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Corresponding author: Cristian Galván-Villa ( cmgv1982@yahoo.com.mx ) Academic editor: Carole Baldwin
© 2016 Cristian Galván-Villa, Eduardo Ríos-Jara, Dafne Bastida-Izaguirre, Philip A. Hastings, Eduardo F. Balart.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Galván-Villa CM, Ríos-Jara E, Bastida-Izaguirre D, Hastings PA, Balart EF (2016) Annotated checklist of marine fishes from the Sanctuary of Bahía Chamela, Mexico with occurrence and biogeographic data. ZooKeys 554: 139-157. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.554.6106
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An annotated checklist of marine fishes of the Sanctuary of Islands and Islets of Bahía Chamela in the central Mexican Pacific is presented. Records of fish species were obtained by different methods including visual census, sampling with anesthetics, fisherman-nets, and trawling with a biological dredge. Additional records were obtained from natural history collections and publications. The list comprises 196 species in 64 families and 141 genera. The Carangidae is the most speciose family with 11 species, followed by the Labridae with 10 and the Pomacentridae with nine. Fourteen species are endemic in Mexican Pacific waters, but none is restricted to Bahía Chamela. The most dominant species recorded during underwater surveys were Epinephelus labriformis, Stegastes flavilatus, and Halichoeres dispilus. Most species are of tropical affinities distributed throughout the tropical eastern Pacific (123), eastern Pacific (23), and Mexican Pacific (14). Other species are known from the eastern and Indo-Pacific regions (18), eastern Pacific and western Atlantic oceans (2), and some are circumtropical (9). A new record of the Gulf Brotula Ogilbia ventralis is provided for the Bahía Chamela and its geographical distribution is extended to Mexican central Pacific.
Species richness, Ichthyofauna, eastern Pacific, systematic list, biogeographic affinity
The study of fish diversity along the Mexican Pacific coasts started two centuries ago by naturalists and scientists who studied rich collections from some now-memorable expeditions (
Fishes are an important marine group from an ecological and economic point of view. The destruction and pollution of many habitats and the overexploitation of fishes have affected marine ecosystems with the consequent loss of environmental services. For this reason, the implementation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) has begun to be a common practice in conservation and a useful fisheries management tool (Roberts et al. 2001, Edgar 2011). However, the design of an effective MPA requires information about the diversity of species inhabiting an area and its connectivity with other areas (
In the Mexican Pacific, there are some well-inventoried MPAs. For instance, there are well-documented checklists of fishes inhabiting Isla Guadalupe Biosphere Reserve (
The Sanctuary of Bahía Chamela was the first marine sanctuary in Mexico and has been protected since 2002 (
Study area. The Bahía Chamela is located in the middle coastline area of Jalisco state on the central Mexican Pacific (19°32'N; 105°06'W) (Figure
Sampling effort and data analysis. Records of fish species were made by visual census and obtained from analyses of collection reports and materials and available publications. Records in situ were made using underwater visual census from 2007 to 2012 according to the technique described by English et al. (1994). Each transect covered an area of 100 m2 (50 m × 2 m) and was conducted by a single diver. Cryptic fishes and other specimens were collected from 2007 to 2015 with a 10% anaesthetic solution of clove oil diluted in ethanol, with a fisherman-net, and with a biological dredge. All collected specimens were deposited in the fish collection of the Laboratory of Marine Ecosystems and Aquaculture (LEMA-CPE), Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara (Zapopan, Mexico), except specimen of Chaenopsis sp. that was deposited in the Marine Vertebrate Collection (SIO), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California (San Diego, USA). Records obtained from publications included only those that were identified to species level and excluded any questionable records that we could not confirm as species known to occur in the Mexican Pacific.
