REVISION OF ANISOCHROMINAE 
brownish hyaline, often with irregular pale brown small spots; 
barring on body sometimes extending slightly on to fin bases; caudal 
fin brown to grey brown, remainder of fin dusky brown to brownish 
hyaline; fleshy pectoral-fin base brown, with indistinct scattered 
pale spots; pectoral fin brownish hyaline to hyaline; pelvic fin dusky 
brown to brownish hyaline, sometimes paler ventrally, usually pale 
brown to hyaline distally. 
HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION 
Anisochromis kenyae is known only from the east coast of Africa 
(Kenya to northern Mozambique), the Comoros Islands and north- 
ern Madagascar (Fig. 6). As noted above, Fricke’s (1999) record of 
the species from Réunion is based on specimens of A. mascarenensis. 
According to Smith (1954: 302), type specimens of A. kenyae were 
collected from coastal “pools in reefs at about low-tide mark’ and 
that they were ‘not uncommon at some localities.’ Data accompany- 
ing subsequently collected specimens indicate that the species also 
occurs on reef crests and in shallow subtidal reef areas to depths of 
at least 3 m. 
COMPARISONS WITH OTHER SPECIES 
The three species of Anisochromis differ from each other in the 
following meristic characters: segmented dorsal-fin rays (modally 
25 in A. kenyae versus modally 26 in A. mascarenensis and A. 
strausst; Table 1); segmented anal-fin rays (modally 17 in A. kenyae 
versus modally 18 in A. mascarenensis and A. straussi; Table 1); 
caudal vertebrae (modally 23 in A. kenyae versus modally 24 in A. 
mascarenensis and A. straussi; Table 3); scales in lateral series (37— 
44, usually 38-41 in A. kenyae versus 40-45, usually 41-44 in A. 
mascarenensis and A. straussi; Table 5); anterior lateral-line scales 
(28-35, usually 30-34 in A. kenyae versus 32-39, usually 33-37 in 
A. mascarenensis and A. straussi; Table 6); posterior interorbital 
pores (1-5, usually 2-4 in A. kenyae, 3-4 in A. mascarenensis, and 
1-2 in A. straussi; Table 11); and total parietal pores (usually more 
numerous in A. kenyae and A. mascarenensis than in A. straussi; Fig. 
7). 
The three species are also distinguished on the basis of pre- 
served male coloration. The dorsal and anal fins of A. kenyae and 
A. mascarenensis males are generally pale (mostly red in life), 
with a large dark spot distally on the anterior part of the dorsal fin 
(Figs 4, 9). In contrast, the dorsal and anal fins of A. straussi 
males are generally dusky to black (in life and in preservative), 
with at most an indistinctly darker marking basally on the anterior 
part of the dorsal fin (Fig. 12). Probable intermediate-phase (sex- 
changing) specimens of A. mascarenensis have mostly dusky 
dorsal and anal fins (Fig. 11) and thus might be confused with 
males of A. straussi. However, they bear the characteristic large 
dark spot distally on the anterior part of the dorsal fin. The pelvic 
fins of A. kenyae and A. mascarenensis males are broadly pale on 
the basal part of the fin (though sometimes slightly darker or 
dappled with darker spots on the basalmost portion of the fin) and 
abruptly dark distally, sometimes with a pale distal margin (Figs 
8A-B). In A. straussi males the pelvic fins are mostly dusky, 
although sometimes with a narrow pale basal area, with a pale 
distal margin (Fig. 8C). The bodies of A. kenyae and A. 
mascarenensis males have relatively conspicuous pale spots, 
whereas in A. straussi males pale spots are either absent, or incon- 
spicuous and confined to the anterodorsal part of the body. 
REMARKS 
Fourmanoir (1957: 246) recorded an unidentified specimen of 
Anisochromis from Bimbini, Anjouan, Comoros Islands. Based on 
distribution, it would appear that his specimen, which could not be 
located for this study, is referable to A. kenyae. However, there is 
197 
reason to question the generic identity of the specimen. Although 
Fourmanoir gave a dorsal-fin ray count of I,25, which is character- 
istic of A. kenyae —as perhaps is his count of “35 rangées d’écailles’ 
(= scales in lateral series?) — his counts of anal-fin rays (1,14) and 
lateral-line scales (20) are well outside those known for any species 
of Anisochromis. 
