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Confirmation of the occurrence of three fish species in Maltese waters based on specimens collected through the EC’s Data Collection Framework

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 1 - 10
https://doi.org/10.63039/medfar.1622092

Abstract

Based on the examination of recently available actual specimens, obtained through the reporting required by Member States for the European Commission’s Data Collection Framework, three fishes whose presence in Maltese waters was uncertain, are now confirmed as occurring: Dentex maroccanus Valenciennes, 1830, Sphyraena viridensis Cuvier, 1829, and Sphyraena sphyraena Linnaeus, 1758. Accurate species identifica-tion is essential for reliable data collection during routine monitoring activities. It is suggested that in local fisheries records, D. maroccanus was previously misidentified as D. macrophthalmus, while despite past re-ports of alien sphyraenids, current findings confirm only native Mediterranean species of Sphyraena to be present in Maltese waters.

References

  • Bauchot, M.L., Hureau, J.C. (1986) Sparidae. pp. 883-907. In: Fishes of the North-Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Vol. 2. Whitehead, P.J.P., Bauchot, M.L., Hureau, J.C., Nielsen, J., Tortonese, E. (Eds.). UNESCO, Paris, France.
  • Borg, J.A., Dandria, D. Evans, J. Knittweis, L., Schembri, P.J. (2023) A Critical Checklist of the Marine Fishes of Malta and Surrounding Waters. Diversity 15(2): 225.
  • European Commission (n.d.). Scientific advice and data collection. https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/fisheries/scientific-input/scientific-advice-and-data-collection_en. [Last accessed on 22 December 2024]
  • Follesa, M.C., Carbonara, P. (2019) Atlas on the maturity stages of Mediterranean fishery resources. FAO Studies and Reviews 99: 1-259.
  • Golani, D., Azzurro, E., Dulcic, J., Massuti, E., Orsi-Relini, L. (2021) Atlas of Exotic Fishes in the Mediterranean Sea [2nd Ed.] CIESM Publishers: Monaco, pp.365
  • Grech, D., Asciutto, E., Bakiu, R., Battaglia, P., Ben-Grira, C., Çamlik, Öznur Y., Cappuccinelli, R., Carmona, L., Chebaane, S., Crocetta, F., Desiderato, A., Domenichetti, F., Dulcic, J., Fasciglione, P., Galil S. , B., Galiya, M. Y., Hoffman, R., Langenenck, J., Lipej, L., Enric Madrenas, E. M., Martinelli, M., Martin-Hervas, M. D. R., Masala, C., Mastrototaro, F., Mavric, B., Montesanto, F., Mucciolo, S., Othman, R. M., Semperevalverde, J., Soldo, A., Spinelli, A., Taskin, E., Tiralongo, F., Oso, A., Trainito, E., Trkov, D., Vitale, D., Zacchetti, L. (2023) New records of rarely reported species in the Mediterranean Sea (July 2023). Mediterranean Marine Science 24(2): 392–418.
  • Kiparissis, S., Tsaparis, D., Peristeraki, P., Giannakaki, A., Kosoglou, G., Metaxakis, M., Tserpes, G. (2020) The yellowstripe barracuda Sphyraena chrysotaenia (Kluzinger, 1884) in Crete (GSA 23, eastern Mediterranean): first genetically verified records and highlighted issues on the Lessepsian barracudas nomenclature ambiguities. BioInvasions Records 9(4): 814–826.
  • Louisy, P. (2020) Guida all’ identificazione dei pesci d’Europa e del Mediterraneo (5th Ed.). Milano: Il Castello, pp. 512
  • Maravelias, C., Tsitsika, E., Papaconstantinou, C. (2007) Evidence of Morocco dentex (Dentex maroccanus) distribution in the NE Mediterranean and relationships with environmental factors determined by Generalized Additive Modelling. Fisheries Oceanography 16(3): 294-302.
  • Medits Working Group (2017) International bottom trawl survey in the Mediterranean. Instruction manual. Version 9, pp.106
  • Mina, A. Mytilineou, C., Kaminas, A., Rekleiti, A., Siapatis, A., Anastasopoulou, A. (2023) Feeding habits of Dentex maroccanus and the effect of body size. Animals 13: 939.