The nomenclature for species level, family designations, and systematic were updated following
Species richness. A list of 196 species, 141 genera, and 64 families of marine fishes from the Bahía Chamela is presented (Table
Checklist of fishes from the Sanctuary of Bahía Chamela, Mexico. The list is arranged systematically by class, orders, and families according to
CLASS/Order/Family | Species | Record designation | Catalog number of collected specimens | Frequency of occurrence | Bio-geographical affinity | IUCN Categories |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CHONDRICHTHYES | ||||||
Carcharhiniformes | ||||||
Sphyrnidae | Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith, 1834) | R1 | - | - | CT | EN |
Rajiformes | ||||||
Narcinidae | Diplobatis ommata (Jordan & Gilbert, 1890) | V | - | R | TEP | VU |
Rhinobatidae | Rhinobatos glaucostigma Jordan & Gilbert, 1883 | SIO, R1 | SIO 70-238 | - | TEP | DD |
Rhinobatos leucorhynchus Günther, 1867 | V | R | TEP | NT | ||
Zapteryx xyster Jordan & Evermann, 1896 | V, SIO | SIO 70-237 | R | TEP | DD | |
Myliobatiformes | ||||||
Gymnuridae | Gymnura marmorata (Cooper, 1864) | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC |
Myliobatidae | Aetobatus narinari (Euphrasen, 1790) | V, R2 | - | R | CT | NT |
Urotrygonidae | Urobatis concentricus Osburn & Nichols, 1916 | V, R2 | - | R | MEX | DD |
Urobatis halleri (Cooper, 1863) | SIO, R1 | SIO 70-237 | - | TEP | LC | |
Urotrygon munda Gill, 1863 | R1 | - | TEP | DD | ||
Urotrygon rogersi (Jordan & Starks, 1895) | SIO | SIO 70-238 | - | TEP | DD | |
ACTINOPTERYGII | ||||||
Albuliformes | ||||||
Albulidae |
Albula pacifica (Beebe, 1942) |
R1 | - | - | EP | NE |
Anguilliformes | ||||||
Congridae | Ariosoma gilberti (Ogilby, 1898) | SIO | SIO 70-237 | - | TEP | LC |
Paraconger californiensis Kanazawa, 1961 | V, SIO | SIO 70-235 | R | TEP | LC | |
Muraenidae | Gymnomuraena zebra (Shaw, 1797) | V, R2 | - | R | EP+IP | NE |
Gymnothorax castaneus (Jordan & Gilbert, 1883) | V | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Muraena lentiginosa Jenyns, 1842 | V, R2 | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Ophichthidae | Apterichtus equatorialis (Myers & Wade, 1941) | C | LEMA-PE138 | - | TEP | LC |
Myrichthys tigrinus Girard, 1859 | V, R1, R2 | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Ophichthus triserialis (Kaup, 1856) | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC | |
Quassiremus nothochir (Gilbert, 1890) | V | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Clupeiformes | ||||||
Clupeidae | Harengula thrissina (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882) | C, R1 | LEMA-PE92 | - | EP | LC |
Lile stolifera (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882) | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC | |
Pristigasteridae | Pliosteostoma lutipinnis (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882) | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC |
Engraulidae | Anchoa ischana (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882) | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC |
Anchoa scofieldi (Jordan & Culver, 1895) | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC | |
Aulopiformes | ||||||
Synodontidae | Synodus evermanni Jordan & Bollman, 1890 | SIO | SIO 70-237 | - | TEP | LC |
