Porcupine!NUMBER 29

Newsletter of the Department of Ecology & Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong

Air pollution and biodiversity in Hong Kong

AUGUST 2003

Nobody doubts that air pollution in Hong Kong is a major threat to human health, and nobody doubts that water pollution in Hong Kong is a major threat to freshwater and marine biodiversity. But what about the effects of air pollution on terrestrial biodiversity? This is an important question because the entire conservation strategy for terrestrial biodiversity in Hong Kong is based on the assumption that protecting areas – as Country Parks, Special Areas, SSSIs or whatever – protects species. Yet, as marine biologists know only too well, pollution does not respect park boundaries. The only research on this problem in Hong Kong was into the effects of sulphur dioxide pollution on lichens (Thrower, 1980). High levels of this pollutant in the 1960s and 70s eliminated most lichens from urban areas and the most sensitive species from the whole of Hong Kong, but sulphur dioxide levels are now declining and there is some evidence of a recovery in lichen populations. Other pollutants, however, are getting worse. Most conspicuous over the last decade has been the regional haze that blankets large areas of southeastern China for much of the year, reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the ground by 5-30% (Chameides et al., 1999). Although this reduction may have serious implications for crop yields, photosynthesis in wild plants is more likely to be limited by water and/or nutrients, so unshaded leaves usually receive more sunlight than they can use. The big worry is ozone (Corlett, 2001). Ozone is unique among air pollutants in that, although it is produced by reactions involving urban pollutants, urban ozone levels are reduced by reactions with nitrogen oxides so that the maximum levels occur downwind of cities, in rural areas (Gregg et al., 2003). Thus ozone concentrations measured at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University monitoring station at Cape D’Aguilar, in the remote southeastern tip of Hong Kong Island, often exceed those measured in urban areas, and the highest recorded hourly value in Hong Kong was in Tung Chung last September. There is no reason to believe that these sites are exceptional, but there has been very little monitoring of ozone in rural Hong Kong. Moreover, while much of Hong Kong’s ozone is generated locally, there are also regional high ozone events, covering much of eastern China, which would impact Hong Kong even if it were uninhabited. Peak ozone concentrations measured in Hong Kong are within the range that has been shown to damage both crops and wild plants in Europe and North America. Ozone reduces photosynthesis and plant growth, as well as causing visible damage to leaves. We have no direct evidence that such damage is occurring locally, but the visible symptoms are easily confused with other forms of natural damage, and no detailed study has been carried out. Regional ozone concentrations are predicted to continue rising for at least the next decade, so this is a problem that can only get worse.

Richard T. Corlett (for bibliography see back page)

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Porcupine!

NUMBER 29 August 2003

Newsletter of the Department of Ecology & Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong

Air pollution and biodiversity in Hong Kong 1

Editorial 2 DEB news 2

Feedback 3 Invertebrates 5 Vertebrates 8 Flora 13

SWIMS tidings... 14

Diversity at a glance 14 Miscellany 16

Wild Corner 19

In the News 18

Recent publications 21

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Editorial Colour coding – have you noticed that when an unpalatable or difficult conservation viewpoint is expressed, the apparent offender is often glibly dismissed as being a ‘green’ (or even a greenie)? This is becoming a rather convenient retort to dodge what are generally rather complex issues, ones that typically require informed responses, creative thinking and pose real and important challenges to government and society. This easy let-out ignores the fact that there are many shades of ‘green’, from the rather extreme ‘environment above all else’ to the wholly practical, and very real, need to balance man and nature for the benefit of both. It is time, maybe, to assign a colour to those who do not want to address core issues, who procrastinate, are uninformed maybe, or who, all in all, continue to contribute to the environmental problems that surround us simply by lack of action and obfuscation. In mulling this over, I concluded that ‘grey’ was rather fitting. The lack of colour reflects the absence of action, the distorting (sometimes) of truth, apathy and general unwillingness to consider changing the status quo or meeting challenges. While there are shades of grey, few give much hope that things will improve substantially in the near term. We could do with more colour.

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News from DEB As we embark upon yet another academic year at the Univer-sity of Hong Kong, we encounter many new faces: new first-year undergraduates in the classroom, and new research postgraduates in the laboratories. In the case of DEB, we are lucky enough also to have some new teaching colleagues. Dr Cynthia Yau joined as Assistant Professor this Septem-ber, and an article introducing her will feature in the next issue of Porcupine! And, while not new to exactly DEB, Dr Kenny Leung takes up a new position as Assistant Professor, also from September. For anyone who missed it, Kenny’s (revealing) personal profile is in Porcupine! 25. "And, finally, congratulations to Gray Williams who has been appointed Honorary Director of the Swire Marine Laboratory for the next three years. Gray is not, of course, new to DEB but this appointment will see him taking on an additional, important role on behalf of the department. We wish him luck.” More newness: DEB, AFCD and Friends of the Country Park have just published a series of four field guides to local habitats. First off the block was Rocky Shores and Hill-streams, and by the time you read this, Hillsides and Sandy Shores will have joined them on the shelves of Hong Kong bookshops. All four volumes are bilingual, well- illustrated, and contain gazetteers for sites of interest. We hope they will be of value to secondary school students, teachers, biology undergraduates, and members of the public who want to find out a bit more about Hong Kong’s rich biodiversity. Finally, new from Government is recently released and very long awaited Consultation Document entitled Nature Outlook: A Review of Nature Conservation Policy (http://www.etwb.gov.hk). It sets out conservation efforts and achievements of Government, describes their limitations, and makes some proposals for improvement that include the introduction of a scoring system for assessing ecological value of sites, and options for conserving ecologically impor-tant sites under private ownership. The sharp-eyed reader may note that this brief description of the contents of Nature Outlook doesn’t seem to include anything on actual policy (see pp.16 & 17), and the marine environment also gets short shrift. However, Government has invited comments on the document, and I urge everyone with an interest in the protec-tion of the Hong Kong environment to read the document and send their views by October 18 2003 to the Environ-ment, Transport and Works Bureau. They can be reached at nature_views@etwb.gov.hk, 2138 3221 (fax) or 2150 7144 (phone). There now an important opportunity to have an input into conservation initiatives in Hong Kong, and we should make the most of it. David Dudgeon

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Feedback ‘Sexed up’ fish data Dear Feedback, As the author of the Artificial Reefs and Reef Fish in Hong Kong I must respond to the comments made in Andy Cornish’s review of this book in the April 2003 Porcupine!. The first printing of this book involved the production of a limited number of books, which have already sold out. For the second edition, which is currently in preparation, we are attending to any errors identified and are taking the opportunity to update the book. An erratum for the first has been prepared and will be posted on AFCD artificial reef web pages. I am grateful to the reviewer for his helpful fish identification comments. The reviewer’s comments regarding the making of unsubstantiated claims regarding spawning observations in the book are, however, entirely unjustified. It appears we are being accused of ‘sexing up’ our data in much the same way the BBC have alleged that Tony Blair’s Government overstated the case to the British Parliament for war in Iraq based on a “sexed up” intelligence dossier. Fortunately I can dispel such allegations in relation to AFCD’s AR and Reef Fish Book since we have good evidence of ‘weapons of mass destruction’ in the form of spawning fishes, including groupers. The main purpose of the book was to provide an account of the artificial reef programme and also provide summary information for our fish observations on artificial reefs. For each species we provide summary details of its interaction with artificial reefs and its abundance status. This information has been obtained from more than 400 quantitative fish monitoring dives on artificial reefs. Andy comments that we have made unsubstantiated claims about ARs in Hong Kong in the book. In particular he singles out Coral trout spawning aggregation on one of the ARs as “unlikely”. Our book states on page 155 that spawning groups of Coral trout, Plectropomus leopardus occur on an artificial reef. Andy has made assumptions about our data that he is not entitled to make since he does not have possession of our data. A fairer criticism would have been to remark that we have not provided clear definitions or criteria for our use of the term ‘spawning group’. Andy refers to Australian research concerning the growth rate of Plectropomus leopardus in the mistaken belief that the book states the Coral trout grew and developed into adult fish on the artificial reef by the year 2000. The book does not state this. We have simply reported what we have observed and further more we have posted video, on AFCD’s web pages, of groups of adult Coral trout (16”-20”) interacting with each other on a Hong Kong artificial reef. One sequence shows a group of at least eight sizable adults all in view at the same time. Coral trouts are solitary in behaviour away from spawning aggregation sites and will defend their reef territory from intrusions by other coral trout. We have observed densities of Coral trout building up towards new moons and gravid females with highly

swollen bellies have been observed. We have also observed many large adult fish tussling for territory at the artificial reef aggregation and noted courtship behaviour, including fin and tail flicking towards dusk. For these reasons we reported the presence of a spawning group of Coral trout. During new moons on 31st May 2003 and 30th June 2003, 35-50, mostly 16”-22”, Coral trouts were again counted within a small area at the aggregation site (which is the same artificial reef site each year) and a male spawning rush was observed. We also pointed out on page 43 that recruitment of juvenile Coral trout has dramatically improved since 2000 when we first observed spawning groups on an artificial reef. Following the publication of the book we have also filmed pairs of Red groupers, Epinephelus akaara spawning at the same aggregation site. Reef fishes are especially vulnerable during spawning aggregation periods. Despite its status as a Marine Park there is no statutory protection for Yan Chau Tong’s spawning groupers from licensed fishers. The artificial reef in question has developed into a primary aggregation site for spawning reef fishes in Hong Kong and concerted efforts should be made to protect the site, especially during May and June new moons. AFCD is reviewing the current voluntary ‘no-take’ agreement at artificial reef sites and may change the fishing licence conditions to ensure statutory protection. The Consultancy report conducted by MSE Ltd. reported, “artificial reefs support higher numbers of medium and high value fish than both rocky shore and mud bottom controls.” Andy takes the academics line and states that a control site should be similar in every practical way to the “treatment” site. In view of the fact that there is no rocky habitat in Hoi Ha Wan and Yan Chau Tong Marine Parks at the 12-16 m depths, where the artificial reefs were deployed, it is not possible to select ideal control sites. We selected rocky shore controls at the deepest reef locations within the marine park. If rocky habitat had occurred in the open expanses of deeper water throughout the Yan Chau Tong and Hoi Ha Wan Marine Parks then the parks would not have been considered habitat limited and would not have been subjected to regular trawling. Moreover, we would not have considered the parks as high priority areas for deployment of artificial reefs. Andy is confusing research with the practical implementation of a fisheries management programme. We did not embark on an academic exercise to support a null hypothesis, we implemented an artificial reef programme to protect these two marine parks from the damaging impacts of trawling and to enhance fisheries in a habitat limited area. Since no trawling now occurs in these parks the artificial reefs deployed have achieved their principal objective and are fully justified. When we report that there are more high value fish on the artificial reefs than the natural rocky shores or open mud in these parks we are simply reporting the facts. If there are more fish on the artificial reefs than rocky shores it makes sense to increase our efforts to manage artificial reefs so small-scale fishers do not fish them, permitting the full benefits of artificial reefs to be realised. They are certainly not meaningless comparisons. Yes, if there were complex hard bottom habitat in these marine parks at depth, they too would no doubt support high

