Pacific Science, Volume 57, Numbers 1-4, 2003

Three New Species of Saccocirrus (Polychaeta: Saccocirridae) from Hawai'i

Bailey-Brock, JH; Dreyer, J; Brock, RE — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Three new species of saccocirrids from interstitial sand habitats off O'ahu, Hawai'i, are described. Two are from subtidal depths, 9-33 m, and the third is from the intertidal to 3.5 m deep on a fringing reef and at Hanauma Bay, the Marine Life Conservation District and public park. The two deeper-water species, Saccocirrus oahuensis, n. sp. and S. waianaensis, n. sp., have 76-119 and 157-210 segments, respectively; they also have bilateral gonads but lack a pharyngeal pad. The third, S. alanhongi, n. sp., has 35-47 segments, unilateral gonads, and a muscular pharyngeal pad. These species are distinguished from 18 known Saccocirrus spp. by their unique chaetation, number of segments, presence or absence of ventral cilia, and pygidial adhesive structures. Saccocirms oahuensis consumes foraminiferans, and S. alanhongi contained diatoms, unicellular algae, and ostracods. These species add to the interstitial fauna of O'ahu and cooccur with polychaetes Nerilla antennata (Nerillidae) and protodrilids (Protodrilidae), and Kinorhyncha. Saccocirrus alanhongi withstands almost daily disturbance by 600-1200 bathers per day entering the sandy swimming holes in the reef at Hanauma Bay.

Variation in Structure of the Subcanopy Assemblage Associated with Southern California Populations of the Intertidal Rockweed Silvetia compressa (Fucales)

Sapper, Stephanie A; Murray, Steven N — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Variation in structure of the subcanopy communities associated with southern California Silvetia compressa (J. Agardh) Serrao, Cho, Boo & Brawley populations was examined at eight sites, including four long-standing intertidal Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Although sea temperature and salinity showed little variation, maximum wave force and sand influence differed significantly among sites. Seaweed and sessile macroinvertebrate cover and mobile macroinvertebrate densities were determined in 10 quadrats during both autumn 1995 and spring 1996. A total of 111 taxa was distinguished at the eight sites, including 47 macroalgae, 20 sessile macroinvertebrates, and 44 mobile macroinvertebrates; however, only a few species consistently dominated abundances in the subcanopy assemblage. Silvetia compressa cover varied significantly among sites during both sampling periods; cover was significantly greater at all but one site during the autumn. Morphologies of Silvetia compressa thalli were qualitatively similar except at Monarch Bay, where plants were the least densely aggregated and frond lengths were two to three times greater than at other sites. Seaweeds contributed 71.2% of the subcanopy cover averaged over all sites compared with 23.8% sessile macroinvertebrate cover; mobile invertebrate densities averaged 363.9 m-2 over all sites. The three most abundant seaweeds (Pseudolithoderma nigra, Pseudolithophyllum neofarlowii, and Corallina pinnatifolial C. vancouveriensis) and macroinvertebrates (Phragmatopoma californica, Mytilus californianus, and Anthopleura elegantissima) accounted for approximately 67% and 20%, respectively, of total understory cover. The three most abundant mobile macroinvertebrates (Littorina scutulata, Lepidochitona hartwegii, and Macclintockia scabralLottia conus) accounted for nearly 60% of all mobile animals. An average of 27 macrophytes and sessile macroinvertebrates and 19 mobile macroinvertebrates occurred at a site; site H' diversity based on macrophyte and sessile macroinvertebrate cover averaged 1.91; mobile macroinvertebrate H' diversity based on density averaged 2.03. Neither cluster analysis nor multidimensional scaling produced clear site patterns based on geographic location or sampling period; long-standing MPA sites did not form a distinct group and did not differ significantly in community structure from nonhistorical MPAs based on Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM) tests. Communities representing autumn and spring were more closely associated with each other than with communities from other sites. Differences in community structure were detected among individual sites in all ANOSIM tests despite strong similarities in abundant taxa. ANOSIM tests also showed that understory communities differed between

