Shore Species Research Articles

THE EAST PACIFIC BARRIER AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF MARINE SHORE FISHES

Although the East Pacific Barrier has been the object of considerable speculation by contemporary marine zoologists, it was Charles Darwin (1872: 131) who first recognized its zoogeographic importance. Westward of the shores of America, a wide space of open ocean extends, with not an island as a halting-place for emigrants; here we have a barrier of another kind, and as soon as this is passed we meet in the eastern islands of the Pacific with another and totally distinct As Ekman has emphasized (1953: 73), the East Pacific Barrier is considered by many to be responsible for the most pronounced break in the circumtropical shore fauna. It has been noted recently (Briggs, 1960) that 14 species of circumtropical shore fishes have succeeded in crossing this area. The number should now be reduced to 13, for Garrick (1960) has shown that the bramble-shark genus Echinorhinus is not monotypic and that, so far, neither of the two species can be considered cosmopolitan. As nearly as can be determined from the various checklists, faunal works, and recent revisionary literature as well as an examination of specimens of certain species, in addition to the 13 worldwide fishes, 40 other tropical shore species have transgressed the Barrier at least as far as the offshore islands of the Eastern Pacific. This gives a total of 53 shore fishes which can be called trans-Pacific species. A list has been compiled (Appendix) which gives the name and the general distribution of each.

A list of Florida fishes and their distribution

The fish fauna of Florida is far richer than that of any comparable area in North or Central America. The 1,120 species which occur in Florida waters represent approximately one-fourth the number of species recorded for the entire northern portion of the Western Hemisphere. Seventy-four of these apparently have a worldwide (circumtropical) distribution, while eighty-five have been taken only from Florida waters. More fish species occupy the marine shore zone than are found in all other habitats combined. This shore fauna has a great deal in common with that of the West Indies, South America, and Bermuda, perhaps more than with the rest of North America. The surprising number of Florida shore species that range to the eastern Atlantic indicates a closer relationship to that area than was previously suspected. The Florida Keys contain the greatest variety of fishes in the state. The majority of the mainland forms occur in the Keys, and, in addition, approximately 135 species that inhabit the Keys do not occur on the mainland. A distinct difference is present between the Gulf and Atlantic coast faunas with the former being a good deal richer in number of species. There is also a clear indication of a faunal difference between the northeastern and northwestern Gulf of Mexico. The rich freshwater fish fauna of the other southeastern states has been able to penetrate Florida to but a limited extent; almost all of those species present belong to six families of which the Cyprinodontidae, Centrarchidae, and Ictaluridae have been the most successful invaders. A systematic list provides information about the range, habitat, and common name of each species. A bibliography includes those references necessary for the identification of Florida freshwater, euryhaline, and marine shore fishes.

The Ecology and Distribution of Intertidal Organisms on the Rocky Shores of the Queensland Mainland

This paper records investigations made on the ecology and biogeography of organisms found on rocky shores in eastern Queensland. Traverses were made at selected localities along a region of the coast bounded by the New South Wales-Queensland border (lat. 28� 15' S.) to the south and Whitecliffs (lat. 16� 39' S.) to the north. An account of general physiographic features and environmental factors in this region is given. It was found that the majority of typical Peronian organisms extended as far north as about lat. 25� S. North of lat. 25� S. tropical species occurred and the degree of overlapping of species from the two adjacent faunas was very small. However, the Moreton Bay-Caloundra region offered a refuge for some tropical forms. Zonation patterns on either side of the biogeographical boundary differed. In southern Queensland the zonation picture was similar to that in New South Wales as described by Dakin, Bennett , and Pope (1948); but in northern Queensland an oyster zone dominated the upper half of the intertidal region, whilst in the lower half a barnacle zone replaced the serpulid zone found in southern Queensland and New South Wales. The effects of various environmental factors on zonation on Queensland shores are discussed. It has been found that generalizations made by Evans (1947b) regarding zonation on British shores are only partially applicable to zonation in southern Queensland. Possible reasons for the differences noted are discussed. Also, the rate of change of percentage exposure to the air, which Doty (1946) has shown to be so potent a factor in determining the zonation of organisms at all levels in the intertidal region of the coasts of Oregon and northern California, apparently determines only the upper levels attained by organisms which extend above mean high water neap tide level on southern Queensland shores. Analyses of the effects of varying environmental factors, including gross environmental changes relating to latitude, on faunistic composition have been made. These have given much information on the general ecology of many common Queensland rocky shore species. Moreover, they have thrown much light on the reasons for the existence of a biogeographical boundary near latitude 25� S. In particular they have shown that such factors as the degree of wave action and salinity are possibly of more importance than temperature in determining the position of this boundary.