MATERIAL EXAMINED 
KENYA: Shimoni, Kisiti Islands, J.L.B. & M.M. Smith, 1 Novem- 
ber 1952, RUSI 854, 14: 17.5-25.0 mm SL (paratypes; 
x-radiographs only), USNM 216415 (out of RUSI 854), 6: 21.7- 
24.5 mm SL (paratypes); Malindi, Sail Rock channel, J.L.B. & 
M.M. Smith, 11 October 1952, RUSI 149, 1: 21.3 mm SL 
(holotype); Shimoni, J.L.B. and M.M. Smith, 27 August 1954, 
RUSI 4905, 3: 22.3-23.9 mm SL. TANZANIA: north-east corner 
of Lathan Island (06°54'05"S 039°55'43'E), rocky shore, Anton 
Bruun Cruise 9, Station HA-6, 20 November 1964, ANSP 134469, 
1: 25.6 mm SL (x-radiograph only). MOZAMBIQUE: Pinda Reef, 
J.L.B. and M.M. Smith, 3 September 1956, RUSI 4906, 7: 21.6— 
25.0 mm SL (1: 23.3 mm SL, subsequently cleared and stained; 2: 
24.0-25.0 mm SL, x-radiographs only). COMOROS ISLANDS: 
Moheli, reef crest off middle of bay at north-east tip of Ouenefou 
Island (12°23'25"S 043°42'330"E), occasional live corals 
(Acropora, Pocillopora and Porites), algae covered rubble, calcar- 
eous rock and occasional sand patches, 0-1 m, R. Winterbottom er 
al., 22 November 1988 (field number RW 88-29), ROM 56502, 9: 
13.8-22.7 mm SL; Anjouan, Point Chongochahari, headland north 
and east of village of M’Jamaoue (12°11'09"S 044°19'03"E), verti- 
cal coral-rock walled gully with sandy floor, small caves and 
crevices, and some live hard corals (Acropora and Pocillopora), 
3-9 m, R. Winterbottom et al., 21 November 1988 (field number 
RW 88-28), ROM 56711, 1: 21.6 mm SL; Mayotte, north coast of 
Isle Malandzamiayatsini near eastern tip (12°40'19"S 
044°03'27"E), reef top, profuse soft and hard corals (Acropora, 
Pocillopora, Porites and lettuce coral), with some calcareous rock 
and sand gullies, 0-4 m, W. Holleman et al., 16 November 1988 
(field number RW 88-17), ROM 56501, 2: 22.1-23.0 mm SL. 
MADAGASCAR: Nosy Bé, Andilana Beach, 100 m west of hotel, 
50 m offshore (14°43'S 050°57'E), around coral bommies on sand 
flat with turtle grass, 0.3-2.5 m, J. Paxton, B. Collette, D. Cohen, 
E. Anderson, J. Nielsen and K. Sulak, 9 November 1988, AMS 
I.28113-064, 2: 13.9-22.1 mm SL. 
Anisochromis mascarenensis sp.nov. 
Mascarene Annie 
Figs 1, 6, 7, 8B, 9-11; Tables 1-11 
Anisochromis kenyae [non Smith, 1954].— Fricke, 1999: 214 
[Réunion]. 
Holotype, SMNS 23037, 23.9 mm SL, Réunion, west coast, Les 
Filaos, L’Hermitage-les-Bains, 11 km south-west of St-Paul, 
21°06'16"S 055°12'38"E, lagoon reef with live corals, 0-0.5 m (low 
tide), R. Fricke, 19 December 1998. 
Paratypes, BMNH 2001.3.8.2, 23.3 mm SL (subsequently cleared 
and stained), collected with holotype; BPBM 16277, 1: 13.3 mm SL, 
Réunion, Cap Houssaye, sand and coral knoll, 12-18 m, J.E. Randall, 
27 October 1973; MNHN 2001-494, 24.1 mm SL, collected with 
holotype; SMNS 20933, 2: 19.7—25.5 mm SL, Réunion, west coast, 
Les Filaos, L_ Hermitage-les-Bains, 11 km south-west of St-Paul, 
21°06'16"S 055°12'38"E, lagoon reef with dead and live corals, 0— 
0.5 m (at extremely low tide), R.Fricke, 18 December 1998; SMNS 
21025, 4: 19.7-25.2 mm SL, collected with holotype; USNM 364534, 
19.6 mm SL, Mauritius, north coast, Grande Gaube, lagoon reef 
