First record of the Phoenix Islands damselfish Plectroglyphidodon phoenixensis (Schultz, 1943) from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Researchers have documented the first occurrence of the Phoenix Islands damselfish, Plectroglyphidodon phoenixensis, within the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), a region renowned for its high levels of endemism and biogeographical ties to Johnston Atoll. Nine individuals were observed at French Frigate Shoals in September 2017, extending the known range of this species into the north central Pacific. The discovery was made through skin diving surveys in shallow, surgy rocky subtidal habitats, which are under-sampled yet critical for this species. Notably, no individuals were found at nearby Nihoa or Mokumanamana, suggesting habitat specificity. Given the lack of a reproducing population in Hawai’i, Johnston Atoll likely serves as the primary source of propagules for P. phoenixensis. This finding sheds light on the species' distribution and habitat preferences while highlighting the importance of targeted surveys in understudied environments.

Kosaki, R. K., & Hartl, J. M. (2018). First record of the Phoenix Islands damselfish Plectroglyphidodon phoenixensis (Schultz, 1943) from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Marine Biodiversity Records, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41200-018-0142-5