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Information on the distribution of small benthic fish such as gobies is sometimes scattered or incomplete. This is probably due to the sampling difficulties involved in the study of these small fishes at depths below those accessible for SCUBA diving techniques. These are the cases of Buenia massutii Kovačić, Ordines et Schliewen, 2017 (recently described and currently only known from the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean), the locality where it was described); Vanneaugobius dollfusi Brownell, 1978 (only known from the Adriatic and Aegean seas in the Mediterranean, and from Agadir, the locality of the species' description in the Atlantic coast of Morocco); and Odondebuenia balearica (Pellegrin et Fage, 1907) (which in the western Mediterranean is only known from scattered localities). The aim of the presently reported study was to improve and significantly extend the information on the distribution of these three species. New records of these gobiids are herewith reported from the western Mediterranean. The new material has been deposited in the Natural History Museum of Rijeka. Buenia massutii is reported from various locations in the Alboran Sea, O. balearica is reported from the Gulf of Valencia, and V. dollfusi from the Balearic Islands. The three reported records are the westernmost Mediterranean records of these species. Moreover, V. dollfusi is reported for the first time from the western Mediterranean basin, whereas B. massutii is reported for the first time elsewhere from its description locality. The number of individuals of V. dollfusi collected from the Balearic Islands points out this is a common and abundant species in the circalittoral bottoms of this area. On the other hand, the different localities from where B. massutii is reported, two localities in the Iberian Peninsula coast and also the Alboran Island, point out this species may be widely distributed, at least in the western Mediterranean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spot-fin porcupinefish, Diodon hystrix Linnaeus, 1758, was first recorded in the Mediterranean by Torchio (1963), from the Gulf of Taranto, Italy. There have been no subsequent records, from this sea, ever since. In this paper, we report a new record of D. hystrix from the Balearic Islands, western Mediterranean, fifty-five years after the first record. The fish individual was caught during a spearfishing competition. The social networks and the WhatsApp instantaneous messenger proved to be useful tools for the rapid contact with the scientists who are now reporting this record. In view of the fast growth and spreading of other populations of exotic species in the Mediterranean, fostering the communication between recreational fishers and scientists through these types of digital tools could help in monitoring of the natural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Microichthys coccoi Rüppell, 1852 was originally described based on a stranded individual collected in the Strait of Messina, Sicily, central Mediterranean. The distribution range of the species is poorly known, as very few individuals have been recorded from Italy, Greece, and Turkey in the Mediterranean, and from the Azores in the north eastern Atlantic. The aim of this study was to report the presence of M. coccoi from the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean). The history of the species' known records is compiled and its presence in the Atlantic is discussed. Material and methods. A specimen of M. coccoi was collected from a bottom trawl sampling, carried out at 591 m depth in the south of Mallorca (Balearic Islands) during the survey MEDITS_ES05_17 in June 2017. The fish (a female) was subjected to standard descriptive procedures and subsequently deposited in the collection of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Results. Microichthys coccoi is recorded for the first time from the Balearic Islands, which expands its distributional range inside the Mediterranean more than 1000 km westwards. Conclusions. Like the other known specimens, except for those collected in the Strait of Messina, the presently described individual was caught on the slope, confirming that M. coccoi is a deep-water species. The comparison of this fish with Azorean specimens indicated differences in the number of pectoral-fin rays, the most important character distinguishing the species of Microichthys. Hence, further work is necessary to classify the Azorean population, which if confirmed as M. coccoi, would make necessary a modification of the species' description and if rejected, an additional Atlantic species should be described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improvement of fishing technology has been detrimental to the sustainability of fisheries, which is particularly clear for the bottom trawl fishery. Reducing its environmental impact is a key point for the development of a more sustainable fishery. The present work analyzed different possibilities to mitigate the impact of gears on the seabed and to increase the efficiency of the bottom trawl fishery of the Western Mediterranean. The analysis of three experiments showed that innovative technical and regulation measures can lead to benefits such as the reduction of fishing effort, the improvement of the cost-benefit relation and the reduction of the direct impact on the seabed and the indirect effect on the ecosystems through reduce discards and the emission of CO 2 into the atmosphere. After years of studies focused on improving the sustainability of this fishery, it's about time to turn this improvement into reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The reticulated dragonet, Callionymus reticulatus, was originally described based on a single specimen, the holotype from Malaga, Spain, south-western Mediterranean, probably collected before 1831. The holotype is now disintegrated; the specific characteristics are no longer discernible. The species was subsequently recorded from several north-eastern Atlantic localities (Western Sahara to central Norway), but missing in the Mediterranean. Material and methods. Specimens of C. reticulatus were observed and collected during two cruises in 2014 and 2016 in the Balearic Islands off Mallorca and Menorca. The collected specimens (8 females) have been deposited in the collection of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ). All individuals of C. reticulatus were collected from beam trawl samples carried out during the DRAGONSAL0914 in September 2014, and during the MEDITS_ES05_16 bottom trawl survey in June 2016, on shelf and slope bottoms around the Balearic Islands. Both surveys used a 'Jennings' beam trawl to sample the epi-benthic communities, which was the main objective of the DRAGONSAL0914 and a complementary objective in the MEDITS_ES05_16. The 'Jennings' beam trawl has a 2 m horizontal opening, 0.5 m vertical opening and a 5 mm diamond mesh in the codend. Trawls had duration of 1 to 3 min of effective sampling (bottom time) at a speed of 2 knots. Catches were sorted out to species and standardized abundances of callionymid species (individuals per 500 m2) were obtained by calculating the sampled surface (distance covered × beam trawl horizontal