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numbers of valuable reef fish, but the reality is there is no such habitat in these parks, hence the deployment of artificial reefs and our comparison with the habitat that is actually there. Andy’s final comment regarding the flimsiness of some of the evidence to justify this 100 million dollar programme is another entirely unwarranted allegation. The artificial reef programme has achieved its objectives since they are protecting and enhancing important fish spawning and nursery grounds by physically preventing bottom trawling and providing complex three-dimensional habitat. In making his remarks Andy fails to take note of the ecosystem modelling reported on pages 9 and 51. We appointed arguably the foremost ecosystem modelling fisheries biologists from the Fisheries Centre University of British Colombia comprising a team headed by Fisheries Centre Director, with additional inputs from Drs. Daniel Pauly, Carl Walters, Villy Christensen and Reg Watson. In addition to ecosystem modelling, bio-economic and game theoretic modelling of cooperative and non-cooperative (‘cheating’) scenarios were performed by Drs. Rashid Sumaila and Gordon Munro. The modelling and cost benefit analysis conducted by these eminent biologists indicated that the greatest economic fisheries benefits could be achieved by the imposition of a territory-wide trawl ban with artificial reefs and not by the establishment of 20% ‘no-take’ fisheries as advocated by some fisheries biologists. As part of Phase II of the project artificial reefs have been deployed at Long Harbour and Port Shelter in locations where trawling is legally permitted but now cannot take place. The modelling supports our management strategy that reduction of trawling pressure through the use of artificial reefs will bring significant benefits to the local fishery. Another interesting prediction by the game theory modelling is that the greatest benefits are realized only with fishers’ cooperation with or without artificial reefs. Designating Marine Reserves, which permit no hunting and are often fiercely objected to by local fishers, is a strategy that many Green groups are now beginning to question (see New Scientist June 21st, A Greyer Shade of Green). Apart from the ecosystem modelling and monitoring of the natural habitats where the artificial reefs were deployed, plus the monitoring of the artificial reefs themselves, I fail to see what more we could have done, that is practical, to gather data on the potential impacts and actual effects of the artificial reefs. In this context I would welcome any suggestions for improving future monitoring of artificial reefs but I can see few constructive comments in this review. The new book provides an overview of artificial reefs in Hong Kong and catalogues the fish life that has been found interacting with them. It was produced in a spirit of openness as part of an ongoing programme of fisheries protection and enhancement, which has a majority of support from the fishing community. Keith Wilson Hong Kong wilsonhk@hk.super.net

(Co-editor comment: Mr. Wilson has been invited to present his material on fish spawning and recent progress in fishery legislation at DEB and will visit us on Friday, October 10, 2003.) Dear Feedback, In reply to Keith Wilson’s response to my review of his book, Artificial Reefs and Reef Fish in Hong Kong (see above) I should firstly say that I enjoyed it enough to buy a copy. However, precious little data have been released on the success of the AR programme as a fisheries enhancement tool since the reefs were deployed in 1998, other than species lists and consultant’s reports which are not available to most. This book provides the best summary of the AR programme to date and so I took the opportunity to critically evaluate various aspects of it. In response to Keith’s comments: 1. With regard to Coral trout spawning, the information provided by Keith in his letter is more convincing than that previously reported by A.F.C.D. or their consultants’ report but is still indirect evidence according to Society for the Conservation of Reef Fish Aggregation guidelines (see www.scrfa.org/doc/Database.pdf). Direct evidence includes observations of actual spawning (i.e. release of sperm and eggs), or histological examination revealing hydrated eggs or postovulatory follicles. If Coral trout and other fishes are spawning on the artificial reefs that is great, I am only advocating caution where the evidence is equivocal. 2. For $100 million the public expects more from the artificial reefs than simply a list of species and a “sleeping policeman” role in preventing trawling, particularly in marine parks where trawling is already prohibited. The ecosystem modeling mentioned, while providing some predictive justification for the AR programme, is still just modeling. The onus is on A.F.C.D. to show fisheries enhancement in the real world as predicted, and to use science to do it. If “control” sites are not such then the term should not be used. 3. While this is not the place for an in-depth discussion about appropriate methodology, I believe monitoring of catches from Hong Kong waters before and after deployment of the artificial reefs should be an essential part of demonstrating fisheries enhancement. Andy Cornish

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Natural mortality of hard corals during summer 2003

by Andy Cornish Natural mortality in local coral communities was observed during July and August 2003 and attributed to 3 possible causes, Drupella, low tides and typhoon Imbudo. Drupella outbreak Several hundred Drupella cf. rugosa snails were observed feeding in dense concentrations on four large (around 70 cm in height) Platygyra cf. sinensis colonies at Sharp Island on 10 July (Fig. 1). All four colonies were within 5 m of each other and at < 3 m depth. When the site was revisited on 17 July the majority of each colony had been completely stripped of live tissue and another colony nearby of the same species was being attacked. The largest quantitative survey of the phenomenon in Hong Kong (Morton and Blackmore, 2000) noted that while Acropora pruinosa seems to be the favourite prey of Drupella rugosa, other species may be attacked when the Acropora is scarce, such as at Sharp Island. That report concluded that such outbreaks posed “little threat” to coral communities in Hong Kong, in part because the Drupella normally only eat the connective tissue between polyps, allowing subsequent recovery. In the case reported in 2003, however, all tissue was removed with the loss of several decades-old colonies.

Fig. 1. Drupella cf. rugosa snails feeding on Platygyra cf. sinensis at Sharp Island

Extreme low tides Partial coral mortality was apparent at Coral Beach, within the Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park, when the coral community there was visited on the 17 July. The top 3 or so centimeters of all of the shallowest corals, mostly Platygyra species, were bleached white and covered in various gastropods. It seems likely that the upper surfaces had been exposed to the air and sun for extended periods on the 14 and 15 July when there were extremely low tides (0.04 m and 0.06 m, respectively at Tai Po Kau, Hong Kong Observatory pers. comm.) and that the dead tissue was subsequently being eaten by the gastropods. Such mortality limits the vertical growth of corals on shallow reefs resulting in “micro-atolls” of massive corals, where growth is only possible horizontally leading to colonies with a large dead eroded center and a ring of living tissue on the sides. Typhoon Imbudo Typhoon Imbudo hit Hong Kong on the 24 July, causing damage to many large coral colonies in the Hoi Ha Wan and Ping Chau Marine Parks. At Moon Island in Hoi Ha, a number of large, internally bio-eroded Platygyra colonies in the shallowest waters (< 2 m depth) toppled over. Also, at least six large black coral colonies (Antipathes sp.) snapped near the base, or the holdfast came free, and they were transported from depths of > 7 m into shallower waters. This species is bush-like with numerous branches which must create significant drag in the water, making them vulnerable to strong surges. Coral Beach (Hoi Ha) is dominated by Pavona decussata and less damage was evident although some individual Pavona plates and a large stand measuring around 2 x 1 x1 m had pulled out of the sand and fallen over. At Ping Chau the primary damage was caused by various species of massive coral including Platygyra cf. sinensis separating at the base from the siltstone bedrock and toppling down a siltstone “step.” There was also one small patch at < 2 m depth where loose siltstone slabs had been moved considerably by the waves, smashing corals in their path. Although greater than the damage caused by the direct hit of Typhoon Victor in 1997, I estimate that < 5% of all coral colonies were affected in both parks and even those that toppled should still be able to grow on those living surfaces not now smothered by sand etc. Bibliography Morton, B. & Blackmore, G. (2000). The impacts of an outbreak of corallivorous gastropods, Drupella rugosa and Cronia margariticola (Muricidae), on Hong Kong’s scleractinian corals. Final report to The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China 30 April 2000. Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong. pp 48.

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Rediscovery of a rare skipper ─ White-banded Awl (Hasora taminatus)

by Yik Fui Lo Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, 6/F., Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road, Kowloon philiplo@hkstar.com On 29 May 2003, during a field trip in Pat Sin Leng Country Park, many leaf shelters were spotted on Derris alborubra (Fabaceae). Several skipper larvae were found inside the shelters and two were collected. The larvae pupated on 2 June and a male and female emerged on 11 June. The adults were examined and identified as Hasora taminatus. Hasora taminatus is one of the rarest skippers in Hong Kong as only two specimens were known locally and no immature stage has been recorded (Bascombe, 1997). Since the last specimen was taken in 1957, this species has not been recorded in Hong Kong for nearly half a century. Five Hasora species have been recorded in Hong Kong. Among them, Hasora chromus (Figs. 1-4) and Hasora taminatus (Fig. 5-12) highly resemble each other. In both species, the hindwing underside of both sexes has a white postdiscal band; the male forewing upperside is spotless and the female forewing has two small hyaline spots. The main differences between the two species are shown in the table below:

H. taminatus H. chromus

Larval Foodplant

Derris alborubra (Fabaceae) and

probably Millettia sp.

Pongamia pinnata (Fabaceae)

Female Forewing

Spots

Smaller and round

Larger and elongate

Underside Gloss

Metallic green Pale purple

However, a worn specimen may lose its underside gloss and makes identification more difficult. As many larvae were seen on Derris alborubra in that area on the same day, Hasora taminatus could be locally common in Pat Sin Leng area.

Bibliography Bascombe, M., Johnston, G. & Bascombe, F. (1999). The Butterflies of Hong Kong. London: Academic Press.

Fig. 1. Adult male of Hasora chromus (upperside). Fig. 2. Underside of an adult male of Hasora chromus.

Fig. 3. Upperside of an adult female Hasora chromus Fig. 4. Underside of an adult female Hasora chromus.

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Fig. 5. Upperside of an adult male Hasora taminatus. Fig. 6. Underside of an adult male Hasora taminatus.

