Discover Belitung · Historical natural history
Fishes of Billiton (1851–1939)
Two historical scientific publications document the island's marine and freshwater fish fauna, from Pieter Bleeker's 1851 report to L. F. de Beaufort's study of collections made in 1936–1937.
1851 · Early marine fish records
In Visschen van Billiton, Pieter Bleeker reported ten marine fish species collected on Billiton by Dr. J. H. Croockewit Hz. and passed to him in Batavia. Bleeker described Belone leiuroïdes as new to science at the time. His report is dated Batavia, 26 February 1851.
| No. | Species in the 1851 source |
|---|---|
| 1 | Mesoprion russellii |
| 2 | Mesoprion annularis |
| 3 | Helotes sexlineatus |
| 4 | Sillago acuta |
| 5 | Platycephalus insidiator |
| 6 | Dentex tambulus |
| 7 | Pentapus setosus |
| 8 | Platax bataviensis |
| 9 | Belone leiuroïdes |
| 10 | Solea pan |
Bleeker's names are reproduced as historical records; this is not a modern taxonomic checklist.
1936–1937 · Freshwater collections
F. J. Kuiper collected freshwater fishes from different streams on Billiton in 1936 and 1937, presenting the specimens to the Zoological Museum of Amsterdam. L. F. de Beaufort published the study in Treubia in 1939.
Two newly described species
Nemachilus kuiperi was named for the collector Kuiper. The original paper illustrates this small loach on printed page 190. Mastacembelus billitonensis, a spiny eel, is described on printed pages 194–195. These are historical original combinations; current taxonomy may differ.
Fish habitats and the island's rivers
De Beaufort distinguished fish collected in the lower, middle and upper courses of rivers. The middle course yielded the greatest number of species. He also discussed how the freshwater fauna of Billiton relates to Sumatra, Banka and Borneo, interpreting these patterns through the ancient river connections of Sundaland.
These are historical observations and interpretations, not a complete modern inventory of the island's fishes.
Historical sources
Bleeker, P. (1851). “Visschen van Billiton.” pp. 478–479, dated Batavia, 26 February 1851. Source supplied for Simpur Talang.
De Beaufort, L. F. (1939). “On a Collection of Freshwater Fishes of the Island of Billiton.” Treubia, Vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 189–198. Source supplied for Simpur Talang.