Specify the option as
-Re If you command fsck_hfs with no option, then the list of options presented under 'usage' may be less than the options that are truly accepted. This is, I believe, a documentation bug.
Update — 2011-07-30
If the -R option is unrecognised by fsck_hfs in Mac OS X 10.6.3, assume that it was introduced in a later version of 10.6.x — for the manual page referenced in the opening post, between 10.5 and 10.6.6 there's nothing.
Snow Leopard in the Apple Store (UK) remains at 10.6.3 so if you require bootable media with the more capable version of fsck_hfs I should recommend either of the following:
upgrade an installation of Snow Leopard to 10.6.8 or greater
await Apple's production of Lion on a USB thumb drive (beware of known risks and unknowns associated with things hacked from 11A511).
For reference, here's a transcript from 10.7 (Build 11A511):
[macbookpro08-centrim:~] gjp22% date Sat 30 Jul 2011 08:25:39 BST [macbookpro08-centrim:~] gjp22% uname -a Darwin macbookpro08-centrim.home 11.0.0 Darwin Kernel Version 11.0.0: Sat Jun 18 12:56:35 PDT 2011; root:xnu-1699.22.73~1/RELEASE_X86_64 x86_64 [macbookpro08-centrim:~] gjp22% diskutil list /dev/disk0 #: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER 0: GUID_partition_scheme *320.1 GB disk0 1: EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1 2: Apple_CoreStorage 318.1 GB disk0s2 3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk0s3 4: Apple_Journal 536.9 MB disk0s4 5: Apple_HFS scratchy 536.9 MB disk0s5 /dev/disk1 #: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER 0: Apple_HFS speedy *317.8 GB disk1 [macbookpro08-centrim:~] gjp22% sudo /sbin/fsck_hfs -R /sbin/fsck_hfs: option requires an argument -- R usage: fsck_hfs [-b [size] B [path] c [size] Edfglx m [mode] npqruy] special-device b size = size of physical blocks (in bytes) for -B option B path = file containing physical block numbers to map to paths c size = cache size (ex. 512m, 1g) E = exit on first major error d = output debugging info f = force fsck even if clean (preen only) g = GUI output mode x = XML output mode l = live fsck (lock down and test-only) m arg = octal mode used when creating lost+found directory n = assume a no response p = just fix normal inconsistencies q = quick check returns clean, dirty, or failure r = rebuild catalog btree u = usage y = assume a yes response [macbookpro08-centrim:~] gjp22% sudo diskutil unmount /Volumes/scratchy Volume scratchy on disk0s5 unmounted [macbookpro08-centrim:~] gjp22% sudo /sbin/fsck_hfs -Re /dev/disk0s5 ** /dev/rdisk0s5 Executing fsck_hfs (version diskdev_cmds-540.1~34). ** Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume. The volume name is scratchy ** Checking extents overflow file. ** Checking catalog file. ** Rebuilding extents overflow B-tree. ** Rechecking volume. ** Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume. The volume name is scratchy ** Checking extents overflow file. ** Checking catalog file. ** Checking multi-linked files. ** Checking catalog hierarchy. ** Checking extended attributes file. ** Checking volume bitmap. ** Checking volume information. Invalid volume file count (It should be 336 instead of 226) Invalid volume directory count (It should be 37 instead of 52) Invalid volume free block count (It should be 124541 instead of 125082) Volume header needs minor repair (2, 0) ** Repairing volume. ** Rechecking volume. ** Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume. The volume name is scratchy ** Checking extents overflow file. ** Checking catalog file. ** Checking multi-linked files. ** Checking catalog hierarchy. ** Checking extended attributes file. ** Checking volume bitmap. ** Checking volume information. ** The volume scratchy was repaired successfully. [macbookpro08-centrim:~] gjp22% sudo /sbin/fsck_hfs -fn /dev/disk0s5 ** /dev/rdisk0s5 (NO WRITE) Executing fsck_hfs (version diskdev_cmds-540.1~34). ** Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume. The volume name is scratchy ** Checking extents overflow file. ** Checking catalog file. ** Checking multi-linked files. ** Checking catalog hierarchy. ** Checking extended attributes file. ** Checking volume bitmap. ** Checking volume information. ** The volume scratchy appears to be OK. [macbookpro08-centrim:~] gjp22%