Synodus lacertinus Gilbert, 1890 | V, C, R1 | LEMA-PE97 | R | EP | LC | |
Synodus scituliceps Jordan & Gilbert, 1882 | SIO, R1 | SIO 70-237 | - | TEP | LC | |
Synodus sechurae Hildebrand, 1946 | SIO | SIO 70-237 | - | TEP | LC | |
Gadiformes | ||||||
Bregmacerotidae | Bregmaceros bathymaster Jordan & Bollman, 1890 | SIO | SIO 70-168 | - | TEP | LC |
Ophidiiformes | ||||||
Bythitidae | Ogilbia boydwalkeri Møller, Schwarzhans & Nielsen, 2005 | SIO | SIO 70-165 | - | TEP | LC |
Ogilbia ventralis (Gill, 1863) | C | LEMA-PE135 | - | MEX | LC | |
Batrachoidiformes | ||||||
Batrachoididae | Porichthys ephippiatus Walker & Rosenblatt, 1988 | SIO | SIO 70-168, 235, 237, 238 | - | TEP | LC |
Lophiiformes | ||||||
Antennariidae | Antennatus coccineus (Lesson, 1831) | C | LEMA-PE70, 71 | - | EP+IP | NE |
Antennatus sanguineus (Gill, 1863) | C, SIO |
LEMA-PE50, 51 SIO 70-167 |
- | TEP | LC | |
Gobiesociformes | ||||||
Gobiesocidae | Arcos erythrops (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882) | C, SIO |
LEMA-PE74 SIO 70-167 |
- | MEX | LC |
Gobiesox adustus Jordan & Gilbert, 1882 | SIO | SIO 70-167 | - | TEP | LC | |
Gobiesox papillifer Gilbert, 1890 | C | LEMA-PE95 | - | TEP | LC | |
Atheriniformes | ||||||
Atherinopsidae | Atherinella eriarcha Jordan & Gilbert, 1882 | SIO, R1 | SIO 70-167 | - | TEP | LC |
Beloniformes | ||||||
Belonidae | Ablennes hians (Valenciennes, 1846) | C, SIO |
LEMA-PE60 SIO 70-166 |
- | CT | NE |
Platybelone argalus (Lesueur, 1821) | R1 | - | - | CT | LC | |
Tylosurus fodiator Jordan & Gilbert, 1882 | R1 | - | CT | LC | ||
Beryciformes | ||||||
Holocentridae | Myripristis leiognathus Valenciennes, 1846 | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | R | TEP | LC |
Sargocentron suborbitalis (Gill, 1863) | V, R2 | - | U | TEP | LC | |
Syngnathiformes | ||||||
Fistulariidae | Fistularia commersonii Rüppel, 1838 | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | R | EP+IP | NE |
Syngnathidae | Hippocampus ingens Girard, 1858 | C | LEMA-PE99 | - | EP | VU |
Scorpaeniformes | ||||||
Scorpaenidae |
Pontinus sp. 1 |
C | LEMA-PE132 | - | - | - |
Pontinus sp. 2 |
C | LEMA-PE136 | - | - | - | |
Scorpaena mystes Jordan & Starks, 1895 | V, C, R2 | LEMA-PE102 | R | EP | LC | |
Scorpaena sonorae Jenkins & Evermann, 1889 | SIO | SIO 70-238 | - | MEX | LC | |
Scorpaenodes xyris (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882) | C, SIO |
LEMA-PE112, 114, 115 SIO 70-167 |
- | EP | LC | |
Triglidae | Prionotus stephanophrys Lockington, 1881 | SIO | SIO 70-168 | - | TEP | LC |
Perciformes | ||||||
Epinephelidae | Alphestes immaculatus Breder, 1936 | V, R2 | - | U | TEP | LC |
Cephalopholis panamensis (Steindachner, 1877) | V, R2 | - | C | TEP | LC | |
Dermatolepis dermatolepis (Boulenger, 1895) | V | - | R | EP | LC | |
Epinephelus labriformis (Jenyns, 1840) | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | D | EP | LC | |
Paranthias colonus (Valenciennes, 1846) | V | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Rypticus bicolor Valenciennes, 1846 | V, SIO | SIO 70-167 | R | TEP | LC | |
Rypticus nigripinnis Gill, 1861 | V | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Serranidae | Serranus psittacinus Valenciennes, 1846 | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | U | TEP | LC |
Apogonidae | Apogon pacificus (Herre, 1935) | V, SIO | SIO 70-167 | R | EP | LC |