Macroalgae from 23 Stream Segments in the Hawaiian Islands

Filkin, Nanda R; Sherwood, Alison R; Vis, Morgan L — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Twenty-three stream segments (seven on O'ahu, eight on Kaua'i, and eight on Hawai'i) were sampled for macroalgae in the Hawaiian Islands. Stream segments ranged greatly in size from 1.2 to 40 m in width. Water temperature was uniformly warm (17-24°C), but other chemical parameters differed from site to site (pH 5.5-8.9, specific conductance 20-200 mS . cm^-1 ). Mean species richness per site was 3.9 with one to eight species collected per stream segment. Ninety populations of 42 infrageneric taxa were identified from the Cyanobacteria (19), Chlorophyta (17), Rhodophyta (3), and Chrysophyta (3). The most abundant taxa were Spirogyra sp. 1, Audouinella pygmaea, and Phormidium retzii. All three of these taxa are widespread among the Islands. Other species collected on all three islands were Cloniophora plumosa and Hildenbrandia angolensis. Eighteen taxa are new records for streams and 15 of these for aquatic habitats. Ten of the new records for the Hawaiian Islands were collected on Kaua'i, six on O'ahu, and one on Hawai'i (two new records shared for Kaua'i and O'ahu). The large percentage (36%) of new taxa reported in this study suggests that more research is needed to fully catalog the Hawaiian stream macroalgal diversity. This study extends the number of micro- and macroalgal taxa known from streams in the Hawaiian Islands to 299 infrageneric taxa.

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Samoa

Wetterer, James K; Vargo, Donald L — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The ants of Samoa have been well studied compared with those of other Pacific island groups. Using Wilson and Taylor's (1967) specimen records and taxonomic analyses and Wilson and Hunt's (1967) list of 61 ant species with reliable records from Samoa as a starting point, we added published, unpublished, and new records of ants collected in Samoa and updated taxonomy. We increased the list of ants from Samoa to 68 species. Of these 68 ant species, 12 species are known only from Samoa or from Samoa and one neighboring island group, 30 species appear to be broader-ranged Pacific natives, and 26 appear to be exotic to the Pacific region. The seven-species increase in the Samoan ant list resulted from the split of Pacific Tetramorium guineense into the exotic T. bicarinatum and the native T. insolens, new records of four exotic species (Cardiocondyla obscurior, Hypoponera opaciceps, Solenopsis geminata, and Tetramorium lanuginosum), and new records of two species of uncertain status (Tetramorium cf. grassii, tentatively considered a native Pacific species, and Monomorium sp., tentatively considered an endemic Samoan form).

The Odonata of Kosrae, Eastern Caroline Islands, Micronesia

Buden, Donald W; Paulson, Dennis R — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:00:00 GMT

A recent collection of 69 specimens together with survey counts and incidental observations during June-July 2002 provide new information on the odonate fauna of Kosrae, Micronesia. The fauna comprises one zygopteran (Ischnura aurora) and six anisopterans. It appears to have remained stable with no known extinctions or colonizations over the past half century. The fauna is nearly a subset of that of Pohnpei and the islands to the west, and it comprises six widespread weedy species and one endemic, Hemicordulia erico. Upland aquatic habitats appear largely unexploited or underutilized by odonates, and the absence of any Teinobasis species on Kosrae is in marked contrast to the presence of six species on the nearest high island, Pohnpei.

Discovery of the Sea Grass Halophila decipiens (Hydrocharitaceae) in the Diet of the Hawaiian Green Turtle, Chelonia mydas

Russell, Dennis J; Balazs, George H; Phillips, Ron C; Kam, Alan KH — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The herbivorous Hawaiian green turtle (Chelonia mydas L.) has expanded its forage to include a newly reported sea grass species, Halophila decipiens Ostenfeld, that is closely related to the previously documented food item, Halophila hawaiiana Doty & Stone. Halophila decipiens was first reported in Hawai'i in the literature in 2001, but our investigations have found it in reef specimens preserved from 1979 and in more recent samples from green turtle forestomachs. Its presence as a dietary item indicates that green turtles probably began utilizing this species after 1998. The status of H. decipiens as an indigenous species to Hawai'i, its effects on turtle pastures, and the adjustment of feeding behavior of C. mydas to the presence of a species abundant and available as a food source are discussed.

Nesting Behavior of Palila, as Assessed from Video Recordings

Laut, Megan E; Banko, Paul C; Gray, Elizabeth M — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:00:00 GMT

