First record of the lattice soldierfish, Myripristis violacea (Actinopterygii: Holocentriformes: Holocentridae), from Reunion Island (south-western Indian Ocean)

Abstract

The lattice soldierfish, Myripristis violacea Bleeker, 1851, is recorded for the first time from Reunion Island. An aggregation of 12 individuals was observed and photographed on 12 January 2019 and later on the L'Hermitage reef, located on the west coast of the island. Examination of high-resolution photographs of the largest of these individuals shows that its external morphological characteristics agree well with those reported in the description of the species provided by the last revision of the genus. Studies on regional connectivity make it likely that the Reunion Island population of M. violacea originates from the northern Seychelles Island or Chagos Archipelago via stepping-stone populations. Our observations extend the known distribution of the species to the southernmost island of the Mascarene Archipelago, and extend its known depth range.