Groupers are a valuable fishery resource of reef ecosystems and are among those species most vulnerable to fishing pressure because of life history characteristics including longevity, late sexual maturation and aggregation spawning. Despite their economic importance, few grouper fisheries are regularly monitored or managed at the species level, and many are reported to be undergoing declines. To identify major threats to groupers, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria were applied to all 163 species. Red List assessments show that 20 species (12%) risk extinction if current trends continue, and an additional 22 species (13%) are considered to be Near Threatened. The Caribbean Sea, coastal Brazil and Southeast Asia contain a disproportionate number of Threatened species, while numerous poorly documented and Near Threatened species occur in many regions. In all, 30% of all species are considered to be Data Deficient. Given that the major threat is overfishing, accompanied by a general absence and/or poor application of fishery management, the prognosis for restoration and successful conservation of Threatened species is poor. We believe that few refuges remain for recovery and that key biological processes (e.g. spawning aggregations) continue to be compromised by uncontrolled fishing. Mariculture, through hatchery‐rearing, increases production of a few species and contributes to satisfying high market demand, but many such operations depend heavily on wild‐caught juveniles with resultant growth and recruitment overfishing. Better management of fishing and other conservation efforts are urgently needed, and we provide examples of possible actions and constraints.

We examined the pattern of development of assemblages of coral reef fishes on artificial reefs at One Tree Reef, Great Barrier Reef. Two sets of 8 reefs were built. To investigate the effects of habitat structure on species diversity, each set consisted of replicate pairs of 4 different reef types: plain (no holes), small-holed, medium-holed, and large-holed reefs. To examine seasonal differences in colonization, I set was established in summer (October 1971) and the other set in winter (July 1972). Visual censuses of the reefs' fish assemblages were made at monthly intervals over 32 mo (summer set) and 23 mo (winter set).We recorded a total of 105 resident species from the artificial reefs. Although less diverse, the fish assemblages differed little in terms of species composition from those of small natural patch reefs. Artificial reefs showed a high between-reef variability in species composition that was largely unrelated to habitat structure. Competitive interactions between species appeared unimportant in explaining the distribution of species between reefs. Likewise, possible positive associations between species were indicated for only a few species.Almost all settlement of the artificial reefs was by juvenile fishes. Recruitment was markedly seasonal and occurred mainly over summer (September-May). Juvenile recruitment patterns showed little year-to-year constancy. Most species tested showed nonrandom, clumped patterns of settlement on replicate reefs. More than half of species tested showed no significant differences in numbers of individuals which settled on different reefs, but the remainder showed significantly greater settlement on some reefs, suggesting habitat selection. For a few species, there was also greater recruitment to reefs already occupied by conspecifics, suggesting possible social facilitation of settlement. For most species, there were no significant interspecific interactions between adults and newly settling juveniles.Between-census variability in species composition was high and species turnover ranged from =17% of species/mo in winter to =39% in summer. Maximum times of persistence for most species were < 12 mo, and for many individuals survivorship was of the order of only a few months. Much of the high turnover appears due to losses through predation.There was no evidence that a persistent species equilibrium was attained during colonization. Because of predation and the seasonally varying, uncertain nature of recruitment, we see the development of any long-term species equilibrium as unlikely. We suggest that nonequilibrium conditions are a characteristic of coral reef fish communities and that because of these conditions, high withinhabitat diversities are maintained.

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Six labrid genera, Austrolabrus Steindachner, Dotalabrus Whitley, Eupetrichthys Ramsay & Ogilby, Notolabrus new genus, Pictilabrus Gill, and Pseudolabrus Bleeker, are recognised as forming a monophyletic assemblage, here referred to collectively as pseudolabrines.This group comprises 23 species, including two new species described herein: Dotalabrus alleni n.sp. and Pictilabrus viridis n.sp., both from south-western Australia. The genus Suezichthys (= Suezia) Smith, previously considered closely related to Pseudolabrus, is excluded. Keys, diagnoses and descriptions of the genera and species are given. The pseudolabrines are provisionally placed in the tribe lulidini, and appear to be the plesiomorphic sister group of all other julidines. Within the pseudolabrine group, cladistic analysis supports the separation of Notolabrus n.gen., previously included with Pseudolabrus, and the inclusion of Lunolabrus Whitley as a sub genus of Pseudolabrus.

