Mathias Prat’s scientific contributions

Cryptobenthic fishes are bottom dwelling species that are easily overlooked because of their small size, their colouring similar to the surrounding, or because they live hidden. These species are also often difficult to identify. For these reasons, the diversity of cryptobenthic fishes is one of the least known of the marine world. This Notebook presents the observations of cryptobenthic fishes made in the Bay of Agay, in the French Mediterranean, by a group of naturalist divers, in particular during two missions targeting these species in 2021. Notably, we describe the first records for France of two species of gobies (Buenia massutii and Speleogobius llorisi), the first mention of Gobius gasteveni and the second of Lebetus guilleti for the French Mediterranean. These missions demonstrate that the marine cryptobenthic ichthyofauna of our territory is still understudied, including in the coastal zone accessible to recreational diving

An underwater inventory mission was conducted in November 2017 by six naturalists on the north rocky coast of Gabon between Cape Esterias and Cape Santa Clara. The following twenty-six species are recorded from the coast of Gabon for the first time : the protozoan Zoothamnium niveum, the octocoral Carijoa riisei, the sea anemone Actinostella flosculifera, the plathelmint Pseudobiceros wirtzi, nine opisthobranch molluscs, the polychaete Eurythoe sp., the mudshrimp Neaxius mclaughlinae, seven species of true shrimps, a possibly undescribed pagurid hermit crab, the mantis shrimp Protosquilla sp., the cirriped Conopea saotomensis, and the sea cucumber Isostichopus cf badionotus. For some of these species, this is a large extension of the known range of distribution. The poorly explored coasts of Gabon apparently harbour many still undetected species.

Depuis quelques années, un petit groupe de plongeurs passionnés de poissons marins réalisent le long de la côte méditerranéenne française une quarantaine de plongées par an. L'objectif est d’inventorier la diversité spécifique et de dresser les listes les plus complètes possibles des poissons qu’ils détectent par observation directe, de jour ou de nuit, et ce dans le maximum d’habitats différents. Ce compte-rendu présente les données les plus intéressantes recueillies en 2016.

ABSTRACT.- The following twenty-four species are recorded from the coast of Gabon for the first time: the protozoan Zoothamnium niveum, the octocoral Carijoa riisei, the sea anemone Actinostella flosculifera, the plathelmint Pseudobiceros wirtzi, nine opisthobranch molluscs, the axiid mudshrimp Neaxius mclaughlinae, eight species of true shrimps (including an undescribed species of Cinetorhynchus), a possibly undescribed pagurid hermit crab and the cirriped Conopea saotomensis. For some of these species, this is a large extension of the known range of distribution. The little explored coasts of Gabon apparently harbour many still undetected species.

Rocky shore fishes Gabon (in French), with many photos and new records