Mirimiri acrodonta, Hill & Beckon, 1978

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 16-162 : 126-127

118.

Fijizan Monkey-faced Fruit Bat

Mirimiri acrodonta

French: Roussette des Fidji / German: Fidschi-Flughund / Spanish: Mirimiri de Fiyi

Taxonomy. Pteralopex acrodonta Hill & Beckon, 1978 ,

“about 300 m NE of the Des Voeux Peak Radio Telephone Antenna Tower, Taveuni Island, Fiji Islands, 16° 50'2"S, 179° 58' W, ¢. 3840 ft (1170:m).>

Mirimiri was erected for acrodonta to distinguish it from typical monkey-faced fruit bats from the Solomon Islands ( Pteralopex ); genetic-distance data and recent phylogenetic analyses support this view. Monotypic.

Distribution. Fiji Is (Taveuni).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 170-200 mm (tailless), ear 18 mm, forearm 111- 127 mm; weight 222-264 g (up to 362 g in near-term pregnant female). Males are slightly larger than females in a few dimensions. Head of the Fijian Monkey-faced Fruit Bat is round, with long robust muzzle, almost hairless near short and divergent nostrils; philtrum is medial. Medium-sized eyes have orange irises. Ears are round, very short, and almost concealed in fur. Head pelage is soft and long, pale brown or grayish brown, and diffusely darker around eyes. Body pelage is thick, long, woolly (more so in mantle), and pale grayish brown overall; hairs are medium brown at bases, tipped with shining yellowish giving slightly bronzed appearance, especially on cap, mid-dorsum, and rump, the latter with shorter hairs caudally directed but not closely adpressed. Throat is dark brown, tipped in yellow; chest, venter, and flanks are pale brown, with indistinct golden patch on belly. Fur extends along dorsal surface of tibia to ankle. Uropatagium is absent at center and narrow alongside hindlegs, and calcar is short. Forearm is covered dorsally in contrasting, adpressed pale yellowish brown fur. Wings are uniformly blackish, inserted on back near spinal line, and attached between base offirst and second toes. Index claw is present; all claws dark brown. Skull is robust, with pronounced basicranial deflection. Laterally, rostrum is moderately long; forehead slopes gently; orbit is large, with marked rim and postorbital process long and circular, not reaching zygoma; zygomatic root is level or only slightly above straight upper alveolar line; and zygoma is thick, without dorsal spine and strongly arched. Dorsally, rostrum is stout, uniformly wide, and rectangular; interorbital region is broad, with barely distinguishable paranasal recesses; postorbital foramina are absent; root of long circular postorbital processes is triangular; postorbital constriction is very obvious; temporal lines immediately join behind orbits in obvious sagittal crest; and nuchal crest is obvious. Ventrally, palate is flat and very long; incisor row is arched; tooth rows are parallel; post-dental palate is short, with concave end; and ectotympanic is small and slightly wider anteriorly. Mandible has inclined symphysis, strong body, tall and recurved coronoid process, large condyle, and gently rounded angle. There are twelve palatal ridges; first ridge is rudimentary and ridges 2—4 are arched, undivided, and smooth; fifth ridge is smooth but slightly raised; ridges 6-8 are prominent and divided; ridges 7-8 are denticulate; ridges 9-10 are undivided, arched, and strongly denticulate; and last two ridges are entirely post-dental, undivided, and strongly denticulate. Dental formulais12/2,C1/1,P 3/3, M 2/3 (x2) = 34. Dentition is generally strong, with many dental elements having additional cusps. Upperincisors are large, with broad lingual ledges; inner pointed I? is larger than nearly spatulate I'; C! is massive, with prominent secondary distal cusp and strong lingual ledge bearing several cuspules; P' is minute; posterior cheekteeth are large and multicuspidate, squarish in occlusal outline, with strong anterior and posterior basal ledges,slightly decreasing in height posteriorly, and labial ridge divided into three cusps; M? is smaller but with cusps; and posterior ledge very obvious. Lower dentition has very small bifid I, and very large tricuspid I,, with large lingual basal shelf; C,is short and stout, with small tubercle distally in strong cingulum; P| is relatively large, tricuspid with broad lingual shelf; posterior cheekteeth are almost caniniform anteriorly, with very tall main cusp, posteriorly squarish in occlusal outline with strong posterior basal ledge more developed on lingual side, and labial ridge divided into three cusps, all decreasing in height posteriorly very mildly; and M, is smaller, almost circular in occlusal outline.

Habitat. Mossy tropical forests above elevations of 800 m.

Food and Feeding. The Fijian Monkey-faced Fruit Bat is presumably frugivorous. Strong multicuspidate dentition suggests use of hard fruit.

Breeding. Pregnant and lactating Fijian Monkey-faced Fruit Bats were recorded in May.

Activity patterns. Fijian Monkey-faced Fruit Bats are nocturnal. They roost in epiphytic fern clumps in subcanopies.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Fijian Monkey-faced Fruit Bat probably roosts alone,in pairs, or in small groups. Highly distinctive call might be used to maintain contact among individuals.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Critically Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Fijian Monkey-faced Fruit Bat is one of the rarest bats in the world. As of 2009, it is only known from six specimens (two in the 1978 type series), all from the same area—Mount Koroturanga (= Des Voeux Peak) on Taveuni Island, above 800 m, with total known extent of occurrence less than 100 km? and an estimated population under 1000 individuals. It might occur on considerably larger island of Vanua Levu that apparently contains suitable habitat (mossy montane forest; e.g. on Mount Delaikoro), but surveys failed to confirm this. On Taveuni, the Fijian Monkey-faced Fruit Batis threatened by habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation from cyclones, agricultural and urban development, encroachment, and pollution. It occurs in Taveuni Forest Reserve, but protection is not effective there; it might occur in Ravilevu Nature Reserve. Conservation actions have included partnerships among international and local parties to survey area of known occupancy, with capture and release of the sixth known specimen (pregnant female) in 2009, and creation of a recovery plan by local conservation non-governmental organizations. Priorities of the plan include determining actual distribution in Fiji, understanding its ecology, ensuring positive public awareness, securing full protection of the highly impacted Taveuni Forest Reserve, and supporting creation of Taveuni National Park. Establishing a captive breeding program is highly recommended for survival of the Fijian Monkey-faced Fruit Bat.

Bibliography. Flannery (1995a), Helgen (2005), Helgen, Palmeirim & Allison (2008), Hill & Beckon (1978), Ingleby & Colgan (2003), Parnaby (2002b), Scanlon etal. (2014).

Figures

114. Fijian Long-tailed Fruit Bat (Notopteris macdonald), 115. New Caledonia Long-tailed Fruit Bat (Notopteris neocaledonicus), 116. White-winged Flying Fox (Desmalopex leucopterus), 117. Mindoro Pallid Flying Fox (Desmalopex microleucopterus), 118. Fijizan Monkey-faced Fruit Bat Marimar (: acrodonta), 119. Bougainville Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pteralopex anceps), 120. Guadalcanal Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pleralopex atrata), 121. Montane Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pleralopex pulchra), 122. New Georgia Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pleralopex taki), 123. Greater Monkey-faced Fruit Bat (Pleralopex flanneryi), 124. Black-bellied Blossom Bat (Melonycteris melanops), 125. Fardoulis’s Blossom Bat (Nesonycteris fardoulis), 126. Woodford’s Blossom Bat (Nesonycteris woodfordi)

Distribution. Fiji Is (Taveuni).