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Taxonomy and systematics of larval Indo-Pacific fishes: a review of progress since 1981
Citation
Leis, JM, Taxonomy and systematics of larval Indo-Pacific fishes: a review of progress since 1981, Ichthyological Research, 62, (1) pp. 9-28. ISSN 1341-8998 (2015) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2015 The Authors this article is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
DOI: doi:10.1007/s10228-014-0426-7
Abstract
This paper reviews progress in research on
taxonomy and systematics of larval marine and estuarine
fishes in the Indo-Pacific since the first Indo-Pacific Fish
Conference in 1981. In 1981, the literature on development
of fish larvae in the vast Indo-Pacific region was sparse,
scattered and of very uneven quality. During the intervening
33 years, taxonomy of adult Indo-Pacific fishes has
improved greatly, the proceedings of the landmark Ahlstrom
Symposium were published, a large number of larval-
fish atlases, or identification guides, have been
produced, and the quality of descriptions of larval-fish
development in journals has greatly increased. This has
resulted in a great improvement in our ability to identify
Indo-Pacific fish larvae, particularly oceanic taxa. However,
much remains to be done, with the large majority of
families having <50 % of species with described larvae,
and with only a small proportion of species descriptions
based on full developmental series of larvae. DNA technology
has helped to establish identities of larvae, but only
a small proportion of the larvae so identified have been
described, so the potential for DNA to advance larval
taxonomy is largely untapped. An integrative approach
combining genetics and morphology is required. Online
publication of descriptions of larval development and of
interactive identification guides to larvae is the most efficient
way to make such information available and useful to
a variety of users. The great potential for larval-fish
ontogeny to contribute to the study of phylogeny of marine
fishes has been underrealized. The ageing of current larvalfish
taxonomists, and the lack of positions for younger
replacement researchers, is a major obstacle to further
progress.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | ontogeny, development, Teleostei, larva, identification |
Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
Research Group: | Ecology |
Research Field: | Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology) |
Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
Objective Group: | Marine systems and management |
Objective Field: | Marine biodiversity |
UTAS Author: | Leis, JM (Dr Jeff Leis) |
ID Code: | 94215 |
Year Published: | 2015 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 32 |
Deposited By: | IMAS Research and Education Centre |
Deposited On: | 2014-09-03 |
Last Modified: | 2017-10-31 |
Downloads: | 427 View Download Statistics |
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