We quantified nesting behavior of Palila (Loxioides bailleui), an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper, by recording at nests during three breeding seasons using a black-and-white video camera connected to a videocassette recorder. A total of seven nests was observed. We measured the following factors for daylight hours: percentage of time the female was on the nest (attendance), length of attendance bouts by the female, length of nest recesses, and adult provisioning rates. Comparisons were made between three stages of the 40-day nesting cycle: incubation (day I-day 16), early nestling stage (day 17-day 30 [i.e., nestlings < or =14 days old]), and late nestling stage (day 31-day 40 [i.e., nestlings> 14 days old]). Of seven nests observed, four fledged at least one nestling and three failed. One of these failed nests was filmed being depredated by a feral cat (Felis catus). Female nest attendance was near 82% during the incubation stage and decreased to 21% as nestlings aged. We did not detect a difference in attendance bout length between stages of the nesting cycle. Mean length of nest recesses increased from 4.5 min during the incubation stage to over 45 min during the late nestling stage. Mean number of nest recesses per hour ranged from 1.6 to 2.0. Food was delivered to nestlings by adults an average of 1.8 times per hour for the early nestling stage and 1.5 times per hour during the late nestling stage and did not change over time. Characterization of parental behavior by video had similarities to but also key differences from findings taken from blind observations. Results from this study will facilitate greater understanding of Palila reproductive strategies.

Importance of Benthic Prey for Fishes in Coral Reef-Associated Sediments

DeFelice, Ralph C; Parrish, James D — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The importance of open, sandy substrate adjacent to coral reefs as habitat and a food source for fishes has been little studied in most shallow tropical waters in the Pacific, including Hawai'i. In this study, in Hanalei Bay, Hawai'i, we identified and quantified the major invertebrate fauna (larger than 0.5 mm) in the well-characterized sands adjoining the shallow fringing reefs. Concurrently, we identified the fish species that seemed to make substantial use of these sand habitats, estimated their density there, sampled their gut contents to examine trophic links with the sand habitat, and made other observations and collections to determine the times, locations, and types of activity there. A variety of (mostly small) polychaetes were dominant in the sediments at most sampling stations, along with many small crustaceans (e.g., amphipods, isopods, ostracods, and small shrimps) and fair numbers of mollusks (especially bivalves) and small echinoids. Fish guts examined contained ~77% of the total number of benthic taxa collected, including nearly all those just listed. However, fish consumption was selective, and the larger shrimps, crabs, and small cryptic fishes were dominant in the diets of most of the numerous predator taxa. Diets of benthic-feeding fishes showed relatively low specific overlap. The fish fauna in this area included substrate-indifferent pelagics, species with various degrees of reef relatedness, reef-restricted species, and (at the other extreme) permanent cryptic sand dwellers. Data on occurrence and movements of fishes indicated that a band of sandy substrate several tens of meters wide next to the reef was an active area for fishes, and activity was considerably different at different times of day and for fish of different ages. These results imply an important trophic role for the benthos in these near-reef habitats in support of reef-associated fishes.

Revegetation in Dead Dicranopteris (Gleicheniaceae) Fern Patches Associated with Hawaiian Rain Forests

Follett, Peter A; Anderson-Wong, Puanani; Johnson, M Tracy; Jones, Vincent P — Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Dieback of Dicranopteris linearis (Burm. f.) Underwood on wet, open valley slopes and ridgelines of Maui, O'ahu, and Kaua'i has been attributed to feeding by the introduced leafhopper Sophonia rufofascia Kuoh & Kuoh. We studied early plant succession at a variety of low-elevation D. lineans dieback sites to assess the vulnerability of these disturbances to invasion by nonnative weeds. Dead patches of D. linearis were colonized by both native and alien plant species; the number and assemblage of colonizing plant species was site specific. Clidemia hirta (L.) D. Don and Nephrolepis multiflora (Roxb.) Jarrett ex C. Morton were the most common invasive species colonizing and spreading in dieback patches. Recolonization of dead patches by live D. linearis spreading from the margins was also common. In a simulated fern decomposition study, seedling germination increased as the depth of the thicket decreased. Fern dieback may enhance regeneration of the native tree Acacia koa A. Gray.

57:4 Table of Contents - Pacific Science

Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Regressions of Length and Width to Predict Arthropod Biomass in the Hawaiian Islands

Gruner, Daniel S — Tue, 01 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Biologists in many fields use published regression equations to predict biomass from simple linear body measurements. Power functions are used with arthropods, facilitating biomass estimation of a sample when destructive techniques are not feasible. Resulting predictive coefficients vary widely depending on region and taxa. There are no published biomass regressions for oceanic island fauna, despite the widely accepted conclusion that their arthropod assemblages are unusual in composition. I present a suite of general and taxonomically and morphologically restricted regression equations developed for arthropods in the Hawaiian Islands. General regression equations were highly significant when only length was used to predict biomass, but fits were usually improved by including body width. In regressing restricted sets of taxa, the addition of width did little to improve the fit of the functions. Thus, the choice of regression equations involves a trade-off in taxonomic resolution: precise biomass estimates will come either from (1) low taxonomic resolution measured for both length and width, or (2) high taxonomic resolution measured only for body length. These equations have a high predictive capacity for a broad range of arthropod taxa common in the Hawaiian Islands and, in the absence of locally developed equations, the arthropods of other oceanic islands.

