ANNALES • Ser. his?, nal. • 13 ■ 2003 • 2 original scientific article UDK 597,5:591.9(262.3-11} received: 2003-11-05 NEW ADDITIONAL RECORDS OF IMPERIAL BLACKFiSH, SCHEDOEHILUS OVALIS (CUVIER, 1833), WHITE TREVALLY, PSEUDOCARANX DENTEX (BLOCH & SCHNEIDER, 1 801), AND ATLANTIC POMFRET, BR AM A BRAMA (BONNATERRE, 1 788}, IN THE EASTERN ADRIATIC jakov DULQC & Armin PALLAORO Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, HR-21000 Split, P.O.BOX S00 E-mail: duieic© izor.hr Vlado ONOFRI A Davor LUlIC Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, Oubrovnik Laboratory, HR-20000 Dubrovntk /van JARDAS Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, HR-21000 Split, P.O.BOX 500 ABSTRACT The imperial biackfish, Schedophiius ovaiis, white trevally, Pseudocaranx dentex, and Atlantic pomfret, Bra ma brama, specimens were caught in the eastern Adriatic. The main morphometric and meristic data are given. In spite of a number of scientific records regarding these species, we could still treat the imperial biackfish and white trevally as very rare species, and the Atlantic pomfret as a rare species in the Eastern Adriatic. Key words: imperial biackfish. white trevally, Atlantic pomfret, additional records, Eastern Adriatic NUOVE TESTIMONÍANZE ACGIUNTIVE DI CONTROFOLO VIOLA, SCHEDOPHILUS OVALIS (CUVIER, 1833), CARANGO DENTICE, PSEUDOCARANX DENTEX {BLOCH & SCHNEIDER, 1801) E PEŠCE CASTAGNA, BRAMA BRAMA (BONNATERRE, 1788), IN ADRIATICO ORIENTALE SINTESI Esemplari di controfolo viola, Schedophiius ovaiis, carango dentice, Pseudocaranx dentex, e pešce castagna, Brama brama, sono stati catturati in Adriático oriéntate. i.'árticolo riporta i piit importanti dati morfometrici e meri-stici. Conformemente a un numero di dati scientifici gli autor i continuarlo a considerare controfolo viola e catango dentice specie molto tare, mentre il pesce castagna risu i ta essere una specie rara nel ¡'Adriático oriéntale. Parole chiave: controfolo viola, catango dentice, pesca castagna, testimonianze a gg km t i ve, Adriático orientáis 149 ANNALES • Ser. hist, nat. • 13 • 2003 • 2 liikov DULČIČ et n~; NEW rtDOITIONAl RCCOKOS Of IMPftifAl. 8I-ACKT5H. SCHCOOPHIIUS OViUISfCUVIER, 1«}J|.....Mis-ISJ INTRODUCTION The imperial blackfish, Schedophilus ova I is (Cuvier, 1833), is a marine and benthopeiagic species living in the Eastern Atlantic from Spain and throughout most of the Mediterranean southward, while in the Western Central Atlantic some small specimens have been recorded off Bermuda (Haedrich, 1986a; Jardas, 1996). It could also be found in Australia {Haedrich, 1990). This species is rare in the Adriatic Sea (jardas, 1985, 1996). The white trevally, Pseudocaranx dentex (Bloch & Schneider, 1801). is a reef-associated, marine and brackish species living at depths ranging from 80 to 200 ro (Smith-Van\z, 1986; Jardas, 1996). It lives in the Western Atlantic (from Bermuda, North Carolina and south to southern Brazil), in the Eastern Atlantic (Azores, Madeira, Canaries, Cape Verde, Ascension and Saint Helena Island), in the Mediterranean, in the Indo-Pacific (South Africa, Japan, Hawaii, Australia, Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands), in New Zealand, and in New Caledonia (Smith-Vaniz, 1986; .larrlas, 1996). This species is very rare in the Adriatic Sea (jardas, 1985, 1996). The Atlantic pomfret, Brama brama (Bonnaterre, 1788), is a bathy- arid epipelagic species occurring at depths ranging from 0 to 1,000 m. This oceanic and highly migratory species lives in the South Pacific, Indian Ocean, Western Atlantic (from Nova Scotia, Canada and Bermuda to Belize and the Antilles), and in the Eastern Atlantic (from central Norway southward to At goa Bay and South Africa) (Haedrich, 1986b: Jardas, 1996). It could also be find in Australia (May and Maxwell, 1986), New Zealand (Paulin ef a/„ 1989) and Chile (Frimodt, 1995). This species is fairly rare in the Adriatic Sea (Jardas, 1985, 1996). The data on biology and ecology of the above mentioned species in the Adriatic are very scarce. The aim of this paper is to provide first data on the morphometric and meristic characteristics of these species for the Adriatic; Sea, some preliminary data on food items and data or! their additional occurrence in the Eastern Adriatic, MATERIAL AND METHODS in the ichthyo logical Collection of the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Split, Croatia. The specimens were preserved in 4% buffered formaldehyde, subsequently measured to the nearest 0.1 mm, and weighed to the nearest 0.1 g. Meristic characteristics considered were dorsal, anal, pectoral, ventral, caudal fins, and number of scales in the longitudinal tine. Immediately after capture, fish were dissected and Fig. 1; Schedophilus ova I is caught in the Southern Adriatic. (Photo: V. Onofri) SI. 1: Schedophilus ovalis, ujet v južnem jadranskem morju. (Foto: V. Onofri) Fig. 2: Brama brama caught in Pomo Pit. (Photo: A-Pallaoro) Si, 2; Brama brama, ujeta v kotanji Parno. (Foto: A. Pallaoro) A specimen of the imperial blackfish (Pig, 1) was caught on 28 July 2003 with "brankarela* (ripping hook mounted together on the iron or wooden stick) in the open waters of Southern Adriatic, 35 Nm SE from Dubrovnik (Southern Adriatic), at about 1,000 m depth (Fig. 4: location A). A specimen of the Atlantic pomfret (Fig. 2) was caught on 30 August 2002 with bottom trawl in the Pomo Pit, at about i 50 m depth (Fig, 4: location C). A specimen of the white trevally (Fig. 3) was caught on 30 October 2001 with trammel bottom set in Gvozde-nac Cove (Vis Island) at 20 in depth (Fig. 4: location B). The specimens were identified according to Jardas (1996). They are deposited (in jars with formaldehyde) tig. 3: Pseudocaranx dentex caught near Island Vis. (Photo: A. Pallaoro) SI. 3: Pseudocaranx dentex, ujet v bližini Visa. (Foto: A. Pