A tale of two Atlantic fish migrants: records of the lesser amberjack Seriola fasciata and the African hind Cephalopholis taeniops from the Maltese Islands

Abstract

Abstract The Mediterranean Sea is witnessing an unprecedented influx of non-indigenous species from contiguous marine areas. The influx of Atlantic species is gaining attraction, although it has been overshadowed in terms of species numbers by the Lessepsian migration, with the number of Atlantic additions to the Mediterranean marine biota on the increase. This study documents records of the lesser amberjack (Seriola fasciata) and the African hind (Cephalopholis taeniops) made in Maltese waters in recent years, with findings suggesting that the range of these two Atlantic migrants in the Mediterranean is expanding.

Keywords

• Key words: Atlantic, Mediterranean, fish, migration, global warming

References

1. Andaloro, F., Rinaldi, A. (1998) Fish biodiversity change in Mediterranean Sea as tropicalisation phenomenon indicator. In: Indicators for Assessing Desertification in the Mediterranean (eds.), (Enne G., D‟Angelo M., C. Zanolla) ANPA & Osservatorio Nazionale sulla DesertiŞcazione, 201-206 pp.
2. Andaloro, F., Pipitone, C., Potoschi, A., Badalamenti, F., D‟Anna, G. (1999) Seriola fasciata (Osteichthyes, Carangidae), an alien species spreading in central Mediterranean waters. 8th International Congress on the Zoogeography and Ecology of Greece and Adjacent Regions (ICZEGAR). Kavala, 17-21 May 1999. (Abstract).
3. Andaloro, F., Sinopoli, M., Coen B., Potoschi, A. (2002) Fish community associated with FADs in southern Tyrrhenian Sea and in northern Ionian Sea. Biol. Mar. Medit. 9(2): 236-237.
4. Andaloro, F., Campo, D., Sinopoli, M., Castriota, L., Campagnuolo, S. (2003) Pelagic fish community associated with FAD‟s off the Sicilian coast (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea). I n: Island Ecosystems Conservation and Molecular Approach I Symposium (Pinheiro de Carvalho M.Â.A., Pereira Costa G., Abreu Jesus J. & D.M.M. Rodrigues, (eds.), pp. 131-138. Madeira Island: Centro de Ciências Biológicas e Geológicas.
5. Andaloro, F., Azzurro, E. (2004) The Sicily channel, a crossroad between Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Worlds. 13th international conference of aquatic invasive species, Ennis, Ireland: 20-24th September, 2004: 192.
6. Andaloro F., Falautano M., Sinopoli M., Passarelli F.M., Pipitone, C., Addis P., Cau, A., Castriota L. (2005) The lesser amberjack Seriola fasciata (Perciformes: Carangidae) in the Mediterranean: a recent colonist? Cybium 29: 141-145.
7. Ben Abdallah, A., Ben Souissi, J., Mejri H., Capape, C., Golani, D. (2007) First record of Cephalopholis taeniops (Valenciennes) in the Mediterranean Sea. Journal of Fish Biology 71(2): 610-614.
8. Ben Souissi, J., Golani, D., Mejri, H., Capape, C. (2005) On the occurrence of Cheilopogon furcatus in the Mediterranean Sea. J Fish Biol 4:1144-1149. doi:10.1111/j.0022-1112. 2005.00790.x

