DAY 25 – MARCH FOCUS ON NORFOLK ISLAND’S REEF

Today’s post is to highlight how little we still know about Norfolk Island’s reef.

Below is a copy of the Australian Fishes journal post about new fish sightings on Norfolk Island. You can find the original post here: Black Blenny - a new record for Norfolk Island

Author: Mark McGrouther, Senior Fellow at the Australian Museum.

This small fish in the image above was photographed by Susan Prior (@susanprior) in Slaughter Bay, Norfolk Island. Susan couldn’t identify the fish so she uploaded the observation identified simply as a ‘Ray-finned Fish’ to the Australasian Fishes Project.

Francois Libert (@francoislibert) subsequently correctly identified it to family, then Malcolm Francis (@francism) tentatively identified it as a Black Blenny, Enchelyurus ater. Malcolm tagged me for my input, so I referred the observation to Australian Museum Senior Fellow, Doug Hoese who confirmed Malcolm’s tentative identification.

Malcolm was particularly interested in Susan’s observation because for some years he has maintained a checklist of the coastal fishes of Lord Howe, Norfolk and Kermadec Islands. Malcolm noted that the Black Blenny had not previously been recorded from Norfolk Island.

This observation highlights the power of citizen scientists working with professional ichthyologists to achieve important outcomes. It also illustrates the fact that users shouldn’t be afraid to upload observations of fishes that they can’t identify. Most of the time someone will step up to the plate with an identification.

Thanks to everyone involved in bringing this new record to light.

Comments to the above post

Posted by francism: This is not Susan Prior's (@susanprior) first new fish record from Norfolk Island. In the past month alone she has recorded three new fish records for the island that I will be including the next time I update the checklist. A big thank you to Susan for her excellent observations! Thanks also to my Australian fish colleagues, Doug Hoese and Mark McGrouther (@markmcg) for their help with identification.

Susan's other recent new fish records are the sabre squirrelfish (Sargocentron spiniferum) and dusky wrasse (Halichoeres marginatus).

Posted by markmcg: Thanks for your excellent comment @francism.

Susan has made a terrific contribution to our knowledge of the fish fauna of Norfolk Island. She has found a total of eleven new fish records from the island (list below). For more details, see her blog post.

• Banded sergeant - Abudefduf septemfasciatus

• Wartylip mullet - Crenimugil crenilabis

• Marbled parrotfish - Leptoscarus vaigiensis

• Dot-and-dash Goatfish - Parupeneus barberinus

• Bluebarred Parrotfish - Scarus ghobban

• Palenose parrotfish - Scarus psittacus

• Yellowtail barracuda - Sphyraena flavicauda

• Hornpike Long Tom - Strongylura leiurus

• Dusky wrasse - Halichoeres marginatus

• Sabre squirrelfish - Sargocentron spiniferum

• Black Blenny - Enchelyurus ater