dasyatidae) have dispersed widely in the Indo-West Pacific being represented largely by an assemblage of narrow-ranging coastal endemics. Phylogenetic reconstruction methods reproduced nearly identical and statistically robust topologies supporting the monophyly of the genus Neotrygon within the family Dasyatidae, the genus Taeniura being consistently basal to Neotrygon, and Dasyatis being polyphyletic to the genera Taeniurops and Pteroplatytrygon. The Neotrygon kuhlii complex, once considered to be an assemblage of color variants of the same biological species, is the most derived and widely dispersed subgroup of the genus. Mitochondrial (COI, 16S) and nuclear (RAG1) phylogenies used in synergy with molecular dating identified paleoclimatic fluctuations responsible for periods of vicariance and dispersal promoting population fragmentation and speciation in Neotrygon. Signatures of population differentiation exist in N. ningalooensis and N. annotata, yet a large-scale geological event, such as the collision between the Australian and Eurasian Plates, coupled with subsequent sea-level falls, appears to have separated a once homogeneous population of the ancestral form of N. kuhlii into southern Indian Ocean and northern Pacific taxa some 4–16 million years ago. Repeated climatic oscillations, and the subsequent establishment of land and shallow sea connections within and between Australia and parts of the Indo-Malay Archipelago, have both promoted speciation and established zones of secondary contact within the Indian and Pacific Ocean basins.

DNA Barcoding Reveals Cryptic Diversity within Commercially Exploited Indo-Malay Carangidae (Teleosteii: Perciformes)

BackgroundDNA barcodes, typically focusing on the cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI) in many animals, have been used widely as a species-identification tool. The ability of DNA barcoding to distinguish species from a range of taxa and to reveal cryptic species has been well documented. Despite the wealth of DNA barcode data for fish from many temperate regions, there are relatively few available from the Southeast Asian region. Here, we target the marine fish Family Carangidae, one of the most commercially-important families from the Indo-Malay Archipelago (IMA), to produce an initial reference DNA barcode library.Methodology/Principal FindingsHere, a 652 bp region of COI was sequenced for 723 individuals from 36 putative species of Family Carangidae distributed within IMA waters. Within the newly-generated dataset, three described species exhibited conspecific divergences up to ten times greater (4.32–4.82%) than mean estimates (0.24–0.39%), indicating a discrepancy with assigned morphological taxonomic identification, and the existence of cryptic species. Variability of the mitochondrial DNA COI region was compared within and among species to evaluate the COI region's suitability for species identification. The trend in range of mean K2P distances observed was generally in accordance with expectations based on taxonomic hierarchy: 0% to 4.82% between individuals within species, 0% to 16.4% between species within genera, and 8.64% to 25.39% between genera within families. The average Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) distance between individuals, between species within genera, and between genera within family were 0.37%, 10.53% and 16.56%, respectively. All described species formed monophyletic clusters in the Neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree, although three species representing complexes of six potential cryptic species were detected in Indo-Malay Carangidae; Atule mate, Selar crumenophthalmus and Seriolina nigrofasciata.Conclusion/SignificanceThis study confirms that COI is an effective tool for species identification of Carangidae from the IMA. There were moderate levels of cryptic diversity among putative species within the central IMA. However, to explain the hypothesis of species richness in the IMA, it is necessary to sample the whole family across their broad geographic range. Such insights are helpful not only to document mechanisms driving diversification and recruitment in Carangidae, but also to provide a scientific framework for management strategies and conservation of commercially-important fisheries resources.

"Ni vazana tsy aseho vahiny' - "Don't show your molars to strangers" - Expressions of Teeth blackening in Madagascar

Although Madagascar is geographically disjunct from Southeast Asia, Micronesia and Melanesia, where intentional blackening of teeth used to be ubiquitous, this study found the practice deeply rooted in Malagasy culture. Men and women accomplished teeth blackening not only by chewing various, mostly endemic, plants, but also by applying organic burn products as well as a combination of mineral rich soil and barks containing tannins. The highly developed oral literature of Madagascar, in which teeth blackening features frequently, provides material to study the diverse associations which the practice and the requisite plants evoked. These connotations reached from the overtly sexual to affirmations of various core cultural values. For example, when teeth blackener was removed again from frontal teeth to render them white, while keeping molars blackened, this pattern not only held esthetic appeal, but also somatically expressed a desire for concealment versus revelation of the private self. The widespread distribution of teeth blackening across the island and similarities to methods known from Austronesian speakers elsewhere are some of the indications that teeth blackening might have reached Madagascar during its early phases of settlement by Austronesian speakers from the Indo-Malay archipelago. Surprisingly, betel chewing, a practice equally associated with Southeast Asian people, appears to have reached Madagascar at a relatively late date by way of the Swahili coast. Neither areca nut ( Areca catechu L.) nor betel pepper ( Piper betle L.) become naturalized across the island, nor did the usage of these plants penetrate Malagasy culture to any great extent.

