Although recent reports of global amphibian declines have received considerable attention, reptile declines have gone largely unreported. Among reptiles, snakes are particularly difficult to quantitatively sample, and thus, most reports of snake declines are based on qualitative or anecdotal evidence. Recently, several sources have suggested that Eastern Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula) have declined over a substantial portion of their range in the southeastern United States, particularly in Florida. However, published evidence for L. getula declines or their potential causes are limited. We monitored the status of a population of L. getula on the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, South Carolina, USA, from 1975 to 2006. Herpetofaunal populations on the Savannah River Site have been protected from the pressures of collecting and development since 1951 due to site access restrictions. Here, we document a decline in both abundance and body condition of L. getula inhabiting the vicinity of a large isolated wetland over the past three decades. Because this L. getula population was protected from anthropogenic habitat degradation, collection, and road mortality, we are able to exclude these factors as possible causes of the documented decline. Although the definitive cause of the decline remains enigmatic, natural succession of the surrounding uplands, periodic extreme droughts, shifts in community composition (e.g., increased Agkistrodon piscivorus abundance), introduced fire ants, or disease are all potential contributors to the decline.

There is no consensus between morphological and molecular data concerning the relationships within the Pacific basin salmon and trout clade Oncorhynchus. In this paper we add another source of characters to the discussion. Phylogenetic analysis of 39 behavioral and life history traits produced one tree structured (O. clarki (O. mykiss (O. masou (O. kisutch (O. tshawytscha (O. nerka (O. keta, O. gorbuscha))))))). This topology is congruent with the phylogeny based upon Bayesian analysis of all available nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences, with the exception of two nodes: behavior supports the morphological data in breaking the sister-group relationship between O. mykiss and O. clarki, and between O. kisutch and O. tshawytscha. The behavioral traits agreed with molecular rather than morphological data in placing O. keta as the sister-group of O. gorbuscha. The behavioral traits also resolve the molecular-based ambiguity concerning the placement of O. masou, placing it as sister to the rest of the Pacific basin salmon. Behavioral plus morphological data placed Salmo, not Salvelinus, as more closely related to Oncorhynchus, but that placement was only weakly supported and awaits collection of missing data from enigmatic species such as the lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush. Overall, the phenotypic characters helped resolve ambiguities that may have been created by molecular introgression, while the molecular traits helped resolve ambiguities introduced by phenotypic homoplasy. It seems reasonable therefore, that systematists can best respond to the escalating biodiversity crisis by forming research groups to gather behavioral and ecological information while specimens are being collected for morphological and molecular analysis.

The ecologies of vertebrate species have been increasingly studied via stable isotope analyses of small quantities of body tissues. However, critical assumptions relating to the consistency in stable isotopic values in consumer tissues and their diet as well as the rate of incorporation of diet-derived stable isotopes into consumer tissues remain poorly validated for most taxa despite numerous stable isotope studies targeting natural systems. In this study, we measured stable carbon and nitrogen diet–tissue discrimination and elemental turnover in whole blood, red blood cells, blood plasma, brain, liver, pectoralis major muscle, pubioshiofemoralis internus muscle, stratum corneum (sc) dermis, and stratum germinativum (sg) dermis of Pond Sliders (Trachemys scripta) fed ad libitum on two isotopically distinct diets. Turtles were fed a soy-based control diet (32% protein, 3% lipids, 4% fiber), and after 146 d, a subset was switched to a fish meal-based experimental diet (44% protein, 24% lipids, 3% fiber). At the diet switch, diet–tissue isotopic equilibrium could not be confirmed by δ¹³C values for any tissue, but was established for δ¹⁵N values for all tissues except sc dermis and sg dermis (range  =  1.9 to 3.8‰). An exponential-decay regression model and half-life calculation resulted in half-lives for N ranging from 35.6 d (blood plasma) to 52.5 d (liver). These represent the first published stable isotope turnover rates for reptiles and the first diet–tissue isotopic discrimination factors for freshwater turtles. The discrimination factors found here are similar to those established for soft-tissues among other vertebrate taxa; however, elemental nitrogen turnover rates in tissues of T. scripta are among the slowest established to date among vertebrate taxa.

