Marshall Islands Biodiversity CHM

Endemic - "native of, but confined to, a definite geographic area, such as a single island of part of an island".
For the purpose of this listing, endemic refers to the islands and atolls of the Marshall Islands with Wake.
Endemicism is often hard to establish and upon further research, some of the species/subspecies listed below may prove to have a wider range.

PLANTS

Scientific name: Lepturus gasparricensis
Common name: grass
Range limit: Bokak, Wake

Scientific name: Gossypium hirsutum var. "wild form of hirsatum of an unusual type"
Common name: Polynesian cotton
Range limit: Wake - no agreement as to whether truly native or not; if so, possibly only plant endemic to single atoll anywhere

Scientific name: Pandanus tectorius varieties (also forms and clones)
Common name: pandanus
Range limit: Marshalls

ANIMALS

CNIDARIANS

Scientific name: Distichopora sp.
Common name: lace coral (bicolored, red/white)
Range limit: Marshalls

MOLLUSKS

Scientific name: Assiminea nitida marshallensis
Common name: land snail
Range limit: Marshalls

ARTHROPODS

ARACHNIDS

Order Pseudoscorpionida

Scientific name: Garypus ornatus
Common name: pseudoscorpion
Range limit: Bikini

Scientific name: Xenolpium oceanicum latum
Common name: pseudoscorpion
Range limit: Lae, Ujae, Utdrik

PYCNOGONIDS

Scientific name: Ammothella stauromata
Common name: sea spider
Range limit: Enewetak

Scientific name: Anoplodactylus marshallensis
Common name: sea spider
Range limit: Enewetak

Scientific name: Nyphon micronesicum
Common name: sea spider
Range limit: Bikini, Namu -

Scientific name: Pycnopallene spp. (endemic genus)
Common name: sea spider
Range limit: Marshalls (?)

Scientific name: Spasmopallene spp. (endemic genus)
Common name: sea spider
Range limit: Marshalls (?)

Scientific name: Stylopallene spp. (endemic genus)
Common name: sea spider
Range limit: Marshalls (?)

INSECTS

Order Heteroptera (true bugs)

Scientific name: Riptortus saileri
Common name: leaf-footed bug
Range limit: Kwajelein

Scientific name: Campylomma eniwetak
Common name: plant bug
Range limit: Enewetak

Order Homoptera (hoppers, aphids, scales, etc.)

Scientific name: Ugyops kinbergi mayas
Common name: leafhopper
Range limit: Ratak, Ralik

Scientific name: Lamenia caliginea charon
Common name: hopper
Range limit: Marshalls

Order Coleoptera (beetles)

Scientific name: Cerasium unicolor marshallum
Common name: longhom beetle
Range limit: Majuro

Scientific name: Cerasium robustum
Common name: longhom beetle
Range limit: Arno

Scientific name: Prosoplus major
Common name: longhom beetle
Range limit: Ratak

Scientific name: Prosoplus hibisci
Common name: longhom beetle
Range limit: Ratak

Scientific name: Oopsis marshallensis
Common name: longhom beetle
Range limit: Ratak, Ralik

Scientific name: Melanoxanthus lariversi
Common name: click beetle
Range limit: Arno

Scientific name: Simodactylus marshallensis
Common name: click beetle
Range limit: Kwajelein

Scientific name: Chariotheca costata
Common name: darkling ground beetle
Range limit: Arno, Ailinglaplap

Scientific name: Tagalus angustus
Common name: darkling ground beetle
Range limit: Amo

Order Diptera (flies, gnats, midges, etc.)

Scientific name: Nocticanace marshallensis
Common name: (Micronesian only family)
Range limit: Marshalls

Scientific name: Forcipomya tuthilli
Common name: no-see-um, sandfly
Range limit: Enewetak

Scientific name: Dasyhelea migristigmata
Common name: no-see-um, sandfly
Range limit: Ailinglaplap

Scientific name: Dasyhelea sp. no. 1
Common name: no-see-um, sandfly
Range limit: Amo

Scientific name: Clunio tuthilli
Common name: water midge
Range limit: Enewetak

Scientific name: Cricotopus sp. no. 1
Common name: water midge
Range limit: Kwajelein

Scientific name: Scythroporhroa tripinosa
Common name: root gnat
Range limit: Kwajelein

Scientific name: Plastosciara jaluitensis
Common name: root gnat
Range limit: Jaluit

Scientific name: Limonia beardsleyi
Common name: crane fly
Range limit: Namu, Kili, Namdnk

Scientific name: Limonia sentifera
Common name: crane fly
Range limit: Namu, Amo

Order Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps)

Scientific name: Cirrospiloideus fullawayi
Common name: wasp
Range limit: Ebon

CRUSTACEANS

Order Stomatopoda (mantis shrimps)

Scientific name: Gonodactylus insularis
Common name: mantis shrimp
Range limit: Enewetak

Scientific name: Gonodactylus micronesica
Common name: mantis shrimp
Range limit: Enewetak

Family Xanthidae (dark-fingered coral crabs)

Scientific name: Etisus sp.
Common name: coral crab
Range limit: Marshalls

BRYOZOANS

Scientific name: Celleporaria new sp. ("eniwetokensis")
Common name: bryozoa
Range limit: Enewetak, other atolls?

Scientific name: Cosciniopsis new sp. ("enewetakensis")
Common name: bryozoa
Range limit: Enewetak, other atolls?

Scientific name: Figularia new sp. ("cribricapilata")
Common name: bryozoa
Range limit: Enewetak

Scientific name: Porella new sp. ("ikurenensis")
Common name: bryozoa
Range limit: Enewetak, other atolls?