Europe has a long tradition of exploiting marine fishes and is promoting marine economic activity through its Blue Growth strategy. This increase in anthropogenic pressure, along with climate change, threatens the biodiversity of fishes and food security. Here, we examine the conservation status of 1,020 species of European marine fishes and identify factors that contribute to their extinction risk. Large fish species (greater than 1.5 m total length) are most at risk; half of these are threatened with extinction, predominantly sharks, rays and sturgeons. This analysis was based on the latest International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) European regional Red List of marine fishes, which was coherent with assessments of the status of fish stocks carried out independently by fisheries management agencies: no species classified by IUCN as threatened were considered sustainable by these agencies. A remarkable geographic divergence in stock status was also evident: in northern Europe, most stocks were not overfished, whereas in the Mediterranean Sea, almost all stocks were overfished. As Europe proceeds with its sustainable Blue Growth agenda, two main issues stand out as needing priority actions in relation to its marine fishes: the conservation of marine fish megafauna and the sustainability of Mediterranean fish stocks.arine fishes exhibit high biodiversity 1,2 and have been culturally and nutritionally important throughout human history 3 . Europe, in particular, has a well-documented history of exploiting marine fish populations, written records of which commence in the classical works of ancient Greece. Although this historical exploitation has undoubtedly altered populations 4,5 and changed many seascapes 6 , marine defaunation in the region has not been as great as in terrestrial systems 7 . However, the use of ocean space and resources is increasing due to Europe's Blue Growth strategy 8 , the nutritional requirements of an expanding human population are growing 9,10 and marine ecosystems will experience unusually rapid changes in future due to climate change 11,12 . Consequently there are imminent threats both to European marine biodiversity and fish resources 13 . It is important, therefore, to assess the threats of extinction to fish species and to ensure consistency in the management approach by the various agencies involved.We analysed data on the conservation status of 1,020 species of Europe's marine fishes from the recent International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments 14 to identify characteristics that make Europe's fishes most susceptible to extinction risk. We then compared the Red List with 115 fish stock assessments (of 31 species) made by intergovernmental agencies charged with providing advice on the exploitation of commercial fishes. Previous comparisons of this sort applied criteria under various modelling assumptions [15][16][17] or limited the comparison to biomass reference points 18 . ResultsOf the 1,020 European marine fish species that were asses...

Parrotfishes and surgeonfishes perform important functional roles in the dynamics of coral reef systems. This is a consequence of their varied feeding behaviors ranging from targeted consumption of living plant material (primarily surgeonfishes) to feeding on detrital aggregates that are either scraped from the reef surface or excavated from the deeper reef substratum (primarily parrotfishes). Increased fishing pressure and widespread habitat destruction have led to population declines for several species of these two groups. Species-specific data on global distribution, population status, life history characteristics, and major threats were compiled for each of the 179 known species of parrotfishes and surgeonfishes to determine the likelihood of extinction of each species under the Categories and Criteria of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Due in part to the extensive distributions of most species and the life history traits exhibited in these two families, only three (1.7%) of the species are listed at an elevated risk of global extinction. The majority of the parrotfishes and surgeonfishes (86%) are listed as Least Concern, 10% are listed as Data Deficient and 1% are listed as Near Threatened. The risk of localized extinction, however, is higher in some areas, particularly in the Coral Triangle region. The relatively low proportion of species globally listed in threatened Categories is highly encouraging, and some conservation successes are attributed to concentrated conservation efforts. However, with the growing realization of man's profound impact on the planet, conservation actions such as improved marine reserve networks, more stringent fishing regulations, and continued monitoring of the population status at the species and community levels are imperative for the prevention of species loss in these groups of important and iconic coral reef fishes.

lord Howe Island, some 630 kilometres off the northern coast of New South Wales, Australia at 31.5° South latitude, is the world's southern most locality with a well developed coral reef community and associated lagoon. An extensive collection of fishes from lord Howelsland was made during a month's expedition in February 1973. A total of 208 species are newly recorded from lord Howe Island and 23 species newly recorded from the Australian mainland. The fish fauna of lord Howe is increased to 447 species in 107 families. Of the 390 species of inshore fishes, the majority (60%) are wide-ranging tropical forms; some 10% are found only at lord Howe Island, southern Australia and/or New Zealand. less than 4% of the shore fishes are endemic to the lord Howe region (including Norfolk Island). Some 32% of the inshore species are restricted to the southwestern or southern Pacific Ocean.

ChronologyDarwin is the largest port on the tropical northern Australian coast. On 27th March 1999, during the wet season phase of the Port of Darwin Survey for adventive marine species, divers discovered dense (23,650 individuals m~?) aggregations of a thin shelled "mussel" on floating pontoons, concrete piles, retaining walls, ship's hulls and mooring ropes (Fig. 1) inside Cullen Bay (Bivalvia: Dreissenidae) in Australia." Molluscan Research 20(2), 25-30.