Fig. 7. Upperside of an adult female Hasora taminatus. Fig. 8. Underside of an adult female Hasora taminatus.

Fig. 9. Last (fifth) instar larva of Hasora taminatus

Fig. 10. Prepupatory larva of Hasora taminatus.

Fig. 11. Pupa (dorsal view) of Hasora taminatus.

Fig. 12. Pupa (lateral view) of Hasora taminatus.

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A photo record of the coral reef mantis shrimp, Pseudosquilla ciliata in Hong Kong

by Ming-Hong Cheung, Joey K.W. Leung1 and Kenny Leung 1 International Elite Divers Training Centre, Ltd. There is virtually no documentation or record of coral reef associated Stomatopoda (i.e. mantis shrimps) in Hong Kong, as most local studies on stomatopod Crustacea have been conducted in deeper waters (i.e. >20 m in water depth) using shrimp trawlers (Lai et al. 2003). On 18 May 2003, Ming-Hong Cheung and Joey Leung were diving at the south of Shelter Island, Port Shelter, Hong Kong (Grid reference: 22° 19’N 114° 18’E; water depth: ca. 8 m and visibility: 10 m) where they discovered and photographed a greenish mantis shrimp walking across the coral reef area (Figs. 1 & 2). The total length of this stomatopod was ca. 100 mm estimated by the divers. It could move very fast on the seabed and was occasionally hidden under the sediment or reef structure.

Figs. 1 & 2. The coral reef mantis shrimp Pseudosquilla ciliata found at Shelter Island, Port Shelter.

Recently, these photo records have been sent to the leading authority of Stomatopoda, Dr. Shane T. Ahyong of the Department of Marine Invertebrates, Australian Museum for further identification. The photographed stomatopod is confirmed to be Pseudosquilla ciliata (Fabricius, 1787) by Dr Ahyong. Probably, it is the first record of this reef stomatopod species in Hong Kong waters. This is a widespread coral reef species, which have been found in Australia, Vietnam and Indo-West Pacific (Ahyong 2001). Due to its wide occurrence throughout the region of South East Asia, it is not surprising that P. ciliata also inhabits in the coral reef area of Hong Kong. Although this photographed specimen is green in colour, it is important to sound a note that the colour of the species is amazingly variable and can vary from lemon yellow to mottled green or brown to black-green; they can change their colour dramatically between moults (Ahyong, personal communication). Detailed information regarding the morphology and identification of this species can be found in Ahyong (2001). This is, once again, a good example to illustrate how much we still don’t know about the diversity of marine life in the marine environment of Hong Kong. In future, more studies should be carried out with a view to deepening our knowledge about the diversity and ecology of reef Stomatopoda in Hong Kong. Acknowledgements The authors are very grateful to Dr Shane Ahyong for species identification and invaluable information about this reef stomatopod species. Bibliography Ahyong, S.T. (2001). Revision of the Australian Stomatopod Crustacea. Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 26. 327 pp. Lai, C.H., Tsui, J.C.Y. & Leung, K.M.Y. (2003). Distribution and demography of Stomatopoda in the subtidal marine environment of Hong Kong. In: Turning the Tides - A Festschrift in Honour of Professor Brian Morton, (ed. P.K.S. Shin), The Marine Biological Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. pp. 159-183.

Fish checklist grows further at Cape d’Aguilar

by Andy Cornish Despite poor visibility at the Marine Reserve all summer, a number of new records have been made in recent months. On 25 June a small school of Silvery Moony (Monodactylus argenteus) were recorded at 10 m depth. The same day, a 35

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cm Giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) was observed in a small cave (Fig. 1). This huge species, which can reach 2.30 m in length, has been very rare in Hong Kong in recent decades although a few have been seen on artificial reefs in recent years (Wilson 2003). There has also been a resident school of Rivulated parrotfish (Scarus rivulatus) consisting of four terminal males and more then ten initial phase females. Although the females are relatively abundant locally, this is the first time I have seen a male in > 700 dives. A 20 cm terminal male Globehead parrotfish (Scarus globiceps) seen on 10 July with the Rivulated parrotfishes is not just a new record for the reserve, but also for Hong Kong. The cumulative total of reef fishes at Cape d’Aguilar (see More new fishes from the Cape d’Aguilar Marine Reserve, Porcupine! 28) is now 184. Bibliography Wilson K.D.P. (2003). Artificial Reefs and Reef Fish in Hong Kong. Friends of the Country Parks, A.F.C.D. and Cosmos Books. pp 176.

Fig.1. Giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) at the Lema Islands, China. (Photo: Andy Cornish)

Trouble with babblers: the White-bellied Yuhina is neither a yuhina nor a babbler, but the Japanese White-eye is both

by Richard T. Corlett Alice Cibois has devoted most of her short career to sorting out the phylogeny of the babblers – a group traditionally defined to include mostly Asian, mostly forest, mostly more or less insectivorous birds. The traditional babblers are extremely diverse in morphology, ecology and behaviour, and it has been obvious for a long time that the conventional classification of the 200 or so species was a mess. Exactly how much of a mess is being revealed one paper at a time (Cibois et al., 1999, 2001, 2002; Cibois, 2003). The

revelations are by no means complete, but two recent papers are relevant to Hong Kong birds. The first shows, using mitochondrial sequence data, that the White-bellied Yuhina (Yuhina zantholeuca) (Fig. 1) is not related to the other yuhinas – which it doesn’t look like anyway - or even the other babblers (Cibois et al., 2002). The second shows, using sequences of three mitochondrial genes, that the Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonica) (Fig. 2) is not only a babbler, but is also closely related to the two yuhinas included in the analysis (Y. gularis and Y. diademata) (Cibois, 2003). Although only one white-eye was included, the other Zosterops species are so similar they (but not necessarily the rest of the family) must all belong with the babblers. This study also – less surprisingly – placed the Sylvia warblers firmly within the babblers, as well as the American Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata) (for which, see also Barhoum & Burns, 2002). The laughingthrushes are not only back among the babblers (from which they had been separated by Sibley and Monroe), but also not monophyletic. The Chinese Babax (Babax lanceolatus) appears to be part of a group containing the White-browed Laughingthrush (Garrulax sannio). With all these inclusions, the expanded babblers now range throughout Africa and Eurasia to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, with the Wrentit as an outlier in North America.

Fig. 1 “The White-bellied Yuhina” is neither a yuhina nor a babbler. (Photo: Kwok Hon Kai) Bibliography Barhoum, D.N. & Burns. K.J. (2002). Phylogenetic relationships of the wrentit based on mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences. Condor 104: 740-749. Cibois, A. (2003). Mitochondrial DNA phylogeny of babblers (Timaliidae). Auk 120: 35-54. Cibois, A., Slikas, B., Schulenberg, T.S. & Pasquet E. (2001). An endemic radiation of Malagasy songbirds is revealed by mitochondrial DNA sequence data. Evolution 55: in press. Cibois, A., Pasquet, E. & Schulenberg, T.S. (1999). Molecular systematics of the Malagasy babblers (Passeriformes: Timaliidae) and Warblers (Passeriformes: Sylviidae), based on cytochrome b and 16S rRNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 13: 581-595.

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Cibois, A., Kalyakin, M.V., Han, L.X. & Pasquet, E. (2002). Molecular phylogenetics of babblers (Timaliidae): revaluation of the genera Yuhina and Stachyris. Journal of Avian Biology 33 :380-390.

Fig. 2. The Japanese White-eye is a babbler.

The Ultraviolet Whistling Thrush and avian colour vision

by Richard T. Corlett The retinas of most birds have four different classes of cones, rather than the three we have in our retinas. Birds have visual pigments maximally sensitive in the red, green and blue parts of the spectrum, like us, plus an additional pigment that is most sensitive in either the violet (400-426 nm) or the ultraviolet (355-380 nm). Note that although the peak sensitivities differ between the two forms of the fourth pigment – called VS and UVS, respectively – they both permit birds to detect ultraviolet light. A number of experimental studies have now shown that birds use their ability to see UV in much the same way as they use other parts of the visual spectrum, i.e., for finding prey and for signaling to other members of their species. Birds are often more brightly coloured in the UV than they are in our visual range. The feathers of our familiar Violet (or Blue) Whistling Thrush (Myiophonus caeruleus), for example, display a peak reflectance at around 340 nm and they must appear much brighter to each other than they do to us (Prum et al., 2003). Other studies have shown that many fruits that appear black to human ecologists reflect strongly in the UV, and that these fruits become less attractive to frugivores if this UV signal is reduced (e.g. Altshuler, 2001). This presumably explains why “black”, rather than the more conspicuous – to us - red, is the commonest fruit colour in Hong Kong (Corlett, 1996). Leaves and bark reflect little UV so a UV-bright fruit will be as conspicuous as a red one to a UV-sensitive bird. And it is not just fruit: both raptors (e.g. Koivula & Viitala, 1999) and shrikes (Probst et al., 2002) use the UV-reflecting scent marks of rodents to detect areas where they are active.

The only bird species occurring in Hong Kong that have been shown to have the UVS form are the Blackbird (Turdus merula), the Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), and the Pekin Robin (Leiothrix lutea), but it has also been found in non-Hong Kong species of tits (Parus), munias (Lonchura), leaf warblers (Phylloscopus) and gulls (Larus) (Ödeen & Håstad, 2003). More generally, it appears that most passerine birds have cones with peak sensitivity in the UV, with all exceptions so far being either crows (Corvus) or tyrannids. In contrast, all non-passerines tested, apart from gulls, parrots and the rhea, have had the violet-sensitive form of the cone pigment. Hong Kong species shown to have the VS form include several species of raptor, the Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), the Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius), the Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus), the Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) and the Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra). The UVS/VS character state is controlled by a single nucleotide difference, so one would expect bird species to rapidly evolve whichever form is most adaptive, but we are still a long way from understanding what factors control this. If prey detection is the most important factor, why are gulls UV-sensitive and raptors violet-sensitive? Why are both character states found among frugivores, insectivores and granivores? Perception of the colour of an object depends not only on its reflectance properties, but also on the background colour(s) and the ambient light conditions, so predicting the most useful form is not easy.

