A REVIEW OF HYBRIDIZATION IN MARINE ANGELFISHES (PERCIFORMES, POMACANTHIDAE)

Although hybridization of terrestrial and freshwater organisms has bee n well-studied, very little work has focused on hybridization among co ral reef fish species. In the present paper, eleven examples of probab le hybrids between marine angelfishes (Pomacanthidae) are reviewed. Ev idence is presented which strongly suggests that the nominal species A polemichthys armitagei is invalid and that specimens previously identi fied as this species represent hybrids between A. trimaculatus and A. xanthurus. Of the remaining ten probable pomacanthid hybrids, five are in Centropyge (C. eibli x C. flavissimus, C. eibli x C. vrolikii, C. flavissimus x C. vrolikii, C. loriculus x C. potteri, and C. multifasc iatus x C. venustus); one in Holacanthus (H. bermudensis x H. ciliaris ), and four in Pomacanthus (P. arcuatus x P. paru, P. chrysurus x P. m aculosus; P. maculosus x P. semicirculatus culatus, and P. sexstriatus x P. xanthometapon). An additional five examples of possible pomacant hid hybrids are described, two in Centropyge, two in Chaetodontoplus a nd one in Pomacanthus. Examination of hybrids may provide clues on rep roductive behavior, dispersal capabilities, and phylogenetic relations hips of species. More studies on hybridization in coral reef fish spec ies, particularly those involving molecular techniques, are needed.