High similarity of genetic population structure in the false clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) found in microsatellite and mitochondrial control region analysis

Many studies, using various marker systems, have been conducted on the genetic population structure of marine organisms to reveal connectivity among locations and dispersal capabilities. Although mitochondrial sequence markers are widely used, their accuracy is controversially discussed in the context of small scale population genetic discrimination. In the present study, the genetic population structure of the False Clown Anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) in the Indo-Malay Archipelago was revealed by screening six microsatellite loci. Results were congruent to previous mitochondrial control region results, with three major genetic breaks within the Indo-Malay Archipelago. Similar to the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis, microsatellite data showed a correlation of genetic structure to historical ocean basin separation during Pleistocene sea level low stands, geographic distance, and dominant current patterns. However, microsatellite divergences are not as deep as the mtDNA divergence, suggesting either that admixture of mtDNA lineages is slower than that of nuclear microsatellites, providing a rather historic picture of separation, or the stronger differentiation signal is due to lower effective population sizes presented by mtDNA. As well, the microsatellite analysis did not give a better resolution on the small scale as expected. This study showed that depending on the genetic markers used, different stages of population separation might be illuminated.

Catalog of the anomuran and brachyuran crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura, Brachyura) of the Hawaiian Islands

A total of 68 species of anomuran and 284 living species of brachyuran crabs are listed as reliably occurring in the Hawaiian Islands. These figures include 12 species of brachyurans known to have been introduced, but not four species of anomurans and nine brachyurans whose identifications are questionable and two species of anomurans and 14 brachyurans that appear to have been recorded from the islands in error. Five species of anomurans and one brachyuran so far only known from the Midway Islands are included in the total number of Hawaiian species, but not five species of brachyurans only known from Johnston Atoll that are included only for their biogeographical interest. The Hawaiian crab fauna shows a predominance of wide ranging Indo-West Pacific species (41% of Anomura, 58% of Brachyura), some degree of endemicity (37% of Anomura, 14% of Brachyura), but it is much impoverished in terms of total number of species when compared with the crab fauna of the Indo-Malayan Archipelago, regarded as a center of diversification for many marine taxa. Several taxonomic changes are also made: Trapezia neglecta Castro, 2003, is ascertained to be a junior synonym of T. intermedia Miers, 1886, and a lectotype and a paralectotype are selected for Grapsus oceanicus Hombron &amp; Jacquinot, 1846 (Grapsidae).

A comparative description and distribution of the flying fishes—Cypselurus poecilopterus, C. simus, and C. callopterus, sorted out into the species group of spotwing species of the subgenus Poecilocypselurus

The three species of flying fishes—Indo-Pacific Cypselurus poecilopterus, Central Pacific C. simus, and Eastern Pacific C. callopterus form a particular species group within the subgenus Poecilocypselurus. These species rather weakly differ in the body height, number of predorsal scales and number of gill rakers. The sculls of these three species are very much alike; there are just very small differences in the proportions of some bones and the number of skull lateral line canals and pores. It could be imagined that C. poecilopterus has appeared in the Indo-Malayan Archipelago area and thence extended in all directions (up to the coasts of the Eastern Africa, Northern and Eastern Australia, New Guinea and adjacent islands, the western islands of Polynesia and the waters of Japan). C. callopterus inhabiting warm waters of the Eastern Pacific and C. simus whose area is situated in the central part of the Pacific Ocean are seemingly derived from this species.

Species diversity and vertical distribution of the deep-sea copepods of the genus Euaugaptilus in the Sulu and Celebes Seas

The relationships between water-column structure, species diversity and patterns of vertical distribution were examined in the copepod genus Euaugaptilus in the Sulu and Celebes Seas. Euaugaptilus is among the most species-rich single genus of all calanoid copepods and is characterized by the specialized ‘button setae’ in their mouth appendages. The Sulu Sea is a semi-enclosed equatorial basin located in the center of the Indo-Malayan Archipelago, rimmed by sills shallower than 420 m, and characterized by homogeneous, warm water (ca. 10 °C) from the mesopelagic zone to the sea bottom of ca. 5000 m, while the adjacent Celebes Sea is of more typical oceanic conditions. Plankton samples were collected at two stations both day and night from 16 discrete layers in the upper 1000 m. A total of 29 species of Euaugaptilus were collected in the Celebes Sea, which is among the largest numbers for the genus so far reported from a single restricted sea area, but only 8 species were collected in the Sulu Sea. These 8 species occurred in the upper mesopelagic zone in the Celebes Sea, while in the Sulu Sea many of them extended their ranges and/or shifted into deeper zones. An additional 15 net tows to depths deeper than 1000 m added 6 species from the Celebes Sea and 8 species from the Sulu Sea, with all the deep Sulu species, except E. hyperboreus, being found above 1000 m in the Celebes Sea. This drastic reduction of species number in the Sulu Sea is attributed to the homogenous high-temperature deep water, which may have prevented settlement of many deep-water species from outside areas and co-existence of species sharing similar ecological niches. The species in the Sulu Sea showed discrete vertical distribution patterns according to the species or species groups, despite the essential absence of vertical gradients of temperature and salinity in the mesopelagic zone. The species pairs that showed similar vertical distributions in the Sulu Sea showed marked differences in their prosome length and/or in the morphology of the ‘button setae’ and the mandible blade. The species successfully inhabiting the Sulu Sea may have expanded their range into the deep waters, and vertical segregation and food-resource partitioning may be among the major factors allowing the observed coexistence of these congeneric species.