Whit I e y G. P. 1927. The fishes of Michaelmas Cay, North Queensland. Ree. Austrar. Mus., v. 16. 1 \V hit I e y G. P. 1932. Studies in ichthyology no 6.- Ree. Austral. Mus., v. 18. Whit 1 e y G. P. 1933. Studies in ichthyology, N 7.- Ree. Austral. Mus., v. 19, N t. Whit 1 e y G. P. 1935. Studies in ichthyology, N 9.- Ree. Austral. Mus., v. 19, N 4. W h.i t I e y G. P. 1940. 111ustrations of so"'!e Australian f ishes.-austral. Zoo I., v. 9, N 4.. - W h 1t1 e y G. P. 1945, New sharks and fishes from Western Australia.- Austral. Zoot.. v. 11.. Whit I e y G. P. 1964. A survey of australian ichthyology.- Proc. Linnean. Soc. N. S. Wales, v. 89, pt.,}.. Whit 1 e Y G. P. a. Co 1 e fax A. N. 1938. Fishes from Nauri, Gilbert islands Oceania - Proc. Linean Soc. N. S. Wales, v. 63, pts 3-4.. ' Wu Hsi en we n. 1929. Study of the fishes of Amoy. Pt. I.- Contribs biol. Lab. Sci.. Soc. China, v. 5, N 4. t ' N. V. P ari n REVIEW OF THE MARINE BELONIDS. OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC AND INDIAN OCEANS \ ' '! SUMMAnY. '..., ' The collection of Indo-West-Pacific marine needle-fishes studied contains 388 specimens. There are 15 species and subspecies of Belonids in the Western Pacific ~nd Indian Oceans: Platybelone argala platyura, P. argala platura, Strongylura strongylura,. S. urvil!u, S. incisa, S. leiura letura, ' S. leiura f erox, S. anastomella, Lhotskia gavialoides, Ablennes hians, Tylosurus punctulatus, T. acus melanotus, T. crocodllus crocodilus, T. choram choram and T. choram subsp. Short descriptions, figures, data on variability and maps of geographical distributions are given for all species, and key for their identification is presented. 1. The system of Belonidae adopted here differs from that proposed recently by Me~s (1962, 1964) as follows (see also p. 6):' species of the Indo-West Pacific Belonidae reffered by Mees to a single genus Belone are divided between 5 genera - Platybelone, Strongylura, Lhotskia, Ablennes and Tylosu-. rus,- Belone platyura (sensu Mees) as it is shown is represented in the Inde-West-Pacific.region by two subspesies differing in the number of dor-. sal and anal fin-rays and in the rate of onthogenetic development; B." ciconia. (sensu Mees) seems to comprise two subspecies too; B. appendiculata is considered at the junior synonim of T. acus melanotus; B. marisrubri marisrubri (sensu Mees) contains two valid species - T. crocodilus and T. cho"t. ram, the latter being probably represented in the Indo-West~Pacific region by two subspecies. '., The marine needle-fishes of the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans form four distinct groups according to their relationships to coastal areas:.1) in~, shore species penetrating sometimes into fresh water. (one species of this group - S. strongylura- is able to burrow into the muddy ground at least during the low tide); 2) marine in-shore species; 3) shore species occasionally found in the open sea; 4) «pseudooceanic» species w,hich are rather common in the open sea but breed only in the coastal waters. Majority of the. needle-frishes belongs to the first three groups; the fourth group.being r.ep~.. resented but by two species -A. hfrzns and P. argala platyura... :, : Almost all Indo-West Pacific Belonids belong to the tropical ichthyofauna with exception of S. atiastomella.. S. leiura f erox and probably L. gavialoides which are subtropical or warm-temperate species......,.. The Belonids fauna of Indo-West-Paciiic region is the mostdiversiiied comparing with Atlantic and Eastern Pacific faunas. Thus this family is probably of lndo-west~pacific origin.. \~ >. \,- f. I. ''. ~ '.