First record of a western Mascarene endemic, Halichoeres pelicieri (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Labridae), from Reunion Island

Abstract

Known to date as endemic to Mauritius Island (Mascarene Islands, Indian Ocean), Halichoeres pelicieri Randall et Smith, 1982 is recorded herewith for the first time from Reunion Island shore. This new observation expands the range of H. pelicieri to the western Mascarene Islands and strengthens the dispersal connection hypothesis from Mauritius to Reunion. It also emphasizes the importance to improve the prospecting effort on non-reef habitats in order to access to a better understanding of biodiversity and ecological functionalities of these often little studied habitats.

Keywords

• new record
• south-western Indian Ocean
• geographic