First record of the southwestern Indian Ocean endemic Apolemichthys kingi (Teleostei: Pomacanthidae) from Sainte Marie Island, Madagascar

Wickel J., Toto L.L., Pinault M., Fricke R., Ponton D.

Date de parution: décembre 2018
Volume: 42
Number: 4
Pagination: 383-385
doi: https://doi.org/10.26028/cybium/2018-424-012
Notes:

How to cite: Wickel, J., Toto, L. L., Pinault, M., Fricke, R., & Ponton, D. (2018). First record of the southwestern Indian Ocean endemic Apolemichthys kingi (Teleostei: Pomacanthidae) from Sainte Marie Island, Madagascar. Cybium, 42(4): 383-385. https://doi.org/10.26028/CYBIUM/2018-424-012

Résumé

Known to date as an endemic species of the border area between South Africa and Mozambique, Apolemichthys kingiis reported for the first time from the northeast coast of Madagascar (Sainte-Marie Island) at 34 m deep. The presence of this species in Madagascar was corroborated by the record in the BOLD database of a specimen with similar morphology, captured in 2013 on the southeast coast of Madagascar (Fort Dauphin). These observations confirm the range extension of the species to eastern Madagascar and enhance the hypothesis of larval connectivity between the African continent and the east of Madagascar. This paper also highlights the importance of deep reef habitats prospection in the southwest Indian Ocean islands, for a better understanding of biodiversity and ecological functionality of these poorly known habitats.

Mots-clés: Apolemichthys kingi - Endemism - Geographic distribution - Madagascar - Pomacanthidae - Range extension - Sainte Marie Island
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