Natural Diet of Juvenile Abalone Haliotis fulgens and H. corrugata (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in Bahia Tortugas, Mexico

Guzman del Proo, Sergio A; Serviere-Zaragoza, Elisa; Siqueiros-Beltrones, David — Tue, 01 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Diet of juvenile (10-100 mm in length) abalone (Haliotis fulgens and H. corrugata) in their natural environment was examined in specimens collected at Bahia Tortugas, Baja California Sur. Nine macroalgae species, one polychaete worm, one amphipod, one hydrozoan, and one sea grass were identified. A high percentage of stomachs analyzed were empty. In those with contents, Phyllospadix torreyi (Anthophyta), Laurencia sp., Gelidiales (Rhodophyta), and Phaeophyta (Dictyotales) were the most common items. Most specimens with macroalgal material came from depths in which H. fulgens (shallow) and H. corrugata (>6 m) are more abundant. Benthic diatoms were almost absent from ingested material.

Marine Isopod Crustaceans from Easter Island

Kensley, Brian — Tue, 01 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Isopods from 29 shallow-water stations around Easter Island were identified. Thirteen species in three suborders are described as new: suborder Anthuridea, Mesanthura pascuaensis, Sauranthura rapanui, Califanthura dodecaseta, Paranthura nordenstami; suborder Asellota, Joeropsis acoloris, Joeropsis bicornis, Joeropsis limbatus, Joeropsis trilabes, Salvatiella islapascua, Uromunna biloba, Paramunna pellucida, Santia longisetae; suborder Flabellifera, Exosphaeroides quadricosta. Seven species were identified only to genus: Apanthura sp., Eisothistos sp., Carpias sp., Maresiella sp., Metacirolana sp., Munna sp., Panathura sp. The shallow-water marine isopods show an endemism of over 90%.

New Records and Notes on Hawaiian Marine Benthic Chlorophyta, including Pseudochlorodesmis abbreviata (Gilbert), n. comb. (Udoteaceae) and Cladophora luxurians (Gilbert), n. comb. (Cladophoraceae)

Abbott, Isabella A; Huisman, John M — Tue, 01 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Morphology, taxonomy, and nomenclature of three species of Hawaiian green algae (Chlorophyta) are examined. Udotea? abbreviata Gilbert is shown to be incorrectly placed in that genus and more appropriately allied to Pseudochlorodesmis. The complex nomenclatural relationships of Cladophora tildeniae Brand in Tilden, Cladophora tildeniae Brand, and Cladophora hawaiiana Tilden are described, with the latter deemed the appropriate name and Microdietyon japonicum var. laxum Gilbert regarded as a synonym. An examination of Cladophoropsis luxurians Gilbert has shown it to have delayed formation of transverse walls at the bases of lateral branches, a feature not consistent with inclusion in Cladophoropsis but rather with Cladophora. The new combinations Pseudochlorodesmis abbreviata (Gilbert) Abbott & Huisman and Cladophora luxurians (Gilbert) Abbott & Huisman are made, and nine species of marine benthic Chlorophyta are newly recorded for the Hawaiian Islands.

The Liagoraceae (Rhodophyta: Nemaliales) of the Hawaiian Islands. 1: First Record of the Genus Gloiotrichus for Hawai'i and the Pacific Ocean

Huisman, John M; Abbott, Isabella A — Tue, 01 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Gloiotrichus fractalis Huisman & Kraft is documented for the first time from the island of Hawai'i, Hawaiian Islands, which also represents the first record for the Pacific Ocean. The single specimen on which the record is based is 12 cm in height, extremely mucilaginous, with percurrent primary axes and irregularly arranged lateral branches. Carpogonial branches are borne on the basal one to three cells of cortical fascicles; when mature they are five to eight cells long and straight. Before fertilization, cells of the carpogonial branch produce several lateral branches similar in morphology to cortical filaments. After presumed fertilization the zygote (= postfertilization carpogonium) divides transversely and gonimoblast initials are produced from both of the resultant cells. Mature carposporophytes are spherical, with terminal carposporangia and a fusion cell formed from the cells of the carpogonial branch and basal cells of lateral filaments. The Hawaiian specimen is identical in virtually all respects to those from the Indian Ocean type locality in the Houtman Abrolhos Islands of Western Australia.

