Tonga

Checklist of Endemic Marine Fish Species

This list of marine fish species found exclusively in Tonga is based on the taxonomy used in FishBase 2004 (2004). For further details on possible inaccuracies in the list see Sources & Caveats.

FishBase 2004: a global information system on fishes. DVD. WorldFish Center - Philippine Office, Los Banos, Philippines. Published in May 2004.

The current version of this electronic database is accessible here.

OC = a FishBase occurrence record suggests a specimen from another country outside normal stated range (these vary widely in reliability from obvious misidentifications to being almost certainly correct)

Meiacanthus procne OC (Blenniidae) Swallowtail Fangblenny

Meiacanthus tongaensis (Blenniidae) Tonga Fangblenny

Praealticus multistriatus (Blenniidae)

Salarias nigrocinctus (Blenniidae)

Cirrhitus albopunctatus (Cirrhitidae)

Amblyglyphidodon melanopterus (Pomacentridae) Blackfin Damselfish

Epinephelus chlorocephalus (Serranidae) Tonga Grouper

Siganus niger (Siganidae) Black Foxface

Canthigaster flavoreticulata (Tetraodontidae)

Additional endemic marine fish species that were not included in FishBase 2004 are given below. This list is primarily based on information from the 13 March 2009 version of the Catalog of Fishes database (current version here) and includes species described through 2008. In addition to the 9 endemic marine fish species listed above, these additional 3 species total 12 species of marine fishes known solely from Tonga.

Diancistrus alatus (Bythitidae) Winged Coralbrotula 2005

Diancistrus manciporus (Bythitidae) Few-pored Coralbrotula 2005

Eviota tigrina (Gobiidae) 2008