A Century of Wake Fish Surveys: Comprehensive Annotated Checklist of the Fishes of Wake Atoll1

Abstract

Abstract: This study documents all the currently known fish species from Wake Atoll, representing 98 families and 411 species. This paper updates the identifications of several previously reported unknown or undescribed species, revises the taxonomy from previous lists, and corrects errors and omissions. It builds on the past century of fish studies at this location, adding 43 families with 22 new reef species, 63 deep water species, and five pelagic species to the 321 species and 55 families previously recorded. The updated presence data is based on direct field observations by the author, reviews of all previous field observations for the past two decades, examination of data housed in academic institutions (voucher specimens), agency reports, and review of photographs and videos. In addition to being an active U.S. military installation, in 2009 the waters surrounding Wake Atoll became both a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge and a unit of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. Anthropogenic influences and other factors that affect fish diversity and habitats are examined.