Apogon retrosella (Gill, 1862) | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | R | TEP | LC | |
Carangidae | Caranx caballus Günther, 1868 | V, R2 | - | R | EP | LC |
Caranx sexfasciatus Quoy & Gaimard, 1825 | V, R1 | - | R | EP+IP | LC | |
Carangoides otrynter (Jordan & Gilbert, 1883) | C | LEMA-PE56 | - | EP | LC | |
Carangoides vinctus (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882) | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC | |
Chloroscombrus orqueta Jordan & Gilbert, 1883 | R1 | - | - | EP | LC | |
Gnathanodon speciosus (Forsskål, 1775) | V, R1 | - | R | EP+IP | NE | |
Hemicaranx leucurus (Günther, 1864) | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC | |
Oligoplites saurus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) | R1 | - | - | TEP | NE | |
Selene brevoortii (Gill, 1863) | C | LEMA-PE103 | - | EP | LC | |
Trachinotus paitensis Cuvier, 1832 | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC | |
Trachinotus rhodopus Gill, 1863 | C, R1 | LEMA-PE108, 113 | - | EP | LC | |
Lutjanidae | Hoplopagrus guentherii Gill, 1862 | V, R1 | - | R | TEP | LC |
Lutjanus argentiventris (Peters, 1869) | V, R1, R2 | - | U | TEP | LC | |
Lutjanus colorado Jordan & Gilbert, 1882 | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC | |
Lutjanus guttatus (Steindachner, 1869) | V, R1, R2 | - | R | EP | LC | |
Lutjanus inermis (Peters, 1869) | V | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Lutjanus novemfasciatus Gill, 1862 | V, C, R1, R2 | LEMA-PE119, 120 | R | TEP | LC | |
Lutjanus viridis (Valenciennes, 1846) | V, R2 | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Gerreidae | Diapterus peruvianus (Cuvier, 1830) | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC |
Eucinostomus dowii (Gill, 1863) | SIO | SIO 70-237 | - | TEP | LC | |
Eucinostomus gracilis (Gill, 1862) | SIO, R1 | SIO 70-237 | - | TEP | LC | |
Gerres simillimus Regan, 1907 | V, R1 | - | - | TEP | LC | |
Haemulidae | Anisotremus taeniatus Gill, 1861 | SIO | SIO 70-167 | - | TEP | LC |
Haemulon flaviguttatum Gill, 1862 | V, SIO, R1, R2 | SIO 70-167 | U | EP | LC | |
Haemulon maculicauda (Gill, 1862) | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | U | TEP | LC | |
Haemulon sexfasciatum Gill, 1862 | V, R2 | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Haemulon scudderii Gill, 1862 | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC | |
Haemulon steindachneri (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882) | V, R1, R2 | - | U | TEP | LC | |
Microlepidotus brevipinnis (Steindachner, 1869) | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | R | TEP | LC | |
Pomadasys macracanthus (Günther, 1864) | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC | |
Pomadasys panamensis (Steindachner, 1876) | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC | |
Sciaenidae | Cynoscion nannus Castro-Aguirre & Arvizu-Martínez, 1976 | SIO | SIO 70-168 | - | TEP | LC |
Pareques fuscovittatus (Kendall & Radcliffe, 1912) | V, SIO | SIO 70-167 | R | MEX | LC | |
Umbrina xanti Gill, 1862 | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC | |
Polynemidae | Polydactylus approximans (Lay & Bennett, 1839) | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC |
Mullidae | Mulloidichthys dentatus (Gill, 1862) | V, R2 | - | C | TEP | LC |
