title: Checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of Madang District, Papua New Guinea, western Pacific Ocean, with 820 new records.
abstract: A checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of Madang District is presented, combining both previous and new records. After the recent PAPUA NIUGINI 2012 expedition, a total of 1337 species in 129 families have been recorded from the region. One species and one family is not native (Cichlidae: Oreochromis mossambicus), but has been introduced. The native fish fauna of Madang therefore consists of 1336 species in 128 families. The largest families are the Gobiidae, Labridae, Pomacentridae, Apogonidae, Serranidae, Blenniidae, Chaetodontidae, Syngnathidae and Muraenidae, Scorpaenidae and Lutjanidae, Myctophidae, Acanthuridae, Scaridae, Holocentridae, Carangidae, Pomacanthidae and Tetraodontidae, and Caesionidae. A total of 820 fish species (61.4 % of the total marine and estuarine fish fauna) are recorded from Madang for the first time. The fish fauna of Madang includes a total of 187 species of transitional waters and 1326 species in marine habitats. A total of 156 species of the marine or estuarine species also occurs in freshwater. Zoogeographically, 1271 species have a wide distribution range, most frequently a broad Indo-West Pacific distribution. Among the remaining species, only 8 are endemic to Madang District. Anthropogenic threats to the fish fauna and habitats of Madang District include extensive fishing in Madang Lagoon, sometimes with destructive fishing practices; the discharge of untreated sewage of human settlements, mining and industrial developments into the lagoon and nearby oceanic habitats; and destruction of mangrove habitats by extensive construction work on the shores. These anthropogenic threats may call for conservation and monitoring measures in the near future.
authors: Im Ramstal 76, 97922 Lauda-Königshofen, Germany.; Email: ronfricke@web.de.
authors: Ronald
authors: R
authors: Fricke
authors: Western Australian Museum, Locked Bag 49, Welshpool DC, Perth, Western Australia 6986, Australia.; Email: gerry.tropicalreef@gmail.com.
authors: Gerald R
authors: GR
authors: Allen
authors: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, U227, LABEX Corail, Centre de Nouméa, 101 Promenade Roger Laroque, Anse Vata, BP A5, 98848 Nouméa, New Caledonia.; Email: serge.andrefouet@ird.fr.
authors: Serge
authors: S
authors: Andréfouët
authors: Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, No.1 Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.; Email: wjchen.actinops@gmail.com.
authors: Wei-Jen
authors: WJ
authors: Chen
authors: ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Room 115, Building DB032, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811 Australia.; Email: melanie.hamel@my.jcu.edu.au.
authors: Mélanie A
authors: MA
authors: Hamel
authors: Résidence Ouabala-41, rue Voltaire, PK 7, 98800 Nouméa, New Caledonia.; Email: laboute.p@canl.nc.
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Laboute
authors: School of Natural and Physical Sciences, University of Papua New Guinea, P. O. Box 320, University P. O., National Capital District, Papua New Guinea.; Email: rmana@upng.ac.pg.
authors: Ralph
authors: R
authors: Mana
authors: Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, 6 Science Drive, 2 Blk S6, #03-01, Singapore 117546, Republic of Singapore.; Email: heokhui@nus.edu.sg.
authors: Tan Heok
authors: TH
authors: Hui
authors: Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan.; Email: daisuke.uyeno@gmail.com.
authors: Daisuke
authors: D
authors: Uyeno
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D057189:Checklist; D017753:Ecosystem; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000145:classification*; D008297:Male; D010219:Papua New Guinea