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Background: Non-native marine species, including tropical eastern Atlantic fish species are on the increase in Malta, with shipping activities being the main vector for the movement of these alien species from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean Sea. This calls for cooperation and collaboration between various sea-users and researchers to ensure continuous monitoring of coastal biodiversity. Methods: Research methods involving local fishermen cooperation in monitoring efforts to identify and track populations of alien species in the Central Mediterranean has led to new records for the genus Cephalopholis (Perciformes: Serranidae) in Malta. Morphological characteristics, meristic counts and mitochondrial DNA sequences from specimens of both species sampled from Maltese waters were analysed to confirm their species identify accurately, essential for tracking their respective population expansions in the Mediterranean. Results and conclusion: Results from this study have led to confirmation of the first record of the Niger Hind, Cephalopholis nigri (Günther, 1859), in the Mediterranean Sea and of the establishment of the African Hind, Cephalopholis taeniops (Valenciennes, 1828) in Maltese waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Events of mass mortality of marine fish have been reported to occur world wide, mainly in coastal regions of continental shelves. Here we report an event at Trindade Island, located 1160 km from the Brazilian coast. Melichthys niger was the species most commonly seen affected. Twenty-four other species were found washed ashore. Victims were demersal (72% of species), pelagic (20%) and benthonic species (8%), comprising eight trophic categories. There is evidence that fish kills have occurred at Trindade since at least the 1990s. Mortality events mainly involving primarily Balistidae (Trindade, Maldives and Ascension), Chaetodontidae (St Helena) and Serranidae (Ascension) have been reported for other isolated oceanic localities with low human occupation. It is possible that blooms of toxic algae, under certain conditions cause cascading intoxication along the trophic web. A second hypothesis is that seasonal upwelling events of anoxic or hypoxic waters may be implicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The record of several individuals of the African hind Cephalopholis taeniops from Lampedusa Island (Italy) is here reported, with discussion on the biogeographical importance of the Sicily channel as a crossroad for exotic fish of Atlantic and Indo-pacific origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used timed underwater visual censuses to study grouper relative abundance and diversity on the west coast of India. Eighteen grouper species were observed in these surveys, including two new records for the west coast of India, Aethaloperca rogaa and Plectropomus areolatus. Cephalopholis formosa and Epinephelus faveatus were the most abundant species observed with the latter more numerous on inshore than offshore rocky reefs. Ecological and distributional notes are given for the species observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A specimen of the Indo-Pacific blacktip grouper was collected at a depth of 20 m from off the coast of Lebanon. This constitutes the first record of the species in the Mediterranean and adds to the number of exotic serranids in the Mediterranean Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reports the first record of occurrence in the Arabian Sea and extension of distribution of Meganthias filiferus from the Thailand coast of the eastern Indian Ocean. A single specimen measuring 211 mm SL was collected from a commercial trawler operating in the Arabian Sea off the south-western coast of India during August 2008. The two known specimens of this rare species are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reports the twinspot bass Serranus flaviventris as followers of the goldspotted eel Myrichthys ocellatus in Tinharé Island, Bahia State, north-eastern Brazil. The goldspotted eel disturbs the sediment in coastal waters exposing prey in which the the twinspot bass forages. This note describes for the first time the following behaviour between Serranus and Anguiliform fish. In the remainder of the note we present a review of this behaviour for small serranids in shallow waters of Bahia, north-eastern Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]