Reef-fish diversity models, unlike general diversity-gradient hypotheses, assume food specialization by reef fishes is too low to influence community structure. This assumption may be an artifact of low taxonomic resolution in studies of fish diets. I performed detailed dietary analyses on adults of eight small, cryptic, diurnal fish species from the spur-and-groove habitat outside Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii to test whether dietary specialization may facilitate high species richness in reef fish communities. Mean dietary overlap (0.179) among these fishes is similar to overlap in communities thought to be structured by fine-scale food specialization. Dietary studies with high taxonomic resolution indicate a significant decrease in food overlap among fishes as latitude decreases. These results, along with the generally recognized increase in prey diversity toward the tropics, are consistent with diversity-gradient hypotheses and suggest that food specialization allows the local coexistence of many fish species on coral reefs. Local relative abundances of reef fishes may be influenced by prey availability. The densities of five of six fish species were related to densities of important prey. Food choice and availability may influence richness and relative abundances, respectively, in reef fishes, and reef-fish communities may be structured in the same manner as other tropical communities.

Two new species of lungless salamanders (Plethodontidae) are described from montane habitats of eastern Costa Rica and adjacent western Panamá. Bolitoglossa gomezi and B. bramei are distinguished from each other and from other salamander species in this remote area in adult body size, external proportions, foot webbing, tooth counts, and/or external coloration. Both new species are assigned to the B. subpalmata species group, subgenus Eladinea. A newly identified specimen of Bolitoglossa anthracina—only the fourth known specimen of this rare species in collections—is reported from the same region. Salamander species diversity along the border between Costa Rica and Panamá is exceptionally large, at present comprising 22 named and two unnamed forms.

Damselfishes have served as a model fish for the study of planktivory. The feeding ecology of the diurnal planktivorous Domino Damselfish, Dascyllus albisella (Pomacentridae), was studied in the lagoon of Johnston Atoll (Central Pacific Ocean). Time budgets based on daytime focal observations showed that damselfish spent most (>85%) of their time feeding. Larger D. albisella foraged higher in the water column than smaller damselfish. Individual damselfish fed higher in the water column when the current speeds were lower. All size ranges of damselfish fed primarily on caridean zoea and copepods. The water column was vertically structured with greater caridean and brachyuran zoea concentrations at mid-depths and near the surface than near the bottom. Copepod concentrations, though low, were higher near the bottom than at mid-depths. During the spawning season males had much smaller stomach contents than similarly sized females, which is presumably due to reduced time spent feeding during courtship and nest guarding. These data show an interaction between damselfish size, plankton distributions, feeding heights, and currents. When currents are low, damselfish forage higher in the water column where the flux of plankton is generally greater, with larger damselfish foraging higher than small damselfish. When current speeds increase, damselfish forage closer to the bottom, with less of a difference in the depth distribution of differently sized damselfish. Since damselfish spend most of the daytime hours foraging, the distribution of plankton could be a major selective pressure for larger-sized damselfish.

Snakes are capable of moving in one of several ways depending on the substrate and medium being traversed. The locomotor velocities of neonate Brown Snakes (Storeria dekayi) during two modes of terrestrial locomotion (lateral undulation and concertina) and swimming were assessed at 10, 20, and 30 C. At all three temperatures, the fastest velocities were recorded during swimming while the slowest were recorded during concertina locomotion. Velocities of all three modes increased significantly with temperature but Q₁₀ values differed greatly among locomotor modes indicating that the influence of temperature on velocity was mode dependent. Body length of neonates had no significant influence on velocities attained via any locomotor mode at any temperature. Neonate snakes displayed similar, but slightly lower, body length–relative velocities of terrestrial undulation and swimming compared to other snake species tested at the same temperatures. Previous studies have suggested that a trade-off exists between adaptations for aquatic and terrestrial locomotion in snakes, thereby suggesting that individuals that are fast swimmers will be slower on land and vice versa. In contrast to this prediction, significant positive correlations were detected between terrestrial and aquatic lateral undulation at 30 C, meaning that individuals that crawled faster via undulation on land were also faster swimmers. Future studies should relate performance via different modes of limbless locomotion to the actual use of these modes in nature.

During the multidisciplinary benthic Crozet research cruise (RRS Discovery, D300), December 2005 to January 2006, in the abyssal vicinity of the Crozet Islands, southern Indian Ocean, two new species of Pachycara were collected, along with specimens of Lycenchelys antarctica. Pachycara priedei, new species, and P. cousinsi, new species, described herein are similar in lack of pelvic fin, naked abdomen and predorsal area, and number of head pores. They differ from their congeners by the pink coloration and long predorsal distance, respectively. The records of L. antarctica extend the range of the species about 60° to the east, into the southern Indian Ocean.

