Occurrence and distribution of tetraodontiform fishes of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

Abstract

Some fish groups are common on coral reefs, but we still lack fundamental information about how fish assemblages vary across seascapes. The order Tetraodontiformes, which includes pufferfish, triggerfish, shingles, porcupinefish, burrfish, leatherjacketfish, filefish, and trunkfish, is one such group. We systematically surveyed 75 sites around 52 islands of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago to evaluate the occurrence and distribution of tetraodontiform fishes. We recorded 25 species from 16 genera and 6 families. We found the distribution of fishes to vary between sites and geographical regions, with the southern Nicobar region having higher species richness than other geographical regions in the island group. Possible reasons for the observed patterns of the occurrence and distribution of tetraodontiform fishes are discussed.

First report on the diet and reproductive biology of red-toothed triggerfishOdonus niger(Ruppell, 1836) from the south-eastern Arabian Sea

“…The average relative gut length (RGL) of Odonus niger in this study indicated this species to be omnivorous, which is in agreement with the previous report of Patankar et al (2018), wherein they recorded omnivorous type of feeding habit in various balistids (Balistapus undulatus, Melichthys indicus, Pseudobalistes fuscus, Rhinecanthus aculeatus, Sufflamen bursa and Sufflamen chrysopterus). Omnivorous feeding habits were also documented in Balistes vetula (Randall, 1967), Melichthys niger (Hobson, 1974) and Parikas caber (Russell, 1983).…”

Biodiversity, ecology, fisheries, and use and trade of Tetraodontiformes fishes reveal their socio‐ecological significance along the tropical Brazilian continental shelf

“…The species richness of tetraodontids reported in this study is higher than in other regions of Brazil and the world. Off the south‐east coast of Brazil, Menezes () recorded 25 species of Tetraodontiformes, while Willems, Backer, Mol, and Vincx () reported six species in Suriname, Bilecenoğlu, Taşkavak, Mater, and Kaya () found 18 species in Turkey, Patankar et al () reported 25 species in India, and Carneiro, Martins, Landi, and Costa () recorded 28 species in Portugal.…”

“…Currently, 437 valid species of Tetraodontiformes, distributed in 10 families and inhabiting all oceans, estuarine zones, and fresh waters are recognized (Fricke, Eschmeyer, & Van der Laan, ; Monteiro‐Neto et al, ). More than half of Tetraodontiformes species are notable components of coral reefs and seagrass ecosystems, where they play functional roles of herbivores, macroinvertivores, piscivores, zooplanktivores and corallivores (Matsuura, ; Patankar, Paranjape, Tyabji, Wagh, & Marathe, ; Stump, Ralph, Comeros‐Raynal, Matsuura, & Carpenter, ). By feeding on multiple trophic groups and/or integrating the diet of other fishes, Tetraodontiformes also indirectly influence the structure and composition of their habitats (Darling et al, ; Patankar et al, ).…”

“…Only a few studies have addressed the conservation, habitat, biodiversity and functional role of Tetraodontiformes fishes (e.g. Andrade, Santos, Verani, & Vianna, ; Patankar et al, ; Stump et al, ), hindering the comprehensive understanding of their importance, threats, and their complex interactions within the ecosystems.…”

New Distributional Record of Triacanthus nieuhofii Bleeker, 1852 (Tetraodontiformes: Triacanthidae) from Maharashtra, North West Coast of India

“…Maj ority of these fishes are vital components of coral reefs and seagrass ecosystems and play functional roles of herbivores, macroinvertivores, piscivores, zooplanktivores, and corallivores (Matsuura, 2015;Stump et al, 2018;Eduardo et al, 2020). They have been reported to influence the trophic structure and composition of their habitats by feeding on multiple trophic groups and/or integrating the diet of other fishes (Darling et al, 2017;Patankar et al, 2018).…”