A new recorded species has been discovered in Dongsha Atoll National Park — the Fire Island nerite (Neritina siquijorensis). The waters surrounding Dongsha Island are home to a wide variety of snails and bivalves. Recently, a research team led by Assistant Professor Chiu Yu-wen from the Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology at Kaohsiung Medical University collected a specimen whose shell morphology belonged to the genus Neritina. Molecular comparative analysis confirmed it as a new record for Dongsha Island — Neritina siquijorensis.
　　The original record of Neritina siquijorensis was from a stream environment on Siquijor Island, south of Cebu in the Philippines. “Siquijor” means “fire” in the local Philippine language, hence its provisional Chinese name, Fire Island nerite.
　　Nerite snails are widely distributed in intertidal zones and inhabit a range of environments, including rocky shores, gravel beaches, estuaries, sandy or muddy flats with rocks, seagrass beds, and mangroves. Dongsha Atoll is characterized mainly by coral reefs and lagoons and supports extensive seagrass beds. Previous surveys have recorded 11 species of nerites in two genera at Dongsha, primarily belonging to the genera Nerita and Clithon. The former typically inhabits hard substrates, while the latter prefers seagrass beds. The Fire Island nerite is currently the only species of the genus Neritina found on Dongsha Island. Given the absence of estuaries or freshwater input in the coral atoll lagoon, questions remain as to whether its dispersal is related to the Kuroshio Current and how it established a population on Dongsha Island — issues that require further investigation.
　　Due to the island’s geographic isolation, Dongsha’s organisms are able to persist with minimal human disturbance, preserving populations in natural conditions. Its geographic location also allows marine organisms from northern and southern regions to converge here via ocean currents, enriching the biodiversity of Dongsha’s waters. The establishment of the national park further strengthens the protection of species and their habitats.
 

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Figures 1–2: The Fire Island nerite shows considerable variation in shell coloration and patterns / Photo by Su Chun-yu

Seagrass beds around Dongsha Island harbor many species yet to be discovered / Photo by Chen Hui-ju