Records of seven mugilid species from the Daito (Borodino) Islands, southern Japan

Abstract

The Daito (Borodino) islands, comprising three riverless oceanic islands (Minami-daito, Kita-daito and Oki-daito Islands) mostly bounded by rocky coasts, are the only southern Japanese islands located between the Ryukyu Archipelago and the Ogasawara islands. Identification of the mullet fauna on such oceanic islands should provide a clue to the dispersal ability of the family. Field surveys at Minami-daito and Kita-daito Islands were conducted in October 2019 and March 2020 resulting in five (Chelon macrolepis, Crenimugil crenilabis, Ellochelon vaigiensis, Mugil cephalus, Oedalechilus labiosus) and four mugilid species (Ch. macrolepis, Cr. crenilabis, Neomyxus leuciscus, O. labiosus) being collected from the respective islands. In addition, a specimen of Moolgarda seheli previously collected from Minami-daito Island, was found in the collection of the National Museum of Natural and Science (NSMT). All seven mugilid species are here recorded for the first time from the Daito Islands, supported by voucher specimens. A detailed description is provided for each species.