Myripristis chryseres Jordan & Evermann, 1903, is recorded for the first time in the Easter Island Ecoregion. Two specimens were observed swimming along a rock cliff and entering a cavern at ∼163 m depth near the peak of Pukao seamount, located ∼85 km (46 nm) west of Easter Island. This report expands the geographic range of M. chryseres eastward by ∼3,800 km and is the first report of the species for the eastern Pacific. It is unclear whether this new record is indicative of a relatively recent range expansion or a lack of visual surveys in the region, which are especially important for surveying fishes that are less likely to be caught by line and trawls because of their behavior and the complex rocky habitats in which they live.

Depth range
152- 247 m

Mesophotic “mentions”
1 x (total of 1998 words)

Classification

Fields
Biodiversity

Focusgroups
Fishes

Locations
Chile - Easter Island

Platforms
Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV)