The littoral fish assemblage of the Desventuradas Islands (Chile) has zoogeographical affinities with the Western Pacific

A systematic account of fish species inhabiting waters surrounding the Desv enturadas Islands, off Chile, is presented. The 61 species recognized belon g to 33 families of Osteichthyes, and one of Chondrichthyes (Squalidae). It was found that the icthyofaunal links were stronger to the Western Pacific (90.7%) than to the Eastern Pacific (6.9%), despite the fact that these is lands are much closer to the South American coast than to the coasts of Oce ania. Hydrographic and physical barriers are postulated as explaining this pattern.