LES CYPÉRACÉES DE L'ÎLE ANTICOSTI: CAREX ET KOBRESIA

Sixty-two species, seven hybrids, eleven varieties, and two forms of Carex, and one species of Kobresia occur on Anticosti, a 135-mile long island located in the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.After a few historical notes on the early surveys of the Anticosti flora, the author lists in their natural order the different species of Carex occurring on the island, consisting mainly of collections made by Macoun, Schmitt, Frère Marie-Victorin, and his field-associate F. Rolland-Germain, and Jacques Rousseau. Each species has its respective distribution and proper bibliography given. Two new hybrids are described.In the third part, the author gives some phytogeographical conclusions. The sedges enumerated fail in the following categories:1. Arctic-alpine species at their southernmost limit or nearly so: Kobresia simpliuscula, Carex microglochin, and C. rupestris.2. Euryatlantic species, i.e. species occurring on both sides of the Atlantic, but very often with their main area in Europe: C. Hostiana, C. demissa, C. Hartmani, C. flava.3. Species of the upper subarctic: C. capillaris, C. rariflora, C. media, etc.4. Species of the lower subarctic: C. exilis, C. atratiformis, C. pauciflora, C. sterilis, C. castanea, C. Buxbaumii, etc.5. Cold-temperate species at their northernmost limit: C. arctata, C. Crawfordii, C. Deweyana, C. eburnea, C. intumescens var. Fernaldii, C. leptonervia, C. pedunculata, C. retrorsa, C. scoparia, C. tribuloides, C. viridula, C. vulpinoidea, etc.A line drawn from Anticosti island to Lake Mistassini and James Bay seems to constitute an important natural limit for many species in the flora of Quebec.6. Halophytic species: C. hormathodes, C. Lyngbyei, C. Mackenziei, C. nigra, C. paleacea, C. recta. C. Lyngbyei, a species of arctic shores, has its southernmost limit on Anticosti island.Special consideration is given to the members of the critical section EXTENSAE (the flava-group) and their numerous hybrids.The general conclusion is that Anticosti belongs to the colder part of the temperate zone, with arctic or subarctic "islands" on the river flats, on windswept cliffs, or in bogs.The author concludes with a few notes on the economical value of sedges as pasture and their relation to deer-grazing.

Plankton of the Bermuda Oceanographic Expeditions. X. Polychaetous Annelids from Bermuda plankton, with eight shore species and four from Haiti

Plankton of the Bermuda Oceanographic Expeditions. X. Polychaetous Annelids from Bermuda plankton, with eight shore species and four from Haiti

Societies and Academies

LONDONLinnean Society, November I.—Prof. Allman, F.R.S., president, in the chair.—Messrs. S. M. Samuel and P. Wyatt Squire were duly elected fellows of the Society.—A communication was read by Dr. G. King on the source of the winged cardamom of Nepal. By Dr. Pereira it had been regarded as the produce of Amomum maximum, Roxb.; but this is indigenous to Java. Roxburgh named two Indian species, A. aromaticum and A. subulatum, and Dr. King shows that the latter is the so-called winged cardamom of Nepal, its true habitat being the Morung mountains and not the Khasia hills as asserted by Voigt. —There followed a paper by Capt. W. Armit on Australian finches of the genus Poëphila. Mr. Gould had recognised two birds, P. gouldia and P. mirabilis, as good and distinct specific forms, a statement questioned by Mr. Diggles at the Queensl. Phil. Soc., 1876. Capt. Armit having studied the live birds in their native haunts gives his evidence in favour of Mr. Gould as to the just separation of the said Australian finches, —The self-fertilisation of plants formed the subject of an interesting paper by the Rev. G. Henslow, a notice of which we shall give elsewhere.—Mr. Ed. J. Miers gave a revision of the Hippidea.”This group of the Anomourous Crustacea, although, by their elongated carapace and antennæ bearing considerable resemblance to certain of the Corystoidea, to wit the Chilian, Blepharipoda spinnimana. and Pseudocorystes sicarius, yet the author considers their true affinities to be with the Oxystomatous Brachyura, through the Raninidæ. The Hippidea inhabit all the warmer temperate and tropical seas of the globe. Their life history and habits lately have received considerable elucidation at the hands of Mr. S. J. Smith, of Connecticut, in a study of the development of the common species of the eastern shores of the United States. Their limits are restricted northwards by the cold winters. The H. talpoidea lives gregariously, burrowing in the loose, changing sands near low-water mark. Other species, however, inhabit deep water, such as the Albunea guerinii in the Gulf of Algiers, and &c.—Mr. E. M. Holmes laid before the meeting the late Dr. Hanbury's collection of cardamoms (from the Pharmaceutical Society) in illustration of Dr. King's paper above mentioned; he also drew attention to an undetermined fungus in a sugar cane, which mould had caused the destruction of a plantation in South India. —The Rev. T. H. Sotheby exhibited branches of two remarkable shrubs, Colletia cruciata, Hook., and C. Bictonensis, Lindl., grown in Lady Rolles' garden at Bicton. These South American plants it seems, are not unknown in this country (one Fellow present stating he possessed them now in flower), but the history of their introduction, nevertheless, is a curious one.—Dr. Masters showed an unusual specimen of a grape within a grape, viz., adventitious fruit developed in place of the normal seeds; he also explained the rationale of adventitious tubers producing buds on the root of some examples of Brassica Rapa exhibited by him.—Some twigs and flowers of British grown gum trees were shown by Mr. A. O. Walker, among others Penstemon Clevelandii said to have flowered here for the first time.