Confirmation of the occurrence of three fish species in Maltese waters based on specimens collected through the EC’s Data Collection Framework

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 1 - 10
https://doi.org/10.63039/medfar.1622092

Abstract

Based on the examination of recently available actual specimens, obtained through the reporting required by Member States for the European Commission’s Data Collection Framework, three fishes whose presence in Maltese waters was uncertain, are now confirmed as occurring: Dentex maroccanus Valenciennes, 1830, Sphyraena viridensis Cuvier, 1829, and Sphyraena sphyraena Linnaeus, 1758. Accurate species identifica-tion is essential for reliable data collection during routine monitoring activities. It is suggested that in local fisheries records, D. maroccanus was previously misidentified as D. macrophthalmus, while despite past re-ports of alien sphyraenids, current findings confirm only native Mediterranean species of Sphyraena to be present in Maltese waters.

References

  • Bauchot, M.L., Hureau, J.C. (1986) Sparidae. pp. 883-907. In: Fishes of the North-Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, Vol. 2. Whitehead, P.J.P., Bauchot, M.L., Hureau, J.C., Nielsen, J., Tortonese, E. (Eds.). UNESCO, Paris, France.
  • Borg, J.A., Dandria, D. Evans, J. Knittweis, L., Schembri, P.J. (2023) A Critical Checklist of the Marine Fishes of Malta and Surrounding Waters. Diversity 15(2): 225.
  • European Commission (n.d.). Scientific advice and data collection. https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/fisheries/scientific-input/scientific-advice-and-data-collection_en. [Last accessed on 22 December 2024]
  • Follesa, M.C., Carbonara, P. (2019) Atlas on the maturity stages of Mediterranean fishery resources. FAO Studies and Reviews 99: 1-259.
  • Golani, D., Azzurro, E., Dulcic, J., Massuti, E., Orsi-Relini, L. (2021) Atlas of Exotic Fishes in the Mediterranean Sea [2nd Ed.] CIESM Publishers: Monaco, pp.365
  • Grech, D., Asciutto, E., Bakiu, R., Battaglia, P., Ben-Grira, C., Çamlik, Öznur Y., Cappuccinelli, R., Carmona, L., Chebaane, S., Crocetta, F., Desiderato, A., Domenichetti, F., Dulcic, J., Fasciglione, P., Galil S. , B., Galiya, M. Y., Hoffman, R., Langenenck, J., Lipej, L., Enric Madrenas, E. M., Martinelli, M., Martin-Hervas, M. D. R., Masala, C., Mastrototaro, F., Mavric, B., Montesanto, F., Mucciolo, S., Othman, R. M., Semperevalverde, J., Soldo, A., Spinelli, A., Taskin, E., Tiralongo, F., Oso, A., Trainito, E., Trkov, D., Vitale, D., Zacchetti, L. (2023) New records of rarely reported species in the Mediterranean Sea (July 2023). Mediterranean Marine Science 24(2): 392–418.
  • Kiparissis, S., Tsaparis, D., Peristeraki, P., Giannakaki, A., Kosoglou, G., Metaxakis, M., Tserpes, G. (2020) The yellowstripe barracuda Sphyraena chrysotaenia (Kluzinger, 1884) in Crete (GSA 23, eastern Mediterranean): first genetically verified records and highlighted issues on the Lessepsian barracudas nomenclature ambiguities. BioInvasions Records 9(4): 814–826.
  • Louisy, P. (2020) Guida all’ identificazione dei pesci d’Europa e del Mediterraneo (5th Ed.). Milano: Il Castello, pp. 512
  • Maravelias, C., Tsitsika, E., Papaconstantinou, C. (2007) Evidence of Morocco dentex (Dentex maroccanus) distribution in the NE Mediterranean and relationships with environmental factors determined by Generalized Additive Modelling. Fisheries Oceanography 16(3): 294-302.
  • Medits Working Group (2017) International bottom trawl survey in the Mediterranean. Instruction manual. Version 9, pp.106
  • Mina, A. Mytilineou, C., Kaminas, A., Rekleiti, A., Siapatis, A., Anastasopoulou, A. (2023) Feeding habits of Dentex maroccanus and the effect of body size. Animals 13: 939.
There are 11 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Fisheries Management
Journal Section Short Communications
Authors

Daryl Agius 0009-0008-6587-7379

Luca Pisani 0009-0008-5200-3816

Patrick J. Schembri 0000-0002-6723-7198

Early Pub Date April 14, 2025
Publication Date
Submission Date January 21, 2025
Acceptance Date March 6, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 8 Issue: 1

Cite

APA Agius, D., Pisani, L., & Schembri, P. J. (2025). Confirmation of the occurrence of three fish species in Maltese waters based on specimens collected through the EC’s Data Collection Framework. Mediterranean Fisheries and Aquaculture Research, 8(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.63039/medfar.1622092

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