Pteridophytes of Moorea, French Polynesia, with a New Species, Tmesipteris gracilis (Psilotaceae)

Murdock, AG; Smith, AR — Tue, 01 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

We examined collections of pteridophytes from Moorea and others of the Society Islands, as well as literature relevant to the pteridophytes of Polynesia. This resulted in a list of species known to occur on Moorea, along with a list of species reported for Moorea but lacking voucher specimens, and a list of species perhaps to be found on Moorea based on collections from nearby Tahiti and adjacent islands in the archipelago, at suitable elevations. We include habitat, locality, and appropriate taxonomic commentary for each known species. A new species in the family Psilotaceae, Tmesipteris gracilis Chinnock, is described from the Society and Marquesas Islands. We also include a discussion of pteridophyte collection history on Moorea and biogeographic notes for species on the island.

57:3 Table of Contents - Pacific Science

Tue, 01 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Abstracts of Papers. Twenty-seventh Annual Albert L. Tester Memorial Symposium, 21-22 March 2002

Tue, 01 Apr 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The Albert L. Tester Memorial Symposium is held in honor of Professor Albert L. Tester, who, at the time of his death in 1974, was senior professor of zoology at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. The faculty and students of the Department of Zoology proposed an annual symposium of student research papers as a means of honoring, in a continuing and active way, Dr. Tester's lively encouragement of student research in a broad range of fields within marine biology. Papers reporting original research on any aspect of science are solicited from students at the university and these papers are presented at the symposium, which takes place during the spring semester. Income from contributions to the Albert L. Tester Memorial Fund of the University of Hawai'i Foundation is used to provide prizes for the two best papers, judged on quality, originality, and importance of research reported, as well as the quality of the public presentation. The Waildld Aquarium presents the Mike Weekley Award, based on the same criteria. Judges include Department of Zoology faculty members and the previous year's student award winners. In addition, a distinguished scholar from another university or research institution is invited to participate in the symposium as a judge and to present the major symposium address. This year the guest participant was Dr. Marc Mangel, Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Hot

Charcoal Stratigraphies for Kaua'i and the Timing of Human Arrival

Burney, Lida Pigott; Burney, David A — Tue, 01 Apr 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Evidence from microscopic charcoal particle stratigraphy is presented from nine locations distributed throughout Kaua'i in the Hawaiian Islands, including windward and leeward coastal sites and interior bogs at elevations ranging up to 1220 m. The overall trends are comparable with those reported for other mesic tropical island areas lacking strong seasonality, beginning with a general dearth of charcoal in sediments that predate evidence for humans on the island, followed by an increase of an order of magnitude or more at a time that probably represents first human presence at the site. In most cases, this initial peak or plateau of increased charcoal from presumably anthropogenic sources is followed by a prehistoric decrease and a second peak after European contact. Charcoal evidence presented here suggests a human presence in leeward coastal areas beginning ca. 830 ± 50 yr B.P. (1050-1095, 1140-1280 cal yr A.D.). One windward site, Limahuli Bog, may show charcoal evidence for humans as early as 1470 ± 60 yr B.P. (440-670 cal yr A.D.), but resolution is poor in the upper part of that core. Charcoal and sedimentological evidence suggests that Hawaiians were constructing fishponds as early as about eight centuries ago and that the massive stoneworks forming the Alekoko or Menehune Fishpond, probably the largest prehistoric stone structure in the Hawaiian Islands, may have been completed by 580 ± 30 yr B.P. (1305-1420 cal yr A.D.). Charcoal peaks in prehuman times, particularly at 3800 ± 40 yr B.P. (4080-4290 cal yr B.P.), may be associated with prolonged drought conditions. Charcoal particles are virtually absent from the late Pleistocene sediments collected from interior bogs.

Morphological and Genetic Variation in the Endemic Seagrass Halophila hawaiiana (Hydrocharitaceae) in the Hawaiian Archipelago

McDermid, Karla J; Gregoritza, Monica C; Reeves, Jason W; Freshwater, D Wilson — Tue, 01 Apr 2003 00:00:00 GMT

The endemic seagrass Halophila hawaiiana Doty & Stone is found in discrete populations throughout the Hawaiian Archipelago. Morphological characteristics of plants from Midway Atoll, Pearl and Hermes Reef, Kaua'i, O'ahu, Moloka'i, and Maui were measured and compared. Striking variation in leaf length, leaf width, leaf length to width ratio, and internode length was evident among the 18 collection sites sampled at depths ranging from 0.32 to 18 m. DNA sequence analyses of a chloroplast-genome, single-base repeat locus in ramets from nine different collections found only two repeat haplotypes. Repeat haplotypes were fixed at all collection sites and for all islands except O'ahu.