We studied the use of six caves by metamorphosed plethodontid salamanders from 2000–2005 in the Cumberland Plateau of northwestern Georgia. Nine species were observed, the most abundant being, in descending order, Eurycea lucifuga, Plethodon glutinosus, P. petraeus, and E. longicauda. Eurycea lucifuga and P. glutinosus were the only species observed in all six caves. Salamanders used caves seasonally, and all four species were more abundant within caves during seasons with warm, long days. A parsimonious explanation for the observed seasonal pattern of cave use is that salamanders use both cave and surface habitats, moving into caves to avoid hot, dry conditions on the surface. Eurycea lucifuga was most abundant in low-elevation, cold caves. The abundance of P. glutinosus was positively related to cave dimension and secondarily to wall heterogeneity. Species richness was not randomly distributed among caves, but neither was it consistently related to particular variables. Caves into which salamanders crowd during certain seasons represent ideal situations for the testing of hypotheses related to species interactions, both within and among species.

A new species related to Percina macrocephala is described from the upper Tennessee River drainage. Percina williamsi is distinguished from all species of Percina except P. macrocephala by the presence of a sickle-shaped suborbital bar and a black bar subtending a medial black spot on the caudal-fin base. It is separated from P. macrocephala by having larger scales, including usually 24–26 scales around the caudal peduncle (vs. 27–31 in P. macrocephala), 21–23 transverse scales (vs. 23–26), and 70–77 lateral scales (vs. 76–86). Values for the combination of caudal peduncle, transverse, and lateral scales are usually 120–129 in P. williamsi and 128–141 in P. macrocephala. Phylogenetic analyses of complete mtDNA cytochrome b gene sequences resolve P. macrocephala and P. williamsi as sister species, and intraspecific sampling indicates that mtDNA haplotypes of both species are reciprocally monophyletic. Estimates of divergence times indicate that P. macrocephala and P. williamsi shared a most recent common ancestor approximately 2.3 million years ago.

Researchers often must capture or trap and physically handle wild animal species to obtain basic morphometric, physiological, or health data. Although these activities affect glucocorticoid levels in many species, few studies have been conducted to determine if they induce changes in animals' subsequent behavior. This is of particular concern to researchers who study Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus), a threatened species often subjected to trapping and prolonged handling. Therefore, we conducted a study to determine if protocols requiring trapping, handling, blood sampling, injections with innocuous substances, nasal lavages, and temporary captivity affect Gopher Tortoises as indicated by changes in their plasma corticosterone levels, movement patterns, burrow usage, and home ranges. We examined these parameters four weeks prior to and four weeks following implementation of the manipulation protocols (experimental group) or a control date (control group). We found no effect resulting from implementation of the protocol on tortoises' plasma corticosterone levels or movement patterns, including mean distance traveled per move, mean number of days between moves, mean number of burrows used, and home range. The only significant finding was that tortoises in the experimental group showed an increase in the number of times they moved to other burrows from pre- to post-manipulation. However, the slight increase in the number of moves occurred during a time in the season when other studies have also documented increases in movement. Additionally, the increase in number of moves did not change the actual number of burrows used or home range. We conclude that the use of mildly invasive protocols involving short-term procedures and temporary handling do not significantly affect the subsequent corticosterone levels or daily movement patterns of Gopher Tortoises.

A new species of ponyfish in the genus Photoplagios is described from material collected in the Philippines. Photoplagios laterofenestra, new species, is distinguished from congeners by the presence in males of an expansive translucent flank patch in the shape of a cornucopia. Additionally, both sexes of the new species can be distinguished from congeners by body shape, pigmentation pattern on the upper flank, and length of the second dorsal-fin spine.

The objective of this study was to characterize the cutaneous antifungal bacterial flora of a plethodontid salamander, Plethodon cinereus, and to relate our results to aspects of amphibian ecology. Scanning electron micrographs of salamander skin indicated a wide distribution of bacteria across the skin. Polymerase Chain Reaction/Denaturant Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (PCR/DGGE) analyses of 16S rRNA gene fragments revealed that a transient community of bacteria was rinsed off and that a resident epibiotic community remained on the skin. Resident bacteria were isolated from the skin of P. cinereus on a low nutrient medium and challenged against a pathogenic ascomycete fungus collected from dead salamander eggs. The strong antifungal bacteria, identified by sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene (∼1400 bp), were related to the genera Lysobacter, Pseudomonas, Chryseobacterium, and Bacillus. Patterns of the cutaneous bacterial flora varied among individual salamanders, as revealed by DGGE, although analysis of DGGE bands from salamander skin revealed the presence of at least one species of uncultured β-proteobacteria on virtually every salamander. These bacteria were closely related to an isolated antifungal Janthinobacterium lividum strain. Antifungal skin bacteria may form mutualistic ecological relationships with amphibian species and help protect them from pathogenic fungi.