Fig. 1. The Ultraviolet Whistling Thrush (Myiophonus caeruleus) (Photo: Elsa Lee) Confused? Me too. Clearly, we have a long way to go before the evolution and ecology of bird vision is fully understood. It is also likely that studies on a wider range of bird species will show that the situation is even more complex than it appears at present. One lesson is clear, however: we cannot use what we see as a guide to the colour world perceived by birds. Indeed this is not only true for birds: many reptiles and fish, some amphibians and some rodents can see UV light, while most mammals lack red-sensitive cones and are thus red-green colour blind. Invertebrates have an even wider range of visual systems. Of all the thousands of animal species in Hong

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Kong, vertebrate and invertebrate, only the macaques see the world in the same way that we do. Bibliography Altshuler, D.L. (2001). Ultraviolet reflectance in fruits, ambient light composition and fruit removal in a tropical forest. Evolutionary Ecology Research 3: 767-778. Corlett, R.T. (1996). Characteristics of vertebrate-dispersed fruits in Hong Kong. Journal of Tropical Ecology 12: 819-833. Koivula, M. & Viitala, J. (1999). Rough-legged buzzards use vole scent marks to assess hunting areas. Journal of Avian Biology 30: 329-332. Ödeen, A. & Håstad, O. (2003). Complex distribution of avian color vision systems revealed by sequencing the SWS1 opsin from total DNA. Molecular Biology and Evolution 20: 855-861. Probst, R., Pavlicev, M. & Viitala, J. (2002). UV reflecting vole scent marks attract a passerine, the great grey shrike Lanius excubitor. Journal of Avian Biology 33: 437-440. Prum, R.O., Andersson, S. & Torres, R.H. (2003). Coherent scattering of ultraviolet light by avian feathers. Auk 120: 163-170.

Birds of Paradise in Irian Jaya, Indonesia

by Andy Cornish In late July I visited the Raja Ampat Islands in Irian Jaya (also known as West Papua) to dive their superb coral reefs. On a day off (the Papuan staff were all Seventh Day Adventists and so do not work Saturdays), I took the opportunity the visit some nearby Birds of Paradise, birds that are mostly endemic to New Guinea. Wake-up was at 5 am and a boat sped me across the channel from our dive camp on Kri Island to the much larger Gam Island. A guide appeared out of the dark from the local village and led me by torch for a half hour trek up into the rainforest where a crude hide had been made 10 m up a tree looking over a traditional “display” tree for the Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra). Males of this spectacular species are bright red apart from a dark green head, yellow neck and chest and have many long tail feathers including two elongate “wire” feathers. P. rubra is endemic to a small number of islands in western Irian Jaya and there are conservation concerns about it due to hunting for skins (the feathers are used in traditional costumes) and habitat degradation, according to Birdlife International (www.birdlife.net). Three males were present as dawn broke, periodically their squawks would increase in frequency and they would fly up to some large, leafless branches at the top of the tree and above the forest canopy, extend their wings and swoop back a perch several metres below. This went on for 20 minutes and I wasn’t terribly impressed. The birds were a good 10 m away and above so I could see little more than a small silhouette, even through the zoom on my camera. Worse, the mosquitos had discovered me. I looked down to the forest floor expecting my guide to be thoroughly bored and was gobsmacked to find him watching

the birds with a pair of decent Olympus 7x binoculars I hadn’t noticed previously. I borrowed these off him and just in time, as the sun hit the top of the canopy and the true beauty of the birds became apparent, three more males appeared and the contest to attract the ladies reached a new intensity. Their efforts weren’t wasted as within minutes, one and then another of the drab females landed in the tree. The males were visibly excited but the rules of courtship appeared to be that the female had to make the first move, even after one of the females liked what she saw, and hopped up to one of them. He started swaying from side to side in front of her and things seemed to be going well but they disappeared behind some foliage and it was impossible to say whether copulation took place. On the way back later we also saw Blyth’s hornbill (Rhyticeros plicatus), Eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus) and Sulphur crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita). HK$ 50 for the guide may not seem much but it is more than a weeks wages for many Indonesians and counters the money to be made from killing the birds for island villagers who have virtually no other sources of income.

Hong Kong’s common rat species

by Kylie Chung There are two common rat species in Hong Kong – Niviventer fulvescens (Fig. 1) and Rattus sikkimensis (Fig. 2). N. fulvescens, which is also called the chestnut spiny rat, has unmistakable beautiful bright chestnut back fur interspersed with spines and a white belly. The bicolored tail with darker upper part is another characteristic of this species. The body is about 13 – 16 cm and the tail is usually 2 – 5 cm longer than the body. The other rat, R. sikkimensis is larger and looks more like a typical rat. It has greyish brown upperpart with long black guard hair and the underpart can vary from creamy white to pale greyish. Body length is about 17 – 22 cm and the tail can be a bit shorter though is usually about 2 - 4 cm longer. Its ears are comparatively smaller than those of N. fulvescens. They are abundant and can be found in grassland, shrubland, woodland and forest. Both species are nocturnal and stay in their nests during daytime. Their nests were found underground or within big rock crevices by radio-tracking but some researchers have found that they can build nests in trees. Separation of nests of the two species was found to be smaller than 20 m showing they share the same territory. Both species are omnivorous and eat different parts of plants, like fruits, seeds, leaves, grass and flowers; and invertebrates, like beetles and termites (Chandrasekar-Rao, 1994). Though seeds are not a major part of their diet, they are important seed predators. They usually only consume the fresh endosperm and leave the seed coat behind. However, intact small seeds, like Rhodomyrtus tomentosa and Melastoma sanguinium have been found in their faeces (Chandrasekar-Rao, 1994), indicating that they are potential small seed dispersers.

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Bibliography Chandrasekar-Rao, A. (1994) Distribution and ecology of Hong Kong small mammals, with special reference to seasonality. M.Phil Thesis, University of Hong Kong. 106pp.

Fig. 1. Niviventer fulvescens

Fig. 2. Rattus sikkimensis

Update on South China Tigers at Meihuashan National Nature Reserve, Fujian Province, China

by Tom Dahmer Ecosystems Ltd. ecosys@pacific.net.hk Around 6 am on Sunday 20 July 2003 tiger number 4 gave birth to two cubs, increasing the Meihuashan population of captive South China Tigers from 12 to 14. I arrived at Meihuashan National Nature Reserve (MNNR) headquarters two days earlier, traveling from my base in Hong Kong with Paul Hilton, a professional photographer. Saturday morning

we visited the nearby Longyan Meihuashan South China Tiger Breeding and Wild-Naturalizing Research Centre (the Tiger Centre) where we learned that a litter of cubs was due any day. Less than 24 hours later two cubs were born. MNNR covers 22,168.5 ha in Longyan City of southwest Fujian Province. Access to the reserve from Hong Kong is by air to Xiamen, then by bus or taxi 160 km northwest to Longyan City, and a further 35 km northwest to Gutian. The Tiger Center covers 467 ha adjacent to MNNR some 18 km north of Gutian. Detailed physical, ecological, and anthropological descriptions of Meihuashan are given by Coggins (2003). Most of the lush forest cover of the nature reserve and the Tiger Centre has been protected since establishment of MNNR in 1985 and the Tiger Centre in 1998. Access to MNNR is restricted to researchers and government officials. Tourists are welcomed at the Tiger Centre where captive wildlife can be viewed and a new visitor centre offers meals and souvenirs. New bungalows can be rented for overnight lodging. Over RMB¥20 million has been invested to date, and a specimen museum and additional tourist bungalows were under construction in July 2003. A fenced outdoor enclosure of some 20 ha was built for a herd of 18 Sika Deer (Cervus nippon) that are held in smaller pens for tourist viewing. An adjacent aviary houses breeding populations of Green Peafowl (Pavo cristatus), Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), Silver Pheasant (Lophura nycthemera), and Chukar (Alectoris chukar). Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta) are held in captivity where some are in need of treatment for mange. The captive populations all serve as tourist attractions. Tigers are held in a 7 ha portion of the 467 ha Tiger Centre consisting of an office-residence building, a multi-cage tiger holding and viewing area, and three fenced outdoor tiger enclosures. Up to 5 tigers live mostly outdoors in the smallest fenced enclosure of about 1 ha. Others are kept in cages to avoid conflicts between tigers. Contrary to reports on the world wide web (e.g. www.china.com.cn), tigers cannot yet be released to roam the entire 467 ha of the Tiger Centre: There is no perimeter fence to keep them in and no internal fencing to separate tigers from tourists. The 7 ha breeding and holding facility was near capacity with 12 tigers. Holding such a large captive population strains expense budgets given the estimated annual feeding cost of RMB¥10,000 per tiger. During the second half of 2003 larger enclosures are planned to hold tigers while they learn to feed on wild prey. Some of 12 tigers in the existing 7 ha facility will be moved to the larger enclosures. The new enclosures will be separated from the old by a mountain ridge that will block visual and most aural contact between the sites. From the new enclosures tigers will be released directly to the wild in MNNR beginning no later than 2008 to coincide with the summer Olympic games to be hosted by China. The total investment in the tiger re-introduction project is often quoted as RMB¥146 million (Eastday.com.cn 22 July 2001). Most of this is in a long-term plan that has yet to be

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approved, and much of it appears dedicated to capital construction. Some of the budget was approved for buildings, roads and landscaping from 1998 through 2003. Funding for construction and operations after 2003 has yet to be approved. MNNR generates income at a rate of RMB¥20-30,000 per month from tourist gate receipts. This is enough to feed 12 tigers but provides little extra for salaries and other operating expenses (RMB 8.1 yuan = US$1). The two cubs born on 20 July were the first litter for tiger number 4. They were rejected by their mother and were reared for a few weeks by Tiger Centre personnel. This is a challenge, most importantly in terms of food supply. While goat milk was being used as a short-term substitute for tiger milk I shipped Feline Veterinary Diet Kitten Nursing Support (Waltham) on my return to Hong Kong. Unfortunately the cubs died before the milk replacer arrived. The China Action Plan for Saving the South China Tiger (SFA 2001) put the captive South China Tiger population at 62 in June 2000. Since 1998 the Meihuashan population has doubled in size. The SFA (ibid.) target for the captive population at Meihuashan was “at least 10 captive-bred ...cubs before 2007 and [to] prepare an integrated habitat of over 600 square kilometers before 2010 for reintroduction back to nature”. Meihuashan has already bred 6 cubs at the Tiger Center and an additional litter was expected in mid-August 2003. This indicates that the breeding program is ahead of schedule and that the emphasis at Meihuashan could shift away from breeding and rearing to preparation of habitats for release of tigers into the wild. This is probably the greater challenge because decades of over-hunting have left little tiger prey in most reserves in south China, probably including MNNR. The 467 ha Tiger Center has adequate land area and high-quality habitat to take the first step toward releasing tigers into the wild. SFA (2001) includes budgets for 5 km of fence, rehabilitation of abandoned farmland, and prey re-introduction. However, a critical shift in thinking will be required at MNNR before release of tigers can begin. The Tiger Centre must become a place where tourists are protected in fenced enclosures and tigers are set free: At present these roles are reversed. Bibliography Coggins, C. (2003). The Tiger and the Pangolin: Nature, Culture, and Conservation in China. Univ. Hawaii Press, Honolulu. 339pp. SFA. (2001). China Action Plan for Saving the South China Tiger. State Forestry Administration, Beijing.

