Reef fishes of the Bird’s Head Peninsula, West Papua, Indonesia

By

Allen, Gerald R.
Erdmann, Mark V.

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2009-9-1

Original Publication

Check list : journal of species lists and distribution

Volume

5

Series / Issue

Issue: 3

Pages

587--628

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

[São Paulo, Brazil] Luís Felipe Toledo 2005-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15560/5.3.587

 

Abstract

A checklist of shallow (to 60 m depth) reef fishes is provided for the Bird’s Head Peninsula region of West Papua, Indonesia. The area, which occupies the extreme western end of New Guinea, contains the world’s most diverse assemblage of coral reef fishes. The current checklist, which includes both historical records and recent survey results, includes 1,511 species in 451 genera and 111 families. Respective species totals for the three main coral reef areas — Raja Ampat Islands, Fakfak-Kaimana coast, and Cenderawasih Bay — are 1320, 995, and 877. In addition to its extraordinary species diversity, the region exhibits a remarkable level of endemism considering its relatively small area. A total of 26 species in 14 families are currently considered to be confined to the region.