Two new species of freshwater sculpins are herein described from the Gulf Slope of the southeastern United States. The Tallapoosa Sculpin, Cottus tallapoosae, is restricted to the Tallapoosa River drainage, a tributary to the Mobile Basin, above the Fall Line in Alabama and Georgia, while the Chattahoochee Sculpin, Cottus chattahoochee, is restricted to the Chattahoochee River drainage, a tributary to the Apalachicola River, above the Fall Line in Georgia. Both differ from other North American sculpins primarily in having modally eight infraorbital canal pores and five suborbitals (otherwise shared only with Cottus paulus). Cottus tallapoosae and C. chattahoochee differ from each other primarily with the former having an incomplete lateral line and reduced or absent post-pectoral prickling, whereas the latter usually has a complete lateral line and a well-developed postpectoral patch. Cottus tallapoosae is the sixth species of fish endemic to the Tallapoosa River drainage, while Cottus chattahoochee is the eighth species endemic to the Apalachicola River drainage. Both species are widespread above the Fall Line and locally abundant. They typically inhabit rocky shoals and riffles of small upland streams, but are occasionally found in larger rivers.

Juvenile survival is one of the least known elements of the life history of many species, in particular snakes. We conducted a mark–recapture study of Crotalus horridus from 1978–2002 in northeastern New York near the northern limits of the species' range. We marked 588 neonates and estimated annual age-, sex-, and morph-specific recapture and survival rates using the Cormack-Jolly-Seber (CJS) model. Wild-caught neonates (field-born, n  =  407) and neonates produced by captive-held gravid females (lab-born, n  =  181) allowed comparison of the birthplace, or lab treatment effect, in estimated survival. Recapture rates declined from about 10–20% over time while increasing from young to older age classes. Estimated survival rates (S ± 1 SE) in the first year were significantly higher among field-born (black morph: S  =  0.773 ± 0.203; yellow morph: S  =  0.531 ± 0.104) than among lab-born snakes (black morph: S  =  0.411 ± 0.131; yellow morph: S  =  0.301 ± 0.081). Lower birth weights combined with a lack of field exposure until release apparently contributed to the lower survival rate of lab-born snakes. Subsequent survival estimates for 2–4-yr-old snakes were S  =  0.845 ± 0.084 for the black morph and S  =  0.999 (SE not available) for the yellow morph, and for ≥5-yr-old snakes S  =  0.958 ± 0.039 (black morph) and S  =  0.822 ± 0.034 (yellow morph). The most parsimonious model overall contained an independent time trend for survival of each age, morph, and lab-treatment group. For snakes of the first two age groups (ages 1 yr and 2–4 yr), survival tended to decline over the years for both morphs, while for adult snakes (5 yr and older), survival was constant or even slightly increased. Our data on survival and recapture are among the first rigorous estimates of these parameters in a rattlesnake and among the few yet available for any viperid snake. These data are useful for analyses of the life-history strategy, population dynamics, and conservation of this long-lived snake.

A new species of proboscoid thornycat, Rhynchodoras castilloi, is described from the Río Apure, Orinoco basin, Venezuela. The new species is distinguished from R. woodsi (Essequibo and Amazon basins minus Xingu and Tocantins basins) by having a simple gas bladder (vs. each posterior chamber of gas bladder expanded into elongate horn-like diverticulum) and tubercles punctate and abundant (vs. tubercles elongate, dash-like, and sparse). The new species is distinguished from R. xingui (Xingu and Tocantins basins) by having all three tympanal scutes weakly developed (vs. second and particularly third well developed, latter with medial carina), midlateral scutes modally 35 per side, range 34–36 (vs. 34, range 33–34), and anterior midlateral scutes relatively shallow, depth about one-fifth (vs. about one-third to one-quarter) of corresponding body depth, with weakly developed dorsal and ventral laminae lacking distinct serrations along posterior margins (vs. dorsal and ventral laminae of midlateral scutes well developed with conspicuously serrated posterior margins). The type species, R. xingui, is distinguished from R. woodsi by having a simple gas bladder (vs. with two posterior horn-like diverticula), midlateral scutes modally 34 per side, range 33–34 (vs. 35, range 34–37), and anterior midlateral scutes with conspicuous medial thorns (vs. thorns absent or weak, procumbent). Notable features of the genus are discussed, including jaw and gas bladder morphology, development of anterior nuchal plate, presence of multiple pores in skin beneath postcleithral process, and tubercle morphology and distribution. Shared derived characters suggest a sister-group relationship between Rhynchodoras and Rhinodoras plus Orinocodoras.