Losing a leaflet: why “Schefflera octophylla” is Schefflera heptaphylla

by Richard T. Corlett Schefflera octophylla (Lour.) Harms. (Araliaceae) is probably the best-known native tree species in Hong Kong. Apart from being exceedingly common, it is instantly recognizable by its palmately compound leaves, with 5-10 leaflets radiating from the end of the stalk. The specific epithet “octophylla” means “eight leaves”, which is a good way of remembering the plant if you know Greek (or the Greek if you know the plant). Now for the bad news. In 1990, David Frodin, the undisputed world expert on Schefflera, published a paper showing that our tree should actually be called Schefflera heptaphylla (L.) Frodin, with the specific epithet now meaning “seven leaves”. The full story (Frodin, 1990) is long and complicated, but the essential facts are clear and the picture of the type specimen will convince any doubters. The original name for this specimen was published by Linnaeus in 1771 as Vitis heptaphylla. He described it as a climber – although nothing on the specimen itself suggests this – and this may have influenced his decision to place it in the grape genus, Vitis (Vitaceae), which, in any case, he considered to be close to the ivy genus, Hedera (Araliaceae). Linnaeus did not mention a source or collector, but simply gave its origin as “in India orientali”. Later, however, it came to be believed that this supposed Asian origin was an error and the specimen then became (incorrectly) associated with an American species of Schefflera, until Frodin recognized it as the plant long known as Schefflera octophylla. The Linnaean name was published 19 years before Loureiro’s and so has precedence.

Fig. 1 Schefflera hepaphylla

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Bibliography Frodin, D.G. (1990) Studies in Schefflera (Araliaceae). IV. The identity of Vitis heptaphylla L., a long-misplaced Linnaean ivy tree. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 104: 309-324.

This is the start of a new section to Porcupine! in which we shall provide a regular update on activities at SWIMS (Swire Institute of Marine Science). As most of you may know there have been some pretty major changes at SWIMS over the last few months. The Institute has, thanks to the generosity of The Swire Group and matching funds from the University, undergone an extensive refurbishment. This is going hand-in-hand with a change in staff and a new influx of postgraduates. The renovation has involved connecting the laboratory, and most importantly for all our residents, the residence block to the mains freshwater supply. Within the Institute we have extensively upgraded the aquarium and seawater system. Now, thanks to a consultants report, we have a much-improved water supply, having removed the high sediment loads which were a constant problem. The aquarium has been gutted and a more flexible system installed including separate rooms for controlled experimental work. The main laboratory has been totally renovated and redesigned to provide greater working space per student, as well as to rationalize the central facilities such as the chemical stores, ovens, freezers etc. This has also freed up the old small laboratory, now remodelled as a molecular/analytical facility. Along with these major renovations, SWIMS has had a face-lift, with a new reception area and external façade, and further improvements in the seminar room. More good news for our resident postgrads is that we have been able to renovate the old residence block – and also plan to install Broadband connections. In line with the renovation there has also been a change of personnel as Prof Morton has retired and left Hong Kong. Drs Kenny Leung and Cynthia Yau have just been appointed as

new Assistant Professors who join Dr Benny Chan as part of the research team at SWIMS. These staff are joined by a number of new (and not so new) postgraduates who are now able to either start, or return to, their work at SWIMS following the renovations. With the new facilities and the fresh start we plan to report on the research and other activities in future issues of Porcupine! The new renovations are nearing completion. The official university opening will take place sometime in late October – dependent on the availability of senior members of The Swire Group and HKUs Vice Chancellor. There will, however, soon be an “unofficial opening” to thank everyone for their help and support over the last year or so and to celebrate the new SWIMS with friends and colleagues at DEB. I hope many Porcupine! readers will be able to attend both the formal and informal meetings that we plan at SWIMS over the next year and …. onwards into the future…!

Gray A. Williams Hon. Director SWIMS

This column aims to introduce interesting species of Hong Kong flora and fauna that might be encountered during fieldwork. Distinctive physical characteristics and some interesting ecological facts are included for each example. Editors : Jacqueline Weir (jesweir@hkusua.hku.hk) and David Poon (dynpoon@graduate.hku.hk) “Desmos” by Ada Ng Desmos Lour. is a small genus in the pantropical plant family Annonaceae. This genus comprises about 25-30 species. They are either climbers or scandent shrubs that often have leaves that are glaucous below. Some species have edible fruits while some are commonly used as folk medicines in Asian countries. One Desmos species, D. chinensis, is found in Hong Kong. It is a spreading shrub in shady places and may develop into a higher climber. This species is widespread in Asia and northern Australia. The plants are commonly found in thickets and hedges in Victoria Peak, Pokfulam Country Park, Tai Mo Shan, Tai Po Kau, Sai Kung, Lantau Island, Lamma Island etc. The flowers open between April and July and fruit can be observed from June to March of the following year. Phenology The solitary flower is pendent on a pedicel and often terminal or supra-axillary. Each flower consists of three sepals and six valvate petals in two whorls. The outer three petals are longer

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than the inner ones, with numerous stamens and carpels in the centre. Young flowers are green and inconspicuous. The outer petals open first followed by the inner ones, and then some time later the reproductive organs in the middle are exposed. The petals grow in length and breadth and with the colour gradually changing from green to light yellow. The lower part of each inner petal grows closer again and then coheres together, forming a pollination chamber between the petals, and allowing insects, like beetles, to enter it.

Fig. 1. Mature flower of Desmos chinensis. The flower is hermaphrodic and protogynous, and the stigmas become receptive before the pollen is released from the anthers. During the pistilate phase, bright red marks can be observed on the petals and at the same time, and strong fruity scent can be detected at a distance, especially during the evenings. It is observed that small beetles are attracted by the scent and they visit the flowers during this period. This stage can last for 24 hours or longer and is followed by pollen exposure. When the flower fades, the petals turn to rusty-red and then drop.

Fig. 2. Mature fruit of D. chinensis.

The shape of the fruits makes them more easily recognisable than the flowers. From the end of the flower pedicel, a series of carpels radiates outwards like a chain of beads. The fruit are fleshy berries and each carpel contains one to several seeds with constrictions between each segment. They are green and inconspicuous at first and then change to yellow in autumn. They finally mature to red and later turn to brownish purple. It is observed that the ripe fruit is dispersed by birds. Check Desmos out as you go hiking in Hong Kong countryside! Atyid shrimps in Hong Kong streams by Rita S.W. Yam Atyid shrimps, notably the genus Caridina, are widespread in tropical and subtropical streams. They can act as filter-feeders, collector-gatherers and omnivorous scavengers (Hart, 1981; Pringle et al., 1993) and, because of their biomass and abundance, may play a key role in the organization of lotic communities. Atyid shrimps have a long rostrum that usually extends beyond the eyes. They are sexually dimorphic after maturation; ovigerous females have large eggs, and the larvae undergo direct development (Dudgeon, 1987; Cai & Ng, 1999). Four species of Caridina shrimps have so far been found in Hong Kong. Caridina cantonensis (Fig. 3), C. apodosis and one previously unrecorded species C. trifasciata (Yam & Cai, in press) occur in streams in the mainland New Territories, while C. serrata is apparently endemic to Hong Kong Island (Cai & Ng, 1999; Yam, unpublished data). These tiny little shrimps range between 0.9 – 9.8 mm (C. cantonensis), and 1.2 – 7.4 mm (C. serrata) in carapace length. Caridina usually inhabit trailing vegetation at stream banks. They are also found associated with leaf packs accumulated in stream pools. Hong Kong atyids generally have an annual life cycle and breed when water temperatures exceed 20oC (i.e. spring and summer) (Dudgeon, 1985). Wet season spates are common in Hong Kong streams, direct development of the Caridina larvae, therefore, reduces spate-induced mortality because the juveniles, as a small replica of the adults, are able to grasp trailing vegetation and roots thereby avoiding being swept away during spates. Studies on the ecology of atyids shrimps have, however, received scant attention. As a result, it is difficult to make any generalizations about the possible ecological roles of atyids, especially in southeast Asia. My research begins at studying the population dynamics of C. cantonensis and C. serrata in Hong Kong streams. My study is further directed to investigate the role of atyid shrimps in the stream food webs using stable isotope analysis. As C. cantonensis and C. serrata are truly freshwater species, gene flow among populations may be highly limited as a result of their intolerance to high salinity and incapability of terrestrial dispersal. Therefore, my study also focuses on the genetic differentiation of C. cantonensis and C. serrata. The results could have conservation implications for C. serrata, which is apparently an island endemic.

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Bibliography Cai, Y. & Ng, N.K. (1999). A revision of the Caridina serrata species group, with descriptions of five new species (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Atyidae). Journal of Natural History 33: 1606-1638. Dudgeon, D. (1985). The population dynamics of some freshwater carideans (Crustacea: Decapoda) in Hong Kong, with special reference to Neocaridina serrata (Atyidae). Hydrobiologia 120: 141-149. Dudgeon, D. (1987). The larval development of Neocaridina serrata (Stimpson) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Atyidae). Archiv für Hydrobiologie 110: 339-355. Hart, R.C. (1981). Population dynamics and production of the tropical freshwater shrimp Caridina nilotica (Decapoda: Atyidae) in the littoral of Lake Sibaya. Freshwater Biology 11: 531-547. Pringle, C.M., Blake, G.A., Covich, A.P., Buzby, K.M., Finley, A. (1993). Effects of omnivorous shrimp in a montane tropical stream: sediment removal, disturbance of sessile invertebrates and enhancement of understory algal biomass. Oecologia 93: 1-11. Yam, R.S.W. & Cai, Y. (in press). Caridina trifasciata, a new species of freshwater shrimp (Decapoda: Atyidae) From Hong Kong. The Raffles Bullettin of Zoology.