Pseudupeneus grandisquamis (Gill, 1863) | V, R1 | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Kyphosidae | Kyphosus vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) | V, R2 | - | R | EP | NE |
Kyphosus elegans (Peters, 1869) | V, R1, R2 | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Chaetodontidae | Chaetodon humeralis Günther, 1860 | V, R1, R2 | - | A | EP | LC |
Johnrandallia nigrirostris Gill, 1862 | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | U | TEP | LC | |
Pomacanthidae | Holocanthus passer Valenciennes, 1846 | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | C | TEP | LC |
Pomacanthus zonipectus (Gill, 1862) | V, R2 | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Pomacentridae | Abudefduf declivifrons (Gill, 1862) | V | - | R | TEP | LC |
Abudefduf troschelii (Gill, 1862) | V, R2 | - | U | TEP | LC | |
Chromis atrilobata Gill, 1862 | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | U | TEP | LC | |
Microspathodon bairdii (Gill, 1862) | V, R2 | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Microspathodon dorsalis (Gill, 1862) | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | A | TEP | LC | |
Stegastes acapulcoensis (Fowler, 1944) | V, R2 | - | A | TEP | LC | |
Stegastes flavilatus (Gill, 1862) | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | D | TEP | LC | |
Stegastes leucorus (Gilbert, 1892) | V, R2 | - | R | MEX | VU | |
Stegastes rectifraenum (Gill, 1862) | V, R2 | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Cirrhitidae | Cirrhitichthys oxycephalus (Bleeker, 1855) | V | - | R | TEP | NE |
Cirrhitus rivulatus Valenciennes, 1846 | V | - | C | TEP | LC | |
Mugilidae | Mugil curema Valenciennes, 1836 | V, R1, R2 | - | R | EP+ATL | NE |
Chaenomugil proboscideus (Günther, 1861) | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC | |
Labridae | Bodianus diplotaenia (Gill, 1862) | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | C | TEP | LC |
Halichoeres chierchiae Di Caporiacco, 1948 | V, R1, R2 | - | C | TEP | LC | |
Halichoeres dispilus (Günther, 1864) | V, C, SIO, R2 |
LEMA-PE93, 127, 128 SIO 70-167 |
D | TEP | LC | |
Halichoeres melanotis (Gilbert, 1890) | V, R2 | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Halichoeres nicholsi (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882) | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | A | TEP | LC | |
Halichoeres notospilus (Günther, 1864) | V, R2 | - | U | TEP | LC | |
Iniistius pavo (Valenciennes, 1840) | C | LEMA-PE133 | - | EP+IP | LC | |
Novaculichthys taeniourus (Lacepède, 1801) | V, R2 | - | R | EP+IP | LC | |
Thalassoma grammaticum Gilbert, 1890 | V, R2 | - | R | EP+IP | LC | |
Thalassoma lucasanum (Gill, 1862) | V, R2 | - | C | TEP | LC | |
Scaridae | Nicholsina denticulata (Evermann & Radcliffe, 1917) | V, R2 | - | R | EP | LC |
Scarus ghobban Forsskål, 1775 | V, R2 | - | R | EP+IP | LC | |
Scarus perrico Jordan & Gilbert, 1882 | V, R2 | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Tripterygiidae | Axoclinus storeyae (Brock, 1940) | V, C | - | R | MEX | LC |
Enneanectes carminalis (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882) | C, SIO |
LEMA-PE121 SIO 70-167 |
- | TEP | LC | |
Enneanectes glendae Rosenblatt, Miller & Hastings, 2013 | V, SIO | SIO 70-167 | R | MEX | NE | |
