John E. Randall, Robert F. Myers, Michael N. Trevor, Scott R. and Jeanette L. Johnson, Satoshi Yoshii, and Brian EL Greene

Randall (1986) reviewed the new records and new species of fishes from the Marshall Islands that have been published since the volumes of Schultz & Collab¬orators, as well as those of Strasburg because very few copies of his report were distributed. Randall added 106 more new records for the islands.
Thresher & Colin (1986) reported on deep reef fishes observed from a submersible at Enewetak. As would be expected, many of their fishes were listed only by genus. Their record of the malacanthicl Hoploiati!us cuniculus Randall & Dooley was a first record for the Marshall Islands.
Randall & Randall (1987) published a checklist of 817 shore and epipelagic fishes of the Marshall Islands. Forty-three were reported only by genus; most of these have since been identified to species or described as new.
One of us (MNT) has been monitoring the landings of fishes at the markets of Majuro Atoll since 1997. He has made scans of those he suspected were new records for the Marshall Islands. He sent specimens of many to the National Museum of Natural History (USNM). The other authors have discovered hitherto unrecorded species of fishes for the Marshalls by scuba diving. Some were collected, others photographed or video¬taped underwater. Collected specimens have been deposited at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu (BPBM), with the exception of Nemipterus zysron which is deposited at the Northern Territory Museum of Arts and Sciences at Darwin (NTM).
The earlier scans of MNT were of low resolution, and some of the figures of our new records that were taken from videotape are not in sharp focus, Many of these fig¬ures would not ordinarily be publishable, but they are retained here because of their importance in document¬ing the occurrence of the species in the Marshall Islands. Where the photograph is of a poor quality but a specimen is collected and registered with an institution, the photo of that species is not included.
In addition to new records, Marshall Islands fishes of the following genera that may represent undescribed species are under study or in manuscript: Belonoperca, Pseudantilias, Rabaulichthys, Pornacentrus, Bodianus, Callogobius, Ctenogobiops, Exyrias, Trimrna, Tryssogo¬bius, and Vanderhorstia,
The new records are presented phylogenetically by family, with a brief account of each, featuring the distrib¬ution of the species.
Rhincodontidae (whale shark family)
Rhincodon typus (Smith, 1825). Worldwide in all warm seas. A regular seasonal visitor to some areas, but still unreported from localities where it might be expected. First recorded from the Marshall Islands by the local news media in 1993, but without photographic docu¬mentation. A newborn of 56 cm total length, was found stranded at Mili Atoll (Fig. 1), and an adult was pho¬tographed at Majuro (Fig. 2).


Fig. 1. Rhincodon typus embryo, Mili Atoll. Photo by T. Rutherford.

Fig. 2. Rhincodon typus, Majuro, Photo by S. Yoshii.
Stegostonnatidae (zebra sharks)
Stegostorna fasciatum {Hermann, 1783). Known from the Red Sea and east coast of Africa to the Caroline and Samoa Islands. A few sightings by the Johnsons in Kwajalein, one over a wreck in the lagoon, others in channels on ocean side reefs. Also observed in the lagoon of Mili Atoll by Donald Baker. The pho¬tographed individual was about 2 m in total length. Some authors have used the name S. varium (Seba) for this species, now regarded as invalid. Fig. 3.

Fig. 3. Stegostoma fasciatum, Kwajalein Photo by J. L. Johnson.
Himantura fai Jordan & Seale, 1906. Reported from Australia and scattered islands of Oceania to the Mar¬quesas (type locality, Western Samoa). Other than Western Australia, the distribution in the Indian Ocean is uncertain. A large ray, it can reach 1.5 m in disc width and a total length of 5 m due to its long tail. Seen at both Majuro and Kwajalein in sandy areas along lagoon reefs. Fig. 4.