9. Bianchi, C.N. (2007) Biodiversity issues for the forthcoming tropical Mediterranean Sea. Hydrobiologia 580: 7- 21.
10. Bradai, M.N. (2000) Diversité du peuplement ichtyque et contribution à la connaissance des Sparidés du golfe de Gabès. Thèse de Doctorat d‟État, 600 p. Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Tunisie.
11. Castriota, L., Greco, S., Marino, G., Andaloro, F. (2002) First record of Seriola rivoliana Cuvier, 1833 (Osteichthyes: Carangidae) in the Mediterranean. Journal of Fish Biology 60(2): 486-488.
12. Castriota, L., Falautano, M., Greco, S., Andaloro, F. (2004) Second record of Seriola rivoliana Valenciennes, 1833 (Carangidae) in the Mediterranean. Cybium 28(3): 265-266.
13. CIESM (2008) Climate warming and related changes in Mediterranean marine biota. CIESM Workshop Monograph no 35, Monaco, 152 pp.
14. Corsini, M., Margies, P., Kondilatos, G., Economidis, P.S. (2006) Three new exotic fish records from the SE Aegean Sea greek waters. Sci Mar. 70(2): 319- 323, ISSN: 0214– 8358.
15. Costa, F. (1999) I Pesci del Mediterraneo: Stadi larvali e giovanili. 285 p. Messina, Italy: Grafo Editor.
16. Eno, N.C., Clark, R.A., Sanderson, W.G. (eds.) (1997) Non Native Marine Species in British Waters: A Review and Directory. Peterborough, UK: Joint Nature Conservation Committee, 136 pp.
17. Eschmeyer, W.N. (1998) Catalog of Fishes Volume 2: Species of Fishes (MZ). California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California.
18. Fischer, W., Bianchi, G., Scott, W.B. (eds.) (1981) FAO Species Identification Sheets for Fishery Purposes. Eastern Central Atlantic; Fishing Areas 34, 47, Vol. 1 (in part). Ottawa, Canada: Canada Funds-in-Trust.
19. Froese, R., Pauly, D. (eds.) (2011) FishBase World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (06/2011).
20. Galil, B.S. (2008) Alien species in the Mediterranean Sea. Which, when, where, why? Hydrobiologia 606: 105-116.
21. Galil, B.S. (2009) Taking stock: inventory of alien species in the Mediterranean Sea. Biological Invasions on line doi: 10.1007/s10530-008-9253-ypublished on line since 1 April 2008.
22. Golani, D., Orsi-Relini, L., Massuti, F. Quignard, J.P. (2002) CIESM Atlas of Exotic Species in the Mediterranean. Vol. 1. Fishes. CIESM, Monaco, 256 pp.
23. Golani, D., Orsi-Relini, L., Massuti, E., Quignard, J. P. (2004) Dynamics of fish invasions in the Mediterranean: update of the CIESM Fish Atlas. Rap. Comm. Int. Mer. Medit. 37: 367.
24. Golani, D., Azzurro, E., Corsini-Foka, M., Falautano, M., Andaloro, F., Bernardi, G. (2007) Genetic bottlenecks and successful biological invasions: the case of a recent Lessepsian migrant. Biology Letters 3: 541-545.
25. Guidetti, P., Giardina, F., Azzurro, E. (2010) A new record of Cephalopholis taeniops in the Mediterraean Sea, with considerations on the Sicily Channel as a biogeographical crossroad of exotic fish. Marine Biodiversity Records, 3 (e13), DOI: 10.1017/s1755267210000023, published online by Cambridge University Press.
26. Heemstra, P.C., Randall, J.E. (1993) FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 16. Groupers of the world (family Serranidae, subfamily Epinephelinae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the grouper, rockcod, hind, coral grouper and lyretail species known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(16):382.
27. Katsanevakis, S., Poursanidis, D., Issaris, Y., Tsiamis, K., Salomidi, M., Maroulakis, M., Kytinou, E., Thessalou-Legaki, M., Zenetos, A. (2010) The invasive crab Percnon gibbesi (Crustacea: Decapoda: Plagusiidae) is spreading in the Aegean and Ionian Seas. Marine Biodiversity Records, 3, e53, doi: 10.1017/S1755267210000163.
28. Massutí, E., Stefanescu, C. (1993) First record of Seriola fasciata (Bloch, 1793) (Osteichthyes: Carangidae) in the Mediterranean. Journal of Fish Biology 42: 143–144. DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2002.tb00296.x.
29. Occhipinti-Ambrogi, A., Galil, B.S. (2004) A uniform terminology on bioinvasions: a chimera or an operative tool? Marine Pollution Bulletin 49: 688- 694.
30. Occhipinti-Ambrogi, A. (2007) Global change and marine communities: alien species and climate change. Marine Pollution Bulletin 55: 342-352.
31. Pizzicori, P., Castriota, L., Marino, G., Andaloro, F. (2000) Seriola carpenteri: a new immigrant in the Mediterranean from the Atlantic Ocean. Journal of Fish Biology 57: 1335-1338.
32. Quignard, J.P., Tomasini, J.A. (2000) Mediterranean fish biodiversity. Biologia Marina Mediterranea 7(3): 1-66.
33. Riera F., Grau A.M., Pastore, E., Pou, S. (1995) Faunistical and demographical observations in Balearic ichthyofauna. Meridionalization or subtropicalization phenomena. I n: La Méditerranée : Variabilités climatiques, Environnement et Biodiversité. Actes Colloque Scientifique OKEANOS, Montpellier, 213-220 pp. Salameh, P., Sonin, O., Golani, D. (2009) A first record of the African hind (Chephalopholis taeniops) (Pisces: Serranidae) in the Levant. Annales Ser. Hist. Nat. 19(2): 151-154.
34. Sammut, R. (2001) Mediterranean Sea Fishes (Central Region). Malta (The author) x + 203 pp.
35. Sciberras, M., Schembri, P.J. (2007) A critical review of records of alien marine species from the Maltese Islands and surrounding waters (Central Mediterranean). Mediterranean Marine Science 8: 41-66.
36. Smith-Vaniz, W.F. (1986) Carangidae. In Fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Vol. 2. (ed. P.J.P. Whitehead et al.), 815-844 pp. Paris: UNESCO.
37. Sonin, O., Salameh, P., Golani, D. (2009) First record of the lesser amberjack, Seriola fasciata (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Carangidae), in the Levant. Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 39 (1): 71-73. DOI: 10.3750/AIP2009.39.1.15.
38. Wood, C.M., McDonald, D.G. (eds.) (1997) Global Warming: Implications for Freshwater and Marine Fish. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 425 pp.