New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts
Seagrass biodiversity of the Fiji and Samoa islands, South Pacific
Posa A. Skelton
G. Robin South
International Ocean Institute (Australia)
P.O. Box 1539
Townsville
QLD 4810, Australia
email: posa.skelton@impac.org.au
Abstract Five seagrass species and one subspecies distributed
in two families (Hydrocharitaceae and Cymodoceaceae) are reported from the Fiji
Islands and the Samoan Archipelago. The Fijian seagrass flora comprises Halophila
decipiens, H. ovalis, H. ovalis subspecies bullosa, Halodule
pinifolia, Halodule uninervis,and Syringodium isoetifolium. Halophila
ovalis, H. ovalis ssp. bullosa,and S. isoetifolium are
the only taxa recorded from Samoa. Records of Thalassia hemprichii, Cymodocea
serrulata, Halophila minor,and Halophila ovata credited to
Fiji and Samoa are either erroneous or remain to be verified. All the species
reported herein have an Indo-Pacific distribution, except H. ovalis ssp. bullosa endemic
to Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. Halophila decipiens is confirmed for the first
time from Fiji with all specimens collected subtidally from 10–25 m depth.
Keywords seagrasses; biodiversity; Indo-Pacific flora; distribution;
Fiji; Samoa; Halophila decipiens; Halophila ovalis ssp. bullosa
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2006, Vol. 40:
345–356
0028–8330/06/4002–0345 © The Royal Society
of New Zealand 2006
M05065; Online publication date 3 May 2006. Received 16 October 2005;
accepted 5 April 2006
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