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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I thank the Chief Executive Officer and Board of Trustees of the Western Australian Museum for their support of this project. Details of planning, typesetting, and technical layout were facilitated by Museum Publications Department staff members Ann Ousey, Greg Jackson, Vince Mclnerney, and Malcolm Parker. I am also indebted to Sue Morrison, Technical Officer in the Fish Section of the Museum’s Department of Aquatic Zoology for her assistance with the preparation of this volume.

Field work in north-western Australia was greatly assisted by the following people: Tony and Avril Ayling, John Braun, Norrie Cross, Eve and Bill Curry, Craig Howson, Hugh Morrison, Ian Parker, Neil Sarti, and Barry Wilson. I am particularly grateful for the assistance and companionship of the Museum’s marine biological group (past and present) including Paddy Berry, Clay Bryce, Ray George, Barry Hutchins, Diane Jones, Louisette Marsh, Gary Morgan, Shirley Slack-Smith, and Fred Wells.

Roger Steene of Cairns, Queensland, an Honoray Associate of the W.A. Museum’s Department of Aquatic Zoology, accompanied me on numerous field trips throughout the region and was particularly helpful in providing collecting assistance, and photographic coverage of numerous fishes featured in this book.

Walter Starck, former owner of the research vessel “El Torito”, graciously offered the use of his ship for fieldwork at Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and on the Great Barrier Reef. Walter first introduced me to the underwater realm of this fascinating region 25 years ago.

I am particularly grateful to the following owners and dive managers of various resorts in the South-east Asian region for providing accommodation, diving facilities, and boat transport: Ron Holland, Jenny Majalup, Graham and Donna Taylor, (Borneo Divers, Sabah), Alan Raabe, Max and Cecilie Benjamen (Walindi Plantation Resort, New Britain), Anton Saksono (Pulau Putri Island Resort, Java Sea), Kal Muller (Komodo Tour and Travel), Hanny and Inneke Batuna (Manado Murex Resort, Sulawesi), Frans Seda (Sao Wisata Resort, Maumere, Flores), and Mark Eckenbarger (Kungkungan Bay Resort, N. Sulawesi). Dive guide, Wally Sagian of Denpasar, Bali assisted with collecting and photography on Bali, Komodo, and Flores. Rudie Kuiter and Roger Steene also provided diving companionship and assistance at several Indonesian sites. Phil Munday offered similar assistance at Kimbe Bay, New Britain.

Excellent facilities for extensive field work and research on coral reef fishes was provided by the Christensen Research Institute, Madang, Papua New Guinea under the directorships of Matthew Jebb and Larry Orsak. I am also grateful to Diane Christensen and the Board of Directors of CRI for providing funding and research opportunities. My son, Mark Allen, who is a keen diver and naturalist, capably assisted with field work at Madang on three occasions.

Numerous scientists in Australia and overseas have contributed taxonomic knowledge resulting in a better understanding of the region’s fish fauna, either through publications or by direct assistance with problematical identifications. Those particularly helpful in this regard included Doug Hoese, Jeff Leis, and John Paxton (Australian Museum), Rudie Kuiter and Martin Gomon (Museum of Victoria), Barry Russell and Helen Larson (Northern Territory Museum), Roily McKay (Queensland Museum), Peter Last (CSIRO Fisheries, Hobart, Tasmania), Tony Gill (Natural History Museum, London), Ronald Fricke (Natural History Museum, Stuttgart), William Eschmeyer and John McCosker (California Academy of Sciences), Ed Murdy, Jeff Williams, and Victor Springer (Smithsonian Institution), Theodore Pietsch (University of Washington), Stuart Poss (Gulf Coast Research Lab, U.S.A.), Jack Randall, Richard Pyle, and Arnold Suzimoto (Bishop Museum, Honolulu), Bill Smith-Vaniz (National Biological Science Centre, Gainesville, Florida) and Richard Winterbottom (Royal Ontario Museum).

Finally, this guide to the region’s fishes would not have been possible without the wonderful artwork of Jill Ruse and Roger Swainston. It has been a great pleasure working with both of these highly talented artists.