Fig.3. "Caridina cantonensis"

Nature outlook: consultation document - review of nature conservation policy

by Billy Hau The long-awaited Hong Kong conservation policy review paper was put out for public consultation on 17 July 2003 for 3 months. No matter whether you are a conservationist, ecologist, naturalist or just a nature lover, you should submit your comments and opinions on this policy paper to the

government. The document is available at http://www.etwb.gov.hk and the deadline for submission is 18 October 2003. For those who have yet to go through the document, please don't be misled by its name. I have to say this consultation document is not a full review of the conservation policy. There is neither an overall policy objective nor anything about marine conservation. Though there is a review in Chapter 2 of the achievements and inadequacies of the existing conservation policy and measures on the terrestrial system, this paper focuses only on private land with high conservation value. The two new items that this consultation paper is seeking for public opinions i.e. the scoring system for objective assessment of the relative ecological importance of sites and the various options to protect important sites are concerned primarily about private lands. As far as I understand, the scoring system has two main goals. Firstly, it is intended to be an objective assessment system and secondly, it assigns priorities to sites (private lands) that need action. Unlike other conservation prioritisation methods where diversity and the presence of rare or endemic species are the most commonly used criteria for selecting sites for conservation such as nature reserves (Prendergast et al., 1993) and larger scale biogeographic units such as hotspots (Myers at al. 2000) and ecoregions (Olson et al., 2001), the proposed scoring system, however, gives "habitat" criteria a higher rating (total 60%) than "species" criteria (total 40%). If you apply this system to many of the small biodiversity hotspots in Hong Kong e.g. a 0.5 ha Romer's Tree Frog marsh in So Kwu Wan, Lamma Island the score will be very low. In recent consultation meetings with the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau, it was clarified that the proposed scoring system would apply to private land only. Clearly, there is a need for making known the detailed conditions under which the scoring system will be applied. It is rather obvious that this system is designed to protect those ecologically "important" private lands such as Long Valley and Sha Lo Tung (Note: site names are not mentioned in the whole document) which are relatively large in size in the local context. Even so, the species criteria (1. Diversity & richness. 2. Rarity & endemism) should be rated higher than the habitat criteria (I propose 30 % each rather than 20 %). There are several reasons. Firstly, species diversity, richness, rarity and endemism can be more objectively determined than many of the habitat criteria. Secondly, the ultimate aim of the scoring system is to protect sites with relatively better biodiversity but not sites that are natural or can be recreated. On the other hand, the habitat criteria (altogether 5) should be further refined. The "Naturalness" of a site is given 15% but many of the unnatural habitats in Hong Kong such as Gei Wai and fish pond support rich biodiversity. Thus, naturalness should be cancelled or given very low weighting e.g. 5 %. The "Habitat diversity" weighting (15 %) is fine. The "Size" (10 %) should be the size of the major habitats of a site but not the size of the site. "Non-recreatability" (10%) and "Degree of disturbance" (10%) are rather arbitrary. If they have to be included, their weighting should be reduced (to say, 5 % each)

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to achieve a more "objective" system. Some other important elements are not included in the proposed scoring system. For example, the rarity or uniqueness of habitat types in Hong Kong; the importance of a site as feeding ground, nursery ground or corridor for the neighbouring habitats. Two options to better protect ecologically important sites under private ownership are proposed. In the first option, the government will encourage NGOs to enter into agreements with landowners of those ecologically important private lands to manage the lands for conservation, education or ecotourism with or without government subsidies. This option is fine but it may not be applicable to many sites especially those with hundreds of different land owners. The second option is more attractive, especially to developers who have such lands in their reserve. This "Private-public partnership" option will enable developers to develop the less sensitive part of their sites under the condition that they will manage the remaining part for conservation on long-term basis. This option should be practical as there is already such a case in Fung Lok Wai, Tsim Bei Tsui. In the consultation document, many other options are considered impracticable. However, I believe that the government should keep some of these options open. For example, whilst it is not possible to resume or exchange lands for conservation for all ecologically important private lands, it may be possible for selected sites. Finally, the concept of setting up a conservation trust fund as proposed by NGOs such as the Conservancy Association is unfortunately not included in this review. In summary, I definitely welcome the release of this review paper and appreciate the efforts put by the relevant officials involved. However, this should only be taken as the first stage of the conservation policy review. Hong Kong still needs a comprehensive review of the nature conservation policy, taking into account the inadequacies of the current policy and measures from biodiversity inventory to the conservation of existing biodiversity and ecological restoration of degraded habitats. The Convention on Biological Diversity has well planned templates for any administration to follow in formulating its conservation policy. Bibliography Myers, N. et al. (2000). Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 403: 853-858. Olson, D.M. et al. (2001). Terrestrial ecoregions of the world: a new map of life on Earth. BioScience 51: 933-938. Prendergast, R. et al. (1993). Rare species, the coincidence of diversity hotspots and conservation strategies. Nature 365: 335-337.

Conservation policy in Hong Kong – marine matters

by Yvonne Sadovy A public consultation on nature conservation policy in Hong Kong is underway (www.etwb.gov.hk) (see the previous article by Billy for more details). As a first step, this initiative is to be welcomed but, in focusing with private land (and only terrestrial) issues, it falls far short of what is needed in Hong Kong. For example, it barely grazes the marine environment, excluded on the basis that, in Hong Kong, terrestrial conservation is the centre of debates and criticisms. This ignores significant concern and years of commentary and work by many on and in the local marine environment. Is the marine realm so unimportant? The marine environment covers a comparable area to the terrestrial one, contains over 1,000 vertebrate species and thousands of invertebrates, is arguably more threatened and is afforded virtually no conservation at all. Our single tiny marine reserve at Cape d’Aguilar is the only protected marine area (other than those off limits for security or other purposes) (see Porcupine! 28, p. 1). With very few exceptions marine species are not protected; most would not be included under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (CAP 170), in which "animal" means any form of animal life other than fish and marine invertebrates. The latter fall under the Fisheries Protection Ordinance (CAP 171). This separation of fish and wildlife is not unusual, and is found elsewhere. However, it typically presupposes that ‘fish’ (all forms of aquatic life and turtles under CAP 171), commercial species at least, are appropriately managed under fisheries regulations, of which virtually none occur in practice in Hong Kong. So, neither marine habitats nor the overwhelming majority of marine species have any protection at all in Hong Kong, nor are they likely to have any in the near future. From a conservation perspective, this is a serious shortcoming of the Nature Conservancy Policy; marine habitats are being degraded and many species of fish have virtually disappeared from Hong Kong’s waters with at least one, the Chinese bahaba, Bahaba taipingensis, very probably close to extinction (Sadovy & Cheung, 2003). This species is protected in mainland China, but not locally. There is clearly not only a need for a full review of the conservation policy but a much greater emphasis on marine issues. The opportunity to comment on this shortcoming in the current consultation exercise should be taken. In the longer term, we must work towards developing a comprehensive listing of marine species of conservation concern, and practical but effective approaches to marine conservation. Comments on the consultation should be submitted by the October 18th deadline. Please participate in this process.

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“In the News”

by Jacqueline Weir, Sukh Mantel and Jasmine Ng Reuters News Service stories can be accessed at www.planetark.org. China and International News can be accessed on the web version of Porcupine! The Hong Kong government will not buy sites of ecological importance from land owners, according to a consultation paper to be released. Additionally, a proposal on land-swap, which allows private landlords to give up development rights on ecologically important land for compensatory land elsewhere, is not expected to pass. Instead public-private partnerships between non-governmental organisations (NGO) and private landowners will be introduced. Under this scheme, government will provide subsidies to the NGOs and the owners. The areas where this will occur includes wetlands of Mai Po and around Deep bay, Sha Lo Tung, Tai Ho, Wu Kau Tang, Yung Shue O, Luk Keng, Long Valley and Ho Sheung Heung. Green groups cautiously welcomed the proposal suggesting that it will work only if landowners, villagers and developers cooperate. (SCMP, 14.7.2003) A survey of 2000 Hong Kong people, including environmental specialists and students, highlighted the need for including marine parks in the government’s proposed scoring system for potential conservation sites. The new scoring system by the government, as part of its new conservation policy, will only include privately owned land outside country parks and does not include marine parks. Three sites out of 20 that were recognized by the people surveyed as having highest conservation value were Tung Ping Chau, Hoi Ha Wan, and islands of Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau. Activities of littering by tourists, illegal fishing and disturbance to marine animals, such as dolphins, continue even in marine parks. (SCMP, 26.7.2003) Greenpeace China has highlighted the issue of waste incineration in Hong Kong with a representative interrupting Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa’s opening speech at a tourism conference with the slogan “Support tourism, no incineration”. The government proposes to build the world’s largest incinerator in Hong Kong. (SCMP, 15.7.2003) Snorkelers disturbed coral communities in the Tung Ping Chau Marine Park, drawing the attention of conservationists to the negative impacts of city-dwellers on natural ecosystems. (Apple Daily, 28.5.2003) Calm and warm weather trapped pollutants in the air and pushed the air pollution index (API) up in Hong Kong. (SCMP, 19.6.2003) With the coronavirus found in civets, monkeys, snakes and bats, the mainland was considering banning snake trade so as to control the spread of SARS. This might affect 70 local

snake shops and 600 employees in Hong Kong. (SCMP, 29.5.2003) Reclamation work proposed by the SAR government at the Western District, Tsuen Wan Bay and Sham Tseng was put on hold due to the state of the property market and budget deficit. Environmentalists welcomed the moves. (SCMP, 29.5.2003) A retrospective environmental impact assessment (EIA) on the World Wide Fund for Nature’s Marine Life Centre was urged by Hoi Ha Wan residents to protect the fragile Marine Park area where visitor numbers have increased dramatically. (SCMP, 2.6.2003) Dioxin contamination at the Cheoy Lee Shipyard boosted cleanup cost for the Disney project, with uncertainty as to whether the former shipyard operator would pay the extras. (SCMP, 2.6.2003) The government failed to stop illegal dumping of hundreds of tonnes of soil from two government projects, threatening 200 bird species in a conservation zone in Shuen Wan. (SCMP, 23.5.2003) Considering both ecology and human health issues, mainland and Hong Kong green groups have demanded a ban on the eating of wild animals. (SCMP, 23.5.2003) Proposed by the Green Island Cement, Hong Kong’s first large-scale waste incinerator that turns waste into cement at Lung Kwu Tan is facing public consultation. Green groups, politicians and residents feared that with carcinogenic dioxin emission, the cement plant would pose serious health hazards. (SCMP, 6.6.2003) The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) received reports of giant lizards – probably water monitors and endangered Bengal monitors – in New Territories villages. They were suspected to be escapes which were originally being smuggled to mainland restaurants. (SCMP, 13.4.2003) Gloria Chau expressed concern on using mixed fish-feed to feed maricultured fish in Hong Kong waters, fearing that massive removal of these small fishes might affect ecosystem structure. (SCMP, 28.6.2003) Hoi Ha residents protested against the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) Marine Centre during a charity walk raising funds for the Centre in the area, criticizing WWF’s ignorance on the vulnerable marine populations and impacts of visitors in the Marine Park area. (SCMP, 28.4.2003) Once thought to colonise only islands off Sai Kung, long-missed re-visitors Roseate Terns set new homes around Po Toi waters. Over 200 individuals of this rare tern species, which has a population of only around 60 000 worldwide, were found breeding on these southern-most islands of Hong Kong. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) urged tern-watching organizations and