Enneanectes macrops Rosenblatt, Miller & Hastings, 2013 | SIO | SIO 70-167 | - | MEX | NE | |
Dactyloscopidae | Dactyloscopus amnis Miller & Briggs, 1962 | C | LEMA-PE78 | - | TEP | LC |
Gillellus arenicola Gilbert, 1890 | C | LEMA-PE117 | - | TEP | LC | |
Labrisomidae | Labrisomus xanti (Gill, 1860) | V | - | R | MEX | LC |
Malacoctenus ebisui Springer, 1959 | V, C, SIO, R2 |
LEMA-PE100, 107 SIO 70-167 |
R | TEP | LC | |
Malacoctenus mexicanus Springer, 1959 | C, SIO |
LEMA-PE98 SIO 70-167 |
- | TEP | LC | |
Malacoctenus polyporosus Springer, 1959 | V, C | LEMA-PE110 | R | TEP | LC | |
Malacoctenus tetranemus (Cope, 1877) | C, SIO |
LEMA-PE96, 109 SIO 70-167 |
- | TEP | LC | |
Paraclinus tanygnathus Rosenblatt & Parr, 1969 | C | LEMA-PE101, 106, 111 | - | MEX | LC | |
Starksia spinipenis (Al-Uthman, 1960) | V, C, SIO |
LEMA-PE118 SIO 70-167 |
R | MEX | LC | |
Chaenopsidae | Acanthemblemaria macrospilus Brock, 1940 | V, C, R2 | LEMA-PE87, 134 | R | MEX | LC |
Chaenopsis sp. |
SIO | SIO 14-41 | - | - | - | |
Coralliozetus boehlkei Stephens, 1963 | C | LEMA-PE84,85 | - | TEP | LC | |
Ekemblemaria myersi Stephens, 1963 | C, SIO |
LEMA-PE80, 86, 104 SIO 70-167 |
- | TEP | LC | |
Emblemaria piratica Ginsburg, 1942 | C | LEMA-PE81 | - | TEP | LC | |
Protemblemaria bicirrus (Hildebrand, 1946) | C | LEMA-PE90, 105 | - | TEP | LC | |
Blenniidae | Entomacrodus chiostictus (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882) | C | LEMA-PE137 | - | TEP | LC |
Hypsoblennius brevipinnis (Günther, 1861) | C | LEMA-PE89 | - | TEP | LC | |
Ophioblennius steindachneri Jordan & Evermann, 1898 | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | U | TEP | LC | |
Plagiotremus azaleus (Jordan & Bollman, 1890) | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | R | EP | LC | |
Eleotridae | Eleotris picta Kner, 1863 | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC |
Gobiomorus maculatus (Günther, 1859) | R1 | - | - | TEP | LC | |
Gobiidae | Coryphopterus urospilus Ginsburg, 1938 | V, SIO, R2 |
LEMA-PE94 SIO 70-167 |
R | TEP | LC |
Ctenogobius sagittula (Günther, 1862) | C | LEMA-PE62 | - | EP | LC | |
Elacatinus puncticulatus (Ginsburg, 1938) | V, C, SIO, R2 |
LEMA-PE88, 116 SIO 70-167 |
R | TEP | LC | |
Gymneleotris seminuda (Günther, 1864) | V | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Tigrigobius digueti (Pellegrin, 1901) | C, SIO |
LEMA-PE69,83 SIO 70-167 |
R | MEX | NE | |
Microdesmidae | Microdesmus dipus Günther, 1864 | C | LEMA-PE66 | - | TEP | DD |
Microdesmus dorsipunctatus Dawson, 1968 | C | LEMA-PE67, 82 | - | TEP | DD | |
Ephippidae | Chaetodipterus zonatus (Girard, 1858) | R1 | - | - | EP | LC |
Zanclidae | Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758) | V, R2 | - | R | EP+IP | NE |
Acanthuridae | Acanthurus xanthopterus Valenciennes, 1835 | V, R1 | - | R | EP+IP | LC |
Prionurus punctatus Gill, 1862 | V, R2 | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Sphyraenidae | Sphyraena ensis Jordan & Gilbert, 1882 | C, R1 | LEMA-PE129 | - | TEP | LC |
Scombridae | Euthynnus lineatus Kishinouye, 1920 | V | - | R | EP+IP | LC |
Pleuronectiformes | ||||||
Paralichthyidae |
Cyclopsetta sp. |
C | LEMA-PE130 | - | - | - |
Etropus crossotus Jordan & Gilbert, 1882 | R1 | - | - | EP+ATL | NE | |
Etropus sp. |
C | LEMA-PE123a | - | - | - | |
Syacium latifrons (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882) | SIO | SIO 70-238 | - | TEP | LC | |
