Two mitochondrial DNA regions and seven microsatellite loci were examined in Patagonian toothfish from three locations in the Southern Ocean (Macquarie Island, five collections; Heard and McDonald Islands, four collections; Shag Rocks/South Georgia area, one collection). Striking mtDNA heterogeneity was detected between the three fishing locations (F ST = 0.445, P < 0.001), but spatial and temporal collections within the same location were not significantly different. No significant overall microsatellite differentiation between the three locations was apparent (F ST = -0.009, P = 0.785). However, some individual loci showed small but significant differentiation, which in each case was attributable to between rather than within-location differentiation. Greater differentiation of mtDNA can, in principle, be explained either by female philopatry and male dispersal, or by its greater sensitivity to changes in effective population size. The latter seems more likely as tagging indicates that toothfish is generally a sedentary species. The genetic heterogeneity between the three locations indicates restricted gene flow, with the fish at each location comprising independent units. Depletion in one location is therefore unlikely to be quickly replaced by immigration from another.

Identification of taxonomical units underpins most biological endeavours ranging from accurate biodiversity estimates to the effective management of sustainably harvested, protected or endangered species. Successful species identification is now frequently based on a combination of approaches including morphometrics and DNA markers. Sequencing of the mitochondrial COI gene is an established methodology with an international campaign directed at barcoding all fishes. We employed COI sequencing alongside traditional taxonomic identification methods and uncovered instances of deep intraspecific genetic divergences among flathead species. Sixty-five operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were observed across the Indo-West Pacific from just 48 currently recognized species. The most comprehensively sampled taxon, Platycephalus indicus, exhibited the highest levels of genetic diversity with eight lineages separated by up to 16.37% genetic distance. Our results clearly indicate a thorough reappraisal of the current taxonomy of P. indicus (and its three junior synonyms) is warranted in conjunction with detailed taxonomic work on the other additional Platycephalidae OTUs detected by DNA barcoding.

Recent surveys of the shark and ray catches of artisanal fishers in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG) resulted in the rediscovery of the threatened river sharks, Glyphis garricki and Glyphis glyphis. These represent the first records of both species in PNG since the 1960s and 1970s and highlight the lack of studies of shark biodiversity in PNG. Two individuals of G. garricki and three individuals of G. glyphis were recorded from coastal marine waters of the Daru region of PNG in October and November 2014. The two G. garricki specimens were small individuals estimated to be 100–105 cm and ~113 cm total length (TL). The three G. glyphis specimens were all mature, one a pregnant female and two adult males. These are the first adults of G. glyphis recorded to date providing a more accurate maximum size for this species, i.e. ~260 cm TL. A single pup which was released from the pregnant female G. glyphis, was estimated to be ~65 cm TL. Anecdotal information from the fishers of pregnant females of G. glyphis containing 6 or 7 pups provides the first estimate of litter size for this species. The jaws of the pregnant female G. glyphis were retained and a detailed description of the dentition is provided, since adult dentition has not been previously documented for this species. Genetic analyses confirmed the two species cluster well within samples from these species collected in northern Australia.