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the public to reduce disturbance to this vulnerable species. (Mingpao Daily, 3.8.2003) The Housing Authority (HA) developed a new technique which need not remove natural plantations to stabilise slopes. (Oriental Daily, 6.7.2003) To improve cross-border efforts in tackling air pollution, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, which control the emission of greenhouse gases, were extended from the Mainland to Hong Kong. Although the protocol has not yet come into effect, it was anticipated that it would bring far-reaching social and economical implications. (SCMP, 29.5.2003) Greenpeace campaigned for the introduction of mandatory labeling of genetically-modified (GM) ingredients in baby-food. However the government insisted that safety reviews on GM products could be taken into account prior to their release into the market and that such labeling should be voluntary. (SCMP, 28.4.2003) Three, including the alpha-male which is the leader, from a pack of wild monkeys were trapped by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) in Tai Wai after complaints from the neighbourhood were received. It was pointed out that the monkey population in Hong Kong grew by about 5.5 % to 7.8 % a year, and the Department was testing contraceptive injections to control the monkey population. (SCMP, 2.6.2003) Over ten thousand reptiles – 10,260 Malaysian box turtles and 17 box tortoises – were seized by Customs officers at Kwai Chung. With only four surviving reptiles, they had been intended for live sale in Guangdong. (SCMP, 11.7.2003) Hong Kong SARS experts questioned why forestry officials in Guangdong decided to lift the ban on trade and transportation of wild animals, even though microbiologists detected SARS virus in civets and nearly 90 % of Guangdong residents were in favour of such legislation. (SCMP) To find cleaner fuels and to improve air quality, Cheung Kong Infrastructure (CKI) and a Canadian-based company, Stuart Energy, invested in a one-year trial of a hydrogen-powered bus. Over the test period, the cost effectiveness of the vehicle and the technical feasibility of using the potential clean fuel, hydrogen, will be reviewed, and if it proves successful, this technology might be applied to buses in Hong Kong and on the mainland. (SCMP, 12.7.2003) A Hong Kong triad was linked to the execution-style killings of two Hong Kong businessmen in Fiji in an apparent dispute over the shark fin trade. There is a billion-dollar-a-year trade between the South Pacific and Hong Kong. There is a lucrative shark fin trade operating out of Suva, the Fijian Capital and the murders were possibly due to a price war. (SCMP, 24.8. 2003)

Any sightings of civets, mongooses, ferret badgers, leopard cats, barking deer, pangolins and porcupines – live or dead – should be reported. Rare birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish, or unusual behaviour by common species, are also of interest, as are rare or interesting invertebrates and plants. If you think it is interesting, our readers probably will! Please give dates, times and localities as accurately as possible MMAAMMMMAALLSS On 11 April Kwok Hon Kai and Vincent Lai saw a Javan Mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) trying to attack a Common Rat Snake (Ptyas mucosus) on a fishpond bund near the embankment of the channelised Shenzhen River near Ho Hok Wai. The mongoose failed.

Paul Crow obtained an infra-red camera trap picture of a Dog faced Fruit Bat (Cynopterus sphinx) feeding on nectar of a banana flower in the lower agricultural/residential area of Tai Po Kau nature reserve. It was photographed on 26 March.

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Yu Yat Tung, Jacqui Weir and Aidia Chan saw a Small Indian Civet (Viverricula indica) in shrubland near the top car park of Tai Mo Shan at around 10.30 am on 5 August. It was causing great disturbance to birds in the area. Billy Hau and Jacqui Weir noticed a Masked Palm Civet (Paguma larvata) on the podium of the Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building, HKU, at around 8.45pm on 17 August. It appeared to move down the steps into the garden area below. BBIIRRDDSS Kwok Hon Kai reported the following bird sightings: A flock of 4 Mountain Bulbuls (Hypsipetes leucocephalus) in Tai Po Kau on 29 March 03. Only six birds were seen in Tai Po Kau throughout winter 02/03.

Two juvenile Rufous-capped Babbler (Stachyris ruficeps) begging food from their parents in Tai Po Kau on 27 April. A dead Chinese Starling (Sturnus chinensis) and a dead Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) right under a line designed to discourage cormorants from landing in fishponds in Lut Chau. The two birds may have died from collision with the line. Yu Yat Tung mist-netted two Large Grass Warblers (Graminicola bengalensis) on Tai Mo Shan in July and early August. These birds have a restricted range in Hong Kong, and are found mainly in this area. FFIISSHH On 12 July, Captain Wong saw one Racoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula) at Tung Wan, Double Island. Although this fish is regarded as rare in Reef Fishes of HK, this species has become more widespread in the few years since the publication of the book in 2000 (Andy Cornish, pers comm).

On 28 March, Ken Ching photographed a small frogfish at Kat O which was subsequently identified by Andy Cornish as a Striated frogfish (Antennarius striatus), a new species for Hong Kong. The frogfish was around 7-8 cm in length and was at 2 m depth.

AAMMPPHHIIBBIIAANNSS//RREEPPTTIILLEESS One late afternoon in early May, Robert Davison saw two 2 m Common Rat Snakes (Ptyas mucosus) being mobbed by some sparrow-sized birds who seemed anxious to protect their nests. Many of the birds were in the area - in trees, bushes and on the ground, all chattering vociferously. One bird actually pecked one of the snakes. Louis Cheung saw a sea turtle in Long Ke Wan, Sai Kung, on 10 August at around 11.30 am. It was about 100 cm in carapace width and was swimming about 20 m away from the rocky shore. It had a light brown head. An adult Big Headed Terrapin (Platysternon megacephalum) was seen in a stream on Tai Mo Shan by Jacqui Weir on 31 July. It was resting on a rock and jumped into the water when approached. Aidia Chan and Jacqui Weir found a road-killed Chinese Slug Snake (Pareas chinensis) in the upper car park of Tai Mo Shan on 6 August.

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IINNSSEECCTTSS A rare male dragonfly Rhodothemis rufa was sighted by Kwok Hon Kai in a fishpond near Shenzhen River on 10 April. Kwok Hon Kai saw a male Rhyiothemis triangulare triangulare dragonfly in an abandoned fishpond near the Toll Plaza of Route 3 on 5 May. This species is uncommon in Hong Kong.

Books, monographs etc. AFCD (2003). Lantau Island: Its beautiful countryside. Friends of the Country Parks, AFCD & Cosmos Books, Hong Kong. AFCD (2003). The Peak. Friends of the Country Parks & Cosmos Books, Hong Kong. Chan, B.K.K., & Caley, K.J. (2003). Sandy Shores. Hong Kong Field Guides 4. DEB & Wan Li Book Co. Ltd., Hong Kong. Dudgeon, D. (2003). Hillstreams. Hong Kong Field Guides 2. DEB & Wan Li Book Co. Ltd., Hong Kong. Environment, Transport and Works Bureau (2003). Nature Outlook: Public Consultation on Review of Nature Conservation Policy. Hong Kong Government, Hong Kong. Hau, B.C.H. (2003). Hillsides. Hong Kong Field Guides 3. DEB & Wan Li Book Co. Ltd., Hong Kong.

Lau, P.F. (2003). Knowing Hong Kong Marine Parks. AFCD, Hong Kong. Lock, N.Y. (2003). Hong Kong Country Parks - Natural Charms. Friends of the Country Parks, Hong Kong. Lock, N.Y., & Hui, W.L. (2003). Appreciating Wild Birds. Friends of the Country Parks, Hong Kong. Morton, B. (ed.) (2003). Perspectives on Marine Environmental Change in Hong Kong and Southern China, 1977-2001. Swire Institute of Marine Science, HKU, Hong Kong. [Details in the next issue]. Shin, P.K.S. (ed.) (2003). Turning the Tides: A Festschrift in Honour of Professor Brian Morton. Marine Biological Association of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. [Details in the next issue]. Williams, G.A. (2003). Rocky Shores: Hong Kong Field Guides 1. DEB & Wan Li Book Co. Ltd., Hong Kong. Yiu, V. (2003). Photo Index of Hong Kong Butterflies. Hong Kong Lepidopterist's Society, Hong Kong. Zhang, L. (2003). An updated and annotated inventory of Hong Kong bryophytes. Memoirs of the Hong Kong Natural History Society 26: 1-133. Journal articles, book chapters and other published papers Angelini, F., & Cooter, J. (1999). The Agathidiini of China with descriptions of twelve new species of Agathidium Panzer (Coleoptera: Leiodidae). Oriental Insects 33: 187-232. Baker, D.B. (2002). On the identity of Ceratina hieroglyphica Smith (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophoridae) [New HK species]. Reichenbachia 34: 357-373. Bi, D.Y., Zhang, W.N., & Lau, C.S.K. (2001). Study on the walking stick insects (Phasmatodea) and the genus Sipyloidea from Hong Kong District of China. Entomotaxonomia 23: 253-258. Bussaban, B., Lumyong, S., Lumyong, P., Hyde, K.D., & McKenzie, E.H.C. (2003). Three new species of Pyricularia are isolated as zingiberaceous endophytes from Thailand. Mycologia 95: 519-524. Chan, B.K.K. (2003). Studies on Tetraclita squamosa and Tetraclita japonica (Cirripedia: Thoracica) II: Larval morphology and development. Journal of Crustacean Biology 23: 522-547. Chandrasekar-Rao, A., & Musser, G.G. (1993). New distribution record for Mus caroli. Mammalia 57: 462-463. [Old and often overlooked!]