We studied the emigration of juvenile age-class individuals of four species of pond-breeding amphibians at 14 seasonal ponds over four consecutive years in western Massachusetts. Emigration orientation of each species was non-uniform for the majority of pond-years examined. While orientation was decidedly non-uniform in most individual pond-years, combining data from successive years led to a more uniform distribution for each of the study species, although in no case did it actually become statistically uniform. Additionally, while the exact orientation of each species at each pond differed among years in almost all cases, there were some directions with consistently greater than or less than expected use across years for all ponds. Similarly, despite overall differences in orientation of individuals among ponds for a particular species, or among species at a particular pond, there were some consistent directional biases (positive and negative) across ponds and across species. Overall, our results suggest that while there are some consistent patterns in emigration among years, species, and ponds, variability in orientation over time and space is the norm. Thus, there is a need to acquire data over several years and several ponds before reaching conclusions regarding orientation patterns and making informed conservation decisions.

Two new species of snailfishes are described on the basis of 99 individuals collected from the Aleutian Islands during resource assessment surveys conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Both are distinguished from all known species of Careproctus by a variegated red, white, and gray body coloration, an unlobed dorsal fin, protruding snout, the absence of distal pectoral radials at the base of 8–12 ventral rays, and counts of median-fin rays and vertebrae. Careproctus comus, new species, is distinguished from Careproctus faunus, new species, by having a greater number of caudal vertebrae and median-fin rays, as well as a narrower interorbital width, shorter maxilla, shorter snout, shorter connection of anal-fin membrane to caudal fin, and more slender caudal-fin base. Careproctus comus ranges from west of Attu Island, on Stalemate Bank, to the eastern Aleutian Islands, near Unalaska Island. Careproctus faunus ranges from Adak Island in the central Aleutians to just east of Unalaska Island. Both species are found at depths of approximately 150–400 m. Among other liparids of the North Pacific, the new species are superficially similar to Temnocora candida, from which both can be readily distinguished on the basis of their unlobed dorsal fin and higher counts of median-fin rays and vertebrae.

Schizodon scotorhabdotus is described from the Río Orinoco system of Venezuela and Colombia. Its most similar congener, S. isognathus, is redescribed from the Río Paraguay system of Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay, and a lectotype is designated for the species. Schizodon scotorhabdotus and S. isognathus can be distinguished from each other and from the most similar congener, S. knerii, by circumpeduncular and transverse scale counts, jaw orientation and osteology, and details of coloration. A principal components-based comparison of S. isognathus, S. knerii, and S. scotorhabdotus revealed that the three cited species also differ in mean body shape, particularly in body width. Comments are included on geographic distribution, life coloration, diet, and ontogenetic variation, including notable shifts in mouth position and caudal-fin morphology of these species.

An egg clutch of the Tanzanian brevicipitid frog, Probreviceps m. macrodactylus, is described for the first time. The single clutch consists of 32 eggs and 21 infertile, jelly-filled capsules, tightly bound together by a thin, tough outer layer. The infertile capsules are concentrated toward the top of the clutch. The eggs were found in a dry season, and were perhaps likely to hatch at the onset of the short rains. The specific identification is confirmed through analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence data. Eggs are yolky and large, about 8 mm in diameter (including capsule), suggesting that P. m. macrodactylus has a direct mode of development. The embryos observed were in an early developmental stage and showed the early division of the brain and anlagen of three pairs of visceral arches. Brevicipitid reproduction and development are poorly known, but a review of the existing literature and parsimonious optimization of simple characters onto a phylogenetic framework suggest that direct development is a derived condition characterizing the whole clade.