Scientific name: Thornelya new sp. ("aniyaaniensis")
Common name: bryozoa
Range limit: Enewetak, other atolls?

Scientific name: Thornelya new sp. ("marshallensis")
Common name: bryozoa
Range limit: Enewetak, other atolls?

BRACHIOPODS

Scientific name: Argyrotheca arguta
Common name: lamp shell, brachiopod
Range limit: Enewetak, Bikini (others?)

ECHINODERMS

Scientific name: Eudiocrinus tenuissimus
Common name: crinoid
Range limit: Enewetak, Jaluit

FISHES

Scientific name: Amphiprion tricinctus
Common name: three-banded anemonefish
Range limit: Ratak and Ralik, 2 color variations, in specific types of anemones, exported for aquarium trade

Scientific name: Callogobius bauchotae
Common name: Bauchot's goby
Range limit: Marshalls

Scientific name: Cirricaecula johnsoni
Common name: fringelip snake eel
Range limit: Rongerik, one specimen only ever collected, from surge-washed sand patch

Scientific name: Cirrhilabrus baleatus
Common name: girdled wrasse
Range limit: Enewetak, Bikini, Kwajelein, Rongelap (others?)

Scientific name: Cirrhilabrus johnsoni
Common name: Johnson's wrasse
Range limit: Kwajelein, Enewetak (others?)

Scientific name: Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis
Common name: rhomboid wrasse
Range limit: Kwajelein (others?)

Scientific name: Paracheilinus bellae
Common name: Bell's wrasse
Range limit: Kwajelein (others?)

BIRDS

Scientific name: Gallirallus wakensis
Common name: Wake Rail
Range limit: Wake only, EXTINCT

Scientific name: Ducula oceanica ratakensis
Common name: Ratak Micronesian Pigeon
Range limit: Amo, Mili, EXTIRPATED on WSL Maloelap, Majuro (other atolls?)

REFERENCES

National Biodiversity Team of the RMI, 2000. The Marshall Islands - Living Atols Amidst the Living Sea/ The National Biodiversity Report of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. © RMI Biodiversity Project. ISBN 982-9045-02-1, St. Hildegard Publishing Company, Santa Clarita, CA, USA.

Baker, Rollin H. 1951. The Avifauna of Micronesia, Its Origin, Evolution, and Distribution. University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

Child, Allan C. 1982. Pycnogonida of the Western Pacific Islands I. The Marshall Islands. Proceedings of the Biological Society, Washington, Vol. 95 (2), pp. 270-281

Fautin, Daphne G. and Gerald R. Allen 1992. Field Guide to Anemonefishes and their Host Sea Anemones. Western Australian Museum, Perth, Australia

Fosberg, F. R. 1992. The Coral Island Environment and its Relevance to Atoll Agriculture, in Chase, Robert G. Review of Agricultural Development in the Atolls, pp. 45-54 University of the South Pacific, Apia, Western Samoa

Fosberg, F. R. and Marie-Helene Sachet 1969. Wake Island Vegetation and Flora, 1961-1963. Atoll Research Bulletin, No.123.pp.1-15

Fosberg, F. R., Marie-Helene Sachet and Royce Oliver 1979. A Geographical Checklist of the Micronesian Dicotyledonae. Micronesica, Vol. 15 (1-2), pp. 41-295

__________ 1987. A Geographical Checklist of the Micronesian Monocotyledonae. Micronesica, Vol. 20 (1-2), pp.19-129

Gosliner, Terrence M., David W. Behrens, and Gary C. Williams 1996. Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific. Sea Challengers, Monterey, California

Grant, Richard E. 1983. Argyrotheca argguta, a new species of brachiopod from the Marshall Islands, Western Pacific. Proceedings of the Biological Society, Washington. 96 (1), pp.178-180

Kay, E. Alison and Scott Johnson 1987. Mollusca of Enevetak Atoll, pp. 105-146. in Devaney, Dennis M., Ernst S. Reese, Beatrice L. Burch, and Philip Helfrich (eds.).The Natural History of Enewetak Atoll, Vol. II, Biogeography and Systematics. United States Department of Energy, Washington, D.C.

Lieske, Ewald and Robert Myers 1994. Coral Reef Fishes. HaperCollins Publishers, London, England

Myers, Robert F. 1989. Micronesian Reef Fishes. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam

Pratt, H. Douglas, Phillip L. Bruner and Delwyn G. Berrett. The Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey .

Randall, John E. 1988. Five New Wrasses of the genera Cirrhilabrus and Paracheilinus (Perciformes: Labridae) from the Marshall Islands. Micronesica, Vol. 21 (1-2), pp. 199-226

Samuelson, G. Alien and Gordon M. Nishida 1987. Insects and Allies (Arthropoda) of Enewetak Atoll, pp. 147-178. in Devaney, Dennis M., Ernst S. Reese, Beatrice L. Burch and Philip Helfrich (eds.). The Natural History of Enewetak Atoll, Vol. II, Biogeography and Systematics. United States Department of Energy, Washington, D.C.

Zmarzley, D. L. 1984. Distribution and Ecology Shallow-water Crinoids at Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands, with an Annotated Checklist of Their Symbiots. Pacific Science, Vol. 38, No.2, pp. 105-122

________ 1987. The Shallow-water Crinoid Fauna of Kwajelein Atoll, Marshall Islands: Ecological Observations, Interatoll Comparisons and Zoogeographic Affinities. Pacific Science, Vol. 39, No. 4

What's new

Endemic Species and Subspecies of the Marshalls