A new genus and species of flounder (F. Pleuronectidae) with notes on other Tasmanian species

Six species of pleuronectids, Ammotretis liturata (Richardson), A. macrolepis McCulloch, A. rostratus Gunther, Azygopus pinnifasciatus Norman, Rhombosolea tapirina Gunther and Taratretis derwentensis gen. et. sp. nov., are found in Tasmanian waters and a key for their identification is given. The new genus is defined and the species described. In addition, Ammotretis tudori McCulloch is placed in synonymy with A. liturata and notes on R. tapirina are provided. A second known specimen of A. macrolepis described and the features which distinguish it from A. liturata are noted

Nearshore habitats

Nearshore macrohabitats are broadly classified into three distinct types: sedimentary (soft-bottom), reef (hard-bottom) and pelagic (open water) habitats. In addition to substrate type, their biotic compositions are controlled by environmental factors such as depth and wave exposure. These habitats are distributed in a distinctive pattern around Tasman Peninsula: the deep, exposed reef habitats along the eastern and southern coasts; the shallow, sheltered, soft-bottom habitats along the northern coast; and embayments of variable depths, exposures and substrate types. Eleven subtidal communities or groups of communities are identified from these habitats and their general features are describe

A new species of stingray (F. Dasyatidae) with a key to the Australian species

Eleven species of dasyatids, Amphotistius kuhlii (Muller and Henle), Dasyatis brevicaudatus (Hutton), D. fluviorum Ogilby, D. guileri sp. nov., D. sephen (Forskal), D. thetidis Waite, Himantura granulata (Macleay), H. uarnak (Forskal), Taeniura brocki Schultz, T. lymma (Forskal) and Urogymnus asperrimus (Bloch and Schneider) are recognised as occurring in Australian waters. The new species is described and figured. The Australian species are keyed but no attempt was made to unravel the complicated generic synonymy of the group

New locality records and preliminary information on demersal fish faunal assemblages in Tasmanian waters

A survey of demersal fish resources off the Tasmanian coast in early 1979 provided guideline information on abundance and diversity of resources and the bathymetric distribution of species

Morphological Characters of the Thickbody Skate Amblyraja frerichsi (Krefft 1968) (Rajiformes: Rajidae), with Notes on Its Biology

Detailed descriptions of morphological features, morphometrics, neurocranium anatomy, clasper structure and egg case descriptions are provided for the thickbody skate Amblyraja frerichsi; a rare, deep-water species from Chile, Argentina and Falkland Islands. The species diagnosis is complemented from new observations and aspects such as colour, size and distribution are described. Geographic and bathymetric distributional ranges are discussed as relevant features of this taxońs biology. Additionally, the conservation status is assessed including bycatch records from Chilean fisheries

Thermal stratification drives movement of a coastal apex predator

A characterization of the thermal ecology of fishes is needed to better understand changes in ecosystems and species distributions arising from global warming. The movement of wild animals during changing environmental conditions provides essential information to help predict the future thermal response of large marine predators. We used acoustic telemetry to monitor the vertical movement activity of the common dentex (Dentex dentex), a Mediterranean coastal predator, in relation to the oscillations of the seasonal thermocline during two summer periods in the Medes Islands marine reserve (NW Mediterranean Sea). During the summer stratification period, the common dentex presented a clear preference for the warm suprathermoclinal layer, and adjusted their vertical movements following the depth changes of the thermocline. The same preference was also observed during the night, when fish were less active. Due to this behaviour, we hypothesize that inter-annual thermal oscillations and the predicted lengthening of summer conditions will have a significant positive impact on the metabolic efficiency, activity levels, and population dynamics of this species, particularly in its northern limit of distribution. These changes in the dynamics of an ecosystem’s keystone predator might cascade down to lower trophic levels, potentially re-defining the coastal fish communities of the futureVersión del editor2,92