opening). Results. Callionymus reticulatus is recorded from the Balearic Islands for the first time; the specimens are described and illustrated. Conclusions. The new record confirms that the species is still extant in the Mediterranean. A key to Mediterranean callionymid fishes is provided to distinguish C. reticulatus from other species of the family in the area. The callionymid fish fauna of the Mediterranean now comprises 11 species, including three Lessepsian migrants originating from the Red Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean starry ray, Raja asterias, considered endemic in the Mediterranean, has recently been reported by other authors from Atlantic fisheries in southern Portugal and northern Morocco. There has been, however, no substantiated record of the species outside the Mediterranean. This fact and the easiness of confusion of R. asterias with other species have probably prevented those records from being taken into account in the recent catalogue of North Atlantic elasmobranchs species, in the assessment of the population status of this species, and in recent annotated global checklists of chondrichthyans. In our study, a specimen of R. asterias was collected from the Gulf of Cádiz and its species identity was assessed based on morphological and molecular methods. The presently reported finding constitutes a substantiated record of R. asterias from the Atlantic. Based on this record, previously reported catches of the Mediterranean starry ray in the Atlantic should be confirmed, and if so, these populations should be included in future assessments of this vulnerable species and in the description of its geographic distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blackchin, Neoscopelus macrolepidotus Johnson, 1863 (known also as large-scaled lanternfish), originally discovered at Madeira, is a globally distributed benthopelagic fish species that inhabits depths between 300 and 1100 m in the tropical and subtropical regions. Despite the sampling site of the original description, the species seems to be very rare in the eastern Atlantic, particularly at northern latitudes. The worldwide distribution of the species seems to be restricted to latitudes lower than 45° either in the Southern and Northern Hemisphere. During the Porcupine 2016 bottom trawl survey a specimen of N. macrolepidotus was collected at a depth of 628 m and latitude 51°N in the Porcupine Bank, situated in the north-eastern Atlantic, approximately 204 km off the west coast of Ireland. This is the first record of the species in the Porcupine Bank. It significantly extends the distribution range of N. macrolepidotus and represents the highest latitude reported for this species either in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. This extended distribution may have been facilitated by the course of the Mediterranean Outflow Water, which on its way to the north-eastern Atlantic reaches the slope of the Bank at depths where N. macrolepidotus is usually distributed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly 75% of European fishing vessels belongs to small-scale fisheries (SSF). However, SSF have received little attention compared to industrial fisheries. In the Mediterranean Sea, where the SSF traditionally had a high socio-economic relevance, there is a widespread interest in securing its sustainable exploitation and viability. Here we analyze the SSF from Mallorca (Balearic Islands) using fishery statistics from the last 25 years (1990–2014). Although fleet size declined markedly (−55%), landings remained constant which might be related to different, not mutually exclusive explanations such as a decrease in unreported catches, stagnant and closed market or technological creeping. Multivariate analysis revealed eight different fishing tactics corresponding to the main target species. Aggregated, these eight species accounted for 52% and 71% of SSF landings weight and value, respectively. The fishery of these species is markedly seasonal and the landings of most of them showed important fluctuations but no clear trends. In contrast with the claims of SSF having lower impact on the natural resources than other fisheries, surplus production models revealed a generalized overexploitation of these target stocks, especially for the most high-valued species. Simulations with a bioeconomic model showed that fishing effort reductions of 38% would improve the health of fish stocks while increasing the economic profits to as much as 15% from current profits. If all stocks were kept below their MSY level, the reduction in fishing effort would have to be of 53% from current values. If the economic yield from the fishery was to be maximized (MEY), fishing effort would need to be reduced by 28%. Owing to important quantities of unreported catches in the most high-valued species, output values of the stock status indicators and the bioeconomic modelling should be taken with care beyond tracking trends in the fishery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Scorpaena loppei Cadenat, 1943 is a small benthic scorpion fish, distributed in the eastern Atlantic from the Bay of Biscay to Mauritania and the Mediterranean Sea. This work constitutes the first complex attempt to study aspects of biology, feeding, bathymetric distribution, and habitat preferences of S. loppei. Materials and methods. The biological samples of S. loppei, as well as the data on its abundance and distribution, were collected during the annual bottom trawl survey series BALAR-MEDITS carried out from 2005 through 2010. The biological sampling included: weighing and measuring the fish, gonad weighing, determination of sex and maturity stage, age estimation through otolith readings, and stomach content analysis. Results. The sampled individuals ranged from 5.5 to 12.8 cm in total length (TL). The females predominated in the smaller size classes, and males being more abundant in the larger ones. All females sampled were mature (or approaching maturity). The age determined ranged from 0 to 5 years and from 1 to 5 years, for females and males, respectively. The estimated values of the von Bertalanffy asymptotic length L∞ (cm) and growth coefficient k (year-1) for females and males were 10.9 and 0.53 and 12.4 and 0.49, respectively. According to the age-length key, all females of S. loppei should be attaining their first maturity during their first year of life. The diet of S. loppei consisted predominantly of crustaceans (mysids and decapods) followed by teleosts fishes. A specialized feeding behaviour was indicated by the Levin's index for numerical composition and frequency of occurrence assuming values of 0.18 and 0.28, respectively. The presence of S. loppei was restricted to sandy-mud deep continental shelf bottoms from 90 to 180 m depth. This distribution did not overlap with that of other small scorpion fish species inhabiting the area. Conclusion. Unlike its congeners, S. loppei demonstrated specialised feeding habits and habitat requirements. Being the only small scorpion fish inhabiting this benthic habitat in the study area might have reduced the interspecific competition, facilitating feeding and growth and allowing an early achievement of sexual maturity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]