| Abstract: | Trindade Island (20°30'S, 29°20'W) is located approximately 620 nautical miles (1160km) off the eastern Brazilian coast. Due to its geographical isolation, its ichthyofauna arouses great biogeographic interest. This work intends to provide the first comprehensive checklist for the shore fishes of Trindade Island. Six expeditions were undertaken (1995, 1997, two in 1998, 1999 and 2000—in total 86 days of fieldwork) to survey the ichthyofauna from tidal pools to reefs 30 m deep. A checklist of 97 species belonging to 44 families is presented, with information on the ecology and geographical distribution of each species. The most representative families were the Carangidae (nine species), Serranidae (nine), Labridae (seven), Pomacentridae (five) and Muraenidae (five). Trindade is zoogeographically related to the western Atlantic, since 32% of its species are also found in the continental margin and 12.3% are shared with the western and central Atlantic. Nearly thirty-five percent of the shore fish fauna of Trindade are widespread pan-Atlantic warm-water species. Another 14.6% are restricted to the Brazilian Province. At least six endemic species (6.2%) were found: Malacoctenus sp. (Labrisomidae), Scartella sp., Entomacrodus sp. (Blenniidae), Arcos sp. (Gobiesocidae), Elacatinus sp. and Lythrypinus sp. (Gobiidae). This endemism level is lower than that found on the tropical mid-Atlantic Ridge islands of St. Helena (13.9%), Ascension (15.7%) and St. Paul's Rocks (12.1%). |