Cyclura carinata, a Bahamian rock iguana, currently has two recognized subspecies. Cyclura c. carinata is found on numerous islands and cays throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands. The second subspecies, C. c. bartschi, is now only known to exist on Booby Cay, a small island off of Mayaguana Island, Bahamas, which is also within the subspecies historic range. Support for subspecific status is weak. Geographic isolation appears to be the only strong indicator of genetic isolation. Recent conservation attempts made on the species behalf have raised questions regarding the validity of subspecific designations. We used mtDNA sequence data to ask whether there is any genetic variation that distinguishes C. c. bartschi from ten sampled populations of C. c. carinata. Our findings show that the Booby Cay population is fixed for a common mtDNA haplotype found in Caicos Island populations of C. carinata. In contrast, four different haplotypes were found among populations designated C. c. carinata. We conclude that there is insufficient evidence to support C. c. bartshi as a subspecies and recommend that the Booby Cay population be included in ongoing conservation efforts currently focused on the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Study of the population biology of the Allen Cays Rock Iguana (Cyclura cychlura inornata) in the Bahamas has been ongoing since 1980, and most aspects of the reproductive biology and demography of this taxon have been elucidated. I used recapture data to produce the first estimate of juvenile survival. Of 16 juveniles captured and marked at age 0.5 years, nine were alive at age 12.5 yrs (typical age at maturity), an annualized rate of 95.3%. Of four other juveniles marked at age 1.5 yrs, three were still alive ten years later, an annual rate of 97.2%. These rates are the highest recorded for juveniles of any lizard. A life table generated for this taxon demonstrates extreme longevity, very high survival throughout life, greatly delayed maturity (longer than for any studied lizard), extreme iteroparity, and low reproductive output. Net reproductive rate (R₀  =  3.4) and cohort generation time (21 yrs) match the 3.2-fold population size increase estimated between 1982 and 2004.

Few studies document mortality rates for hatchling seaturtles during their migration away from the nesting beach. Our study quantified and compared nearshore predation rates on Loggerhead Seaturtle hatchlings (Caretta caretta) at three locations in southern Florida. Hatchlings were followed by observers in kayaks during the first 15 min of the migration away from the beach. The overall observed predation level (4.6% of 240 turtles) is similar to a published estimate (5%) from a natural high density Florida nesting beach, and much lower than recorded at a hatchery site (34%). Predation rates were higher on Florida's southeast coast than the southwest coast. Predation on the southeast coast increased toward the end of the hatching season (August/September), but not on the west coast. We attribute differences in the predation rates to several potentially related factors including hatchling orientation, water depth and bottom structures (reef), coast-specific fish assemblages, fish movement patterns, and water clarity. We conclude that nearshore hatchling mortality rates, while low during the relatively brief swim to deeper water, may be sufficient to select for rapid dispersal away from Florida's shallow nearshore waters. If hatchlings remain in nearshore waters, predation levels may become high, as we observed when misoriented hatchlings failed to quickly distance themselves to deeper waters farther from shore.

Potential effects of body size changes on locomotor performance in gobiid fishes (family Gobiidae) were studied in two sicydiine species, Sicyopterus stimpsoni from the Hawaiian Islands and Sicydium punctatum from Dominica, West Indies. These taxa both possess a pelvic sucking disc that can be used to adhere to rock surfaces during bouts of waterfall climbing. If this disc scaled isometrically as body size increased, climbing might be impaired in larger fish because body mass increases faster during growth than the area of the sucker that supports body weight. To test whether the pelvic sucker grows in a way that could help maintain climbing performance in large gobies (and that is distinctive compared to other fins), we evaluated the scaling of sucker area, caudal-fin height, and pectoral-fin length with respect to total body length in Sicyopterus and Sicydium across a range of body sizes. Sucker area scaled isometrically with body length for both species, suggesting that climbing performance might decline as these fishes grow. Although the pectoral fin scaled differently in the two species, caudal-fin height showed strong positive allometry relative to body length in both species. The differing scaling patterns of sucker area and caudal-fin height relative to body length may reflect an increase in the importance of swimming over climbing in sicydiine gobies as they grow larger. Moreover, similarities in the scaling patterns of gobies from geographically distant islands suggest that species in this lineage may be subject to common ontogenetic constraints on performance.

A major obstacle to reliable population assessment and monitoring programs is the fact that the detectability of populations or individuals is usually imperfect, meaning that estimates of area of occupancy or abundance will be biased low unless methods are used which can account for imperfect detection. We surveyed water bodies in three parts of the historical distribution of the Alpine Tree Frog (Litoria verreauxii alpina) in southeastern Australia to determine probabilities of detection for adults and tadpoles. Combined static call surveys and spotlight surveys were used to detect adult frogs, and combined visual surveys and funnel trapping surveys were used for detection of tadpoles. A very high estimated probability of detection (>0.9) was obtained during the tadpole surveys, whereas the estimated probability of detection during surveys for adults was considerably lower (<0.7) and varied between observers. Due to their high probability of detection, we recommend the use of tadpole surveys as a survey and monitoring technique for L. v. alpina.