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Cheung, K.H., & Gu, J.D. (2003). Reduction of chromate (CrO42-) by an enrichment consortium and an isolate of marine sulfate-reducing bacteria. Chemosphere 52: 1523-1529. Ciampor, F. (2001). Systematic revision of the genus Graphelmis (Coleoptera: Elmidae) I. Redescription of the genus and description of four new species [One from HK]. Entomological Problems 32: 17-32. Cooter, J., & Hoshina, H. (2002). A new species of Creagrophorus Matthews (Col., Leiodidae, Scotocryptini) from China [Hong Kong]. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 138: 81-84. Cooter, J., & Kilian, A. (2002). New species of Leiodes Latreille, 1796 (Col., Leiodidae) from China [Hong Kong]. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 138: 157-164. Devyatkin, A.L. (2002). Hesperiidae of Vietnam, 11: New taxa of the subfamily Hesperiinae (Lepidoptera, Hesperiidae) [Includes a new subspecies from Hong Kong]. Atalanta 33: 127-135, 230-231. Dudgeon, D. (2003). The contribution of scientific information to the conservation and management of freshwater biodiversity in tropical Asia. Hydrobiologia 500: 295-314. Dudgeon, D. (2003). Clinging to the wreckage: unexpected persistence of freshwater biodiversity in a degraded tropical landscape. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 13: 93-97. Dulvy, N.K., Sadovy, Y.J., & Reynolds, J.D. (2003). Extinction vulnerability in marine populations. Fish and Fisheries 4:25-64. Gao, Y.H., Chen, C.P., & Li, Y. (2003). Marine nanoplanktonic diatoms from the coastal waters of Hong Kong. In Perspectives on Marine Environmental Change in Hong Kong and southern China, 1977 – 2001 (ed. B. Morton), pp. 93-107, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Gu, J.D. (2003). Microorganisms and microbial biofilms in the degradation of polymeric materials. In Corrosion/2003, Paper No. 3570. NACE International, Houston, Texas, 17 pp. Gu, J.D. (2003). Biodeterioration of synthetic polymeric materials: a review. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 52: 69-91. Gu, J.D. (2003). Microbial deterioration of synthetic and biological polymers used in engineering and construction. In Biopolymers, Vol. 10. (ed A. Steinbuchel), pp. 97-138. Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, Weinheim. Gu, J., Fan, Y., & Gu, J.D. (2003). Biodegradability of Atrazine, Cyanzine and Dicamba under methanogenic

conditions in three soils of China. Chemosphere 52: 1515-1521. Gu, J.D., & Wang, Y. (2003). Microbial degradation of endocrine-disrupting organic compounds and environmental residues of pharmaceutical compounds. Ecologic Science 22: 1-5. Hill, R.D. (2003). Guizhou. In: Encyclopedia of Modern Asia, II, pp. 459-460. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Hodgkiss, I.J. (2002). Coastal eutrophication: a review of 30 years of study and the lessons learned. In: Proceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on Coastal Eutrophication, pp. 75-86, Tianjin. Hutchinson, N., & Williams, G.A. (2003). Disturbance and subsequent recovery of mid-shore assemblages on seasonal, tropical, rocky shores. Marine Ecology-Progress Series 249: 25-38. Hutchinson, N., & Williams, G.A. (2003). An assessment of variation in molluscan grazing pressure on Hong Kong rocky shores. Marine Biology 142: 495-507. Jeewon, R., Liew, E.C.Y., Simpson, J.A., Hodgkiss, I.J., & Hyde, K.D. (2003). Phylogenetic significance of morphological characters in the taxonomy of Pestalotiopsis species. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 27: 372-383. Jensen, K.R. (2003). Distributions, diets and reproduction of Hong Kong Sacoglossa (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia): a summary of data, 1980 – 2001. In Perspectives on Marine Environmental Change in Hong Kong and southern China, 1977 – 2001 (ed. B. Morton), pp. 347-365, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Jim, C.Y. (2003). Soil recovery from human disturbance in tropical woodlands in Hong Kong. Catena 52: 85-103. Lau, K.M., Li, N.H., & Hu, S.Y. (2003). A new species of Balanophora (Balanophoraceae) from Hong Kong. Harvard Papers in Botany 7: 439-441. Lee, Y.C., & Hills, P.R. (2003). Cool season pollution episodes in Hong Kong, 1996-2002. Atmospheric Environment 37: 2927-2939. Lee, J.H.W., Choi, K.W., & Arega, F. (2003). Environmental management of marine fish culture in Hong Kong. Marine Pollution Bulletin 47: 202-210. Lee, C.N.W., & Chen, Q.C. (2003). An historical and biogeographical analysis of the marine planktonic copepod community in Hong Kong: a record of change. In Perspectives on Marine Environmental Change in Hong Kong and southern China, 1977 – 2001 (ed. B. Morton), pp. 433-457, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

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Leung, K.F., & Hodgson, P.A. (2003). The occurrence of seabed debris in Hong Kong: a comparison of changes between the 1995 and 2001 trawl surveys. In Perspectives on Marine Environmental Change in Hong Kong and southern China, 1977 – 2001 (ed. B. Morton), pp. 593-613, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Leung, K.M.Y., Chu, J.C.W., & Wu, R.S.S. (2003). Reducing nitrogen pollution loading from fish farming by changing feeding practices: an example from Hong Kong. In Perspectives on Marine Environmental Change in Hong Kong and southern China, 1977 – 2001 (ed. B. Morton), pp. 543-554, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Li, L. (2000). A new species of Dynoides (Crustacea: Isopoda: Sphaeromatidae) from the Cape d’Aguilar Marine Reserve, Hong Kong. Records of the Australian Museum 52: 137-149. MacFarlane, G.R., Pulkownik, A., & Burchett, M.D. (2003). Accumulation and distribution of heavy metals in the grey mangrove, Avicennia marina (Forsk.)Vierh.: biological indication potential. Environmental Pollution 123: 139-151. MacPherson, K.L. (2003). The history of marine science in Hong Kong (1841 – 1977). In Perspectives on Marine Environmental Change in Hong Kong and southern China, 1977 – 2001 (ed. B. Morton), pp. 7-29, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Mifsud, D., & Burckhardt, D. (2002). Taxonomy and phylogeny of the Old World jumping plant-louse genus Paurocephala (Insecta, Hemiptera, Psylloidea). Journal of Natural History 36: 1887-1986. Morton, B. (2003). Fishing for diplomacy in China's Seas. Marine Pollution Bulletin 46: 795-796. Morton, B. (2003). Hong Kong’s international malacological, wetland and marine biological workshop (1977 – 1998): changing local attitudes towards marine conservation. In Perspectives on Marine Environmental Change in Hong Kong and southern China, 1977 – 2001 (ed. B. Morton), pp. 31-71, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Mound, L.A. (2002). Octothrips lygodii sp n. (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) damaging weedy Lygodium ferns in south-eastern Asia [including Hong Kong], with notes on other Thripidae reported from ferns. Australian Journal of Entomology 41: 216-220. Nip, T.H.M., Ho, W.Y., & Wong, C.K. (2003). Feeding ecology of larval and juvenile black seabream (Acanthopagrus schlegeli) and Japanese seaperch (Lateolabrax japonicus) in Tolo Harbour, Hong Kong. Environmental Biology of Fishes 66: 197-209. Poon, C.B., & Au, S.M. (2003). Predicting the Cs-137

ingestion dose from marine fish consumption in Hong Kong after an accidental release. Journal of Radiological Protection 23: 97-104. Rhodes, K.L., Lewis, R.I., Chapman, R.W., & Sadovy, Y. (2003). Genetic structure of camouflage grouper, Epinephelus polyphekadion (Pisces: Serranidae), in the western central Pacific. Marine Biology 142: 771-776. Sadovy, Y.J., & Cheung, W.L. (2003). Near extinction of a highly fecund fish; the one that nearly got away. Fish and Fisheries 4: 86-99. Saunders, R.M.K. (2003). A synopsis of Goniothalamus species (Annonaceae) in Peninsular Malaysia, with a description of a new species. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 142: 321-339. So, K.L., & Wang, T. (2003). On the local and regional influence on ground-level ozone concentrations in Hong Kong. Environmental Pollution 123: 307-317. Tachi, T., & Shima, H. (2002). Systematic study of the genus Peribaea Robineau-Desvoidy of East Asia (Diptera: Tachinidae) [New HK species]. Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 145: 115-144. Terayama, M., Fellowes, J.R., & Zhou, S. (2002). The East Asian species of the ant genus Acropyga Roger, 1862 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Formicinae). Edaphologia 70: 21-32. Thongkantha, S., Lumyong, S., Lumyong, P., Whitton, S.R., McKenzie, E.H.C., & Hyde, K.D. (2003). Microfungi on the Pandanaceae: Linocarbon lammiae sp nov., L-siamensis sp nov and L-suthepensis sp nov are described with a key to Linocarpon species from the Pandanaceae. Mycologia 95: 360-367. Tong, X.L., & Dudgeon, D. (2003). First record of the genus Chopralla (Ephemeroptera : Baetidae) from China, and description of a new species. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 51: 17-19. Valentich-Scott, P. (2003). A taxonomic, distributional and bibliographic checklist of Hong Kong marine bivalve mollusks and research published on them from 1971 – 2000. In Perspectives on Marine Environmental Change in Hong Kong and southern China, 1977 – 2001 (ed. B. Morton), pp. 259-310, The Swire Institute of Marine Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Wan, C.K., Sun, H., & Gu, J.D. (2003). Surface properties of galvanized metals and attachment by the bacterium Janthinobacterium lividum. In: Corrosion/2003, Paper No. 3567. NACE International, Houston, Texas, 12 pp. Wang, Y., Yip, C.W., Fan, Y., & Gu, J.D. (2003). Aerobic and anaerobic degradation pathways for N-heterocyclic aromatic compounds indole. Bulletin of Mineralogy,

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Porcupine! No. 29 August 2003

ISSN 1025-6946

Chief Editors: Yvonne Sadovy Richard Corlett

Assistant Editors: Rachel Wong Laura Wong

Wild Corner: Jacqueline Weir Elsa Lee Published by the Department of Ecology & Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong. Article submissions: Porcupine! Ms Eva Tam, Department of Ecology & Biodiversity The University of Hong Kong. Tel: 22990612 Fax: 25176082 Email address: Ecology@hkucc.hku.hk Website: www.hku.hk/ecology/porcupine/

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