Syacium ovale (Günther, 1864) | SIO | SIO 70-237 | - | TEP | LC | |
Syacium sp. |
C | LEMA-PE124 | - | - | - | |
Bothidae | Bothus constellatus (Jordan, 1889) | SIO | SIO 70-237, 238 | - | EP+IP | NE |
Monolene dubiosa Garman, 1899 | SIO | SIO 70-168 | - | TEP | LC | |
Cynoglossidae | Symphurus atramentatus Jordan & Bollman, 1890 | SIO | SIO 70-237 | - | TEP | LC |
Symphurus leei Jordan & Bollman, 1890 | C, SIO |
LEMA-PE122 SIO 70-235 |
- | TEP | LC | |
Symphurus melanurus Clark, 1936 | C | LEMA-PE131 | - | TEP | LC | |
Symphurus sp. |
C | LEMA-PE123b, 125, 126 | - | - | - | |
Tetraodontiformes | ||||||
Balistidae | Balistes polylepis Steindachner, 1876 | V, R2 | - | R | EP+IP | LC |
Pseudobalistes naufragium (Jordan & Starks, 1895) | V, R2 | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Sufflamen verres (Gilbert & Starks, 1904) | V, R2 | - | C | TEP | LC | |
Monacanthidae | Aluterus scriptus (Osbeck, 1765) | V, R2 | - | R | CT | NE |
Ostraciidae | Cantherhines dumerilii (Hollard, 1854) | V | - | R | EP+IP | NE |
Ostracion meleagris Shaw, 1796 | V, R2 | - | R | EP+IP | NE | |
Tetraodontidae | Arothron hispidus (Linnaeus, 1758) | V | - | R | EP+IP | NE |
Arothron meleagris (Anonymous, 1798) | V, R1, R2 | - | U | EP+IP | NE | |
Canthigaster punctatissima (Günther, 1870) | V, R2 | - | R | TEP | LC | |
Sphoeroides annulatus (Jenyns, 1842) | V, SIO, R1, R2 | SIO 70-238 | R | EP | LC | |
Sphoeroides lobatus (Steindachner, 1870) | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-237, 238 | R | TEP | LC | |
Diodontidae | Chilomycterus reticulatus Linnaeus, 1758 | V, R2 | - | R | CT | NE |
Diodon holocanthus Linnaeus, 1758 | V, SIO, R2 | SIO 70-167 | C | CT | NE | |
Diodon hystrix Linnaeus, 1758 | V, R1, R2 | - | R | CT | NE |
The fish species richness of Bahía Chamela (196 species) is greater than in other surveyed MPAs of the Mexican Pacific, including Bahía de Los Ángeles (93 species), Bahía Loreto (66), Cabo Pulmo (62), and Isla Isabel (118) in the Gulf of California (
Fifty-four percent of the species was recorded using visual census. The composition of the fish assemblage of the bay is characterized mainly by rare species (72%). Three species are categorized as dominant: Epinephelus labriformis, Stegastes flavilatus, and Halichoeres dispilus; these species are widely distributed along the Mexican Pacific and are recognized as important in the reef-fish assemblage structure for this bay and other MPAs of the Mexican Pacific because of their high abundance and biomass (
Biogeographic affinity. Most fish species recorded in Bahía Chamela are widely distributed in the tropical eastern Pacific (123 spp = 66%) (Figure
Previous studies considered Haemulon steindachneri (Haemulidae) to occur in both eastern Pacific and western Atlantic oceans, although recently molecular analysis found that these two populations belong to different species, so the valid distribution of this nominal species is the TEP (
Thanks to Cande Hernández, Cristina Zuñiga, Diego Moreno, Valentina Fernández, Abel Trejo, José L. Arreola, Arizbeth Alonso, Rafael Negrete, Néstor Ortiz, Martín Pérez, and Manuel Ayón for assistance during fieldwork. We thank Cynthia Klepadlo and H.J. Walker for helpful assistance at the Marine Vertebrate Collection at SIO (SCRIPPS), Ricardo Saldierna (