Ocean fifteen: new records of reef fish species in Hong Kong

Shea, Stanley K. H.; To, A

doi:10.1186/s41200-018-0159-9

Cited by 5 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Although there is not yet sufficient information to put forward a definitive answer to explain this continuous appearance of new species records in local waters, several hypotheses exist, including species arrival through natural dispersion of fish larvae by oceanic currents, such as the Hainan current, the Taiwan current (Cornish, 1999;Sadovy & Cornish, 2000) and possibly the Kuroshio current (Lui et al, 2020). The possibility of new species arrival is suggested by repeated sightings of several new-to-Hong Kong species that were somewhat regular throughout the survey (To & Shea, 2016;Shea & To, 2018), such as Amblyeleotris japonica (first reported in To & Shea, 2016), and Rhabdamia gracilis (first reported in Shea & To, 2018). However, continuous long-term monitoring and genetic analysis among populations in the region would be required to provide further evidence to support such a hypothesis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In total, 50 species were recorded for the first time in Hong Kong through regular underwater visual surveys from 2014–2021 (To & Shea, 2016; Shea & To, 2018). These records were expected by scholars as reef fish species composition in Hong Kong has been poorly described in the past due to a lack of active survey effort (To & Shea, 2016; Shea & To, 2018). Hence, some of the species documented may have simply been overlooked in the past.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The possibility of new species arrival is suggested by repeated sightings of several new-to-Hong Kong species that were somewhat regular throughout the survey (To & Shea, 2016; Shea & To, 2018), such as Amblyeleotris japonica (first reported in To & Shea, 2016), and Rhabdamia gracilis (first reported in Shea & To, 2018). However, continuous long-term monitoring and genetic analysis among populations in the region would be required to provide further evidence to support such a hypothesis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 2014, a subsequent study of similar scale was established to document reef fish species in Hong Kong. The study, employing underwater visual surveys, led to the discovery of 19 new species records to Hong Kong between June 2014 and July 2018 (To & Shea, 2016; Shea & To, 2018), bringing the total recorded reef fish species to over 340 species. Yet, it was estimated that the marine environment in Hong Kong could harbour over 500 reef fish species, implying that the reef fish diversity of the city remains largely underexplored despite being a biodiversity hotspot located just on the fringe of the Coral Triangle (Sadovy & Cornish, 2000; Ng et al ., 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since 2014, a long-term study has been documenting Hong Kong's reef fish biodiversity to support conservation measures by way of underwater visual surveys (To & Shea, 2016; Shea & To, 2018) – a widely applied technique for surveying reef fish (Caldwell et al ., 2016; Pais & Cabral, 2018). This paper describes 31 additional records made in Hong Kong between 2018–2021 from the abovementioned study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thirty-one new records of reef fish species for Hong Kong waters

Chung

See²,

Lam³

et al. 2023

J. Mar. Biol. Ass.

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The implementation of consistent and continuous biodiversity survey efforts over a long period of time is imperative to the examination of temporal diversity patterns and the evaluation of existing conservation measures' effectiveness. In Hong Kong, a marine biodiversity hotspot in the South China Sea, reef fish diversity has been poorly documented due to inconsistent and sparse biodiversity surveys, posing considerable challenges to long-term monitoring of biodiversity dynamics. To fill in the data gap, regular scuba underwater visual surveys were conducted across 55 dive sites in Hong Kong during the wet seasons from 2018–2021. After ~3171 hours of underwater survey, 31 reef fish species from 14 families that are new to Hong Kong have been recorded, including species from Acanthuridae, Chaetodontidae, Diodontidae, Gobiidae, Labridae, Mullidae, Nemipteridae, Pinguipedidae, Pomacanthidae, Pomacentridae, Ptereleotridae, Solenostomidae, Tetraodontidae and Tetrarogidae. As Hong Kong sits within the natural distribution range of the newly recorded species, the possibility of artificial release was eliminated after careful consideration. These species were all found outside the currently established Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Hong Kong, indicating the need for comprehensive research to identify potential marine reef fish hotspots in areas that are unprotected thus far. Our findings demonstrate the need to establish a long-term monitoring programme that can fill in data gaps of local marine biodiversity to enable the establishment of effective MPAs, and to lay down a baseline for future research and monitoring, so as to safeguard Hong Kong's marine biodiversity in the long term.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thirty-one new records of reef fish species for Hong Kong waters

Chung

See²,

Lam³

et al. 2023

J. Mar. Biol. Ass.

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Distinct resource utilization by introduced man-made grouper hybrid: an overlooked anthropogenic impact from a longstanding religious practice

Chung,

Schunter

2024

Rev Fish Biol Fisheries

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Anthropogenic activities, such as the introduction of non-native aquaculture species, have significantly altered trophic interactions in marine ecosystems. The hybrid grouper (TGGG), an aquaculture product originating from an artificial F1 crossbreed between Epinephelus fuscoguttatus and E. lanceolatus, has been released into the wild through religious activities, raising concerns about the ecological implications of this man-made species. With its carnivorous diet and large body size inherited from the parental species, TGGG could pose significant impacts to the marine ecosystem. Yet, little is known about the diet composition of TGGG upon release into the natural environment as well as its dietary overlap or partitioning with closely related species. Here, we deployed gut content DNA metabarcoding to determine the prey richness and dietary niche of wild-caught TGGG and compared it to four native grouper species (Epinephelus awoara, E. bleekeri, E. coioides and E. quoyanus). Our results indicate that the TGGG exhibited five unique prey taxa, with teleosts being the predominant prey, followed by crustaceans and cephalopods. Notably, the TGGG displayed a significantly lower mean number of prey taxa compared to the other groupers, suggesting a distinct diet composition that may reflect a transition in feeding behaviour. This study provides a comprehensive analysis with high taxonomic resolution on the diet of artificial hybrids in the wild, indicating the potential for successful establishment if release events persist. Finally, these findings provide new insights into how local trophic dynamics are impacted by the under-investigated release of animals through religious practices.

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Characterisation of coastal reef fish assemblages across an estuarine-urbanisation gradient using underwater visual census and environmental DNA metabarcoding

Pei,

Heard,

et al. 2025

Ecological Indicators

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Ocean fifteen: new records of reef fish species in Hong Kong

Cited by 5 publications

References 6 publications

Thirty-one new records of reef fish species for Hong Kong waters

Thirty-one new records of reef fish species for Hong Kong waters

Distinct resource utilization by introduced man-made grouper hybrid: an overlooked anthropogenic impact from a longstanding religious practice

Characterisation of coastal reef fish assemblages across an estuarine-urbanisation gradient using underwater visual census and environmental DNA metabarcoding

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