João Pedro Barreiros and Manuel Teves: The sunfish Mola mola as an attachment surface for the Lepadid Cirriped Lepas anatifera – a previously unreported association, pp. 1-4

On the 14th September 2004 a stranded sunfish (Mola mola) was found on the south coast of Terceira Island, Azores Archipelago (NE Atlantic). Whilst examining its mouth for the possible presence of¬Ý plastic debris, we discovered a live colony of the cirriped Lepas anatifera attached to the anterior portion of the sunfish's oesophagus. This previously undescribed association expands the ecological niches exploited by goose barnacles with apparent advantages such as a regular intake of food and protection both from hydrodynamic hazards and from predators.

Hiroyuki Motomura, Shigeru Harazaki and Graham S. Hardy: A new species of triplefin (Perciformes: Tripterygiidae), Enneapterygius senoui, from Japan with a discussion of its in situ colour pattern, pp. 5-14

Enneapterygius senoui, a new species of small triplefin, is described on the basis of six specimens collected from Hachijo-jima Island, the Izu Islands and Chichi-jima Island, Ogasawara Islands, Japan. This species is distinguished from other congeners by the following combination of characters: 14 or 15 (mode 15) second dorsal fin spines; 20 or 21 (21) pored lateral line scales; 17-19 (17) notched lateral line scales; 2 or 3 (2) scale rows above first pored lateral line scale; 2 or 2 1/2 (2 1/2) scale rows above last pored lateral line scale; 3 or 4 (3) scale rows below first notched lateral line scale; 4-5 + 1-2 + 4-5 mandibular pores; nasal tentacle unbranched flat, broad distally; a broad vertical white band on caudal peduncle behind third dorsal fin, and blue lines or spots on head in both sexes; anterior two-thirds of body and fins black, and posterior tip of anal fin yellow in melanistic males; reddish spots on head and body, and anal fin yellow basally in pale males and females. The species is further confirmed from Izu-oshima Island and the east coast of Izu Peninsula on the basis of underwater photographs. In situ colour pattern and variations are also described and discussed.

Jansen Zuanon and Ivan Sazima: The ogre catfish: prey scooping by the auchenipterid Asterophysus batrachus, pp. 15-22

The catfish Asterophysus batrachus (Auchenipteridae) has a huge mouth gape and is able to ingest very large prey. However, how it catches and positions such prey in its stomach remains unrecorded. We studied the predatory behaviour of A. batrachus under aquarium conditions and found a novel feeding mode for piscivorous Neotropical catfishes. Asterophysus batrachus uses its cavernous gape in a remarkable way, scooping up large unaware prey headfirst, then taking advantage of the fleeing response to further the prey÷s advance into its stomach. Positioning of the prey results from additional escape movements into the very distensible belly of the catfish. The prey ends up folded in the stomach with its head and tail pointing towards the head of the predator. A fasting catfish occasionally takes in water, bulging its belly considerably (”belly ballooning’). After a while the fish expels the water entirely, along with a little mucus and a few small fragments of food. The wrinkled belly quickly regains its former shape. Because of its huge mouth, ability to swallow large prey and overall appearance, we name A. batrachus the ogre catfish.

Frank Schneidewind: An frogfish (Antennarius sp.) as a mimic of sea urchins: a new form of mimicry in the family Antennariidae, pp. 23-28

Mimicry in frogfishes (Antennariidae) and  defensive associations between fishes and sea urchins, and a black, ”hairy’ frogfish (Antennarius sp.) from the Philippines are described. This  mimic frogfish lives in the middle of a colony of sea urchins (Astropyga radiata). Its external appearance and its behaviour are interpreted as a form of aggressive and protective mimicry, as well as camouflage, previously unknown in frogfishes.

Richard Winterbottom: Two new species of the Trimma tevegae species group from the Western Pacific (Percomorpha: Gobiidae), pp. 29-38

Two new species of the Trimma tevegae species group are described. Members of this group are characterized by having a broad interorbital region about equal in width to the pupil diameter, and at least the first haemal arch greatly expanded, accommodating the posterior extension of the swim bladder. Both the new species have been misidentified as T. griffithsi in popular and/or scientific publications. Trimma marinae n. sp. is characterized by the presence of a large, bilateral, open nasal pit, few or no melanophores on the caudal peduncle, no scales on cheek, usually two rows of scales anterior to the pelvic fin base, an elongate second spine in the first dorsal fin, and a rounded medial ridge on the snout and anterior interorbital region. Trimma nasa n. sp. is distinguished by a small nasal sac with a tubular anterior opening and a raised rim to the posterior opening, a large spot consisting of melanophores and dark brown chromatophores over the hypural region of the caudal peduncle, a dark suffusion over the abdominal region, no scales on the cheek, usually four to five rows of scales anterior to the pelvic fin base, a broad interorbital region with a rounded, medial ridge on the snout and anterior interorbital region, and usually a thin dark stripe from the upper lip to the mid-region of the interorbital.

John E. Randall: Chlorurus perspicillatus x C. sordidus, a hybrid parrotfish from the Hawaiian Islands, pp. 39-43

The hybrid of the Hawaiian scarid fishes Chlorurus perspicillatus x C. sordidus is documented from evidence of intermediate colour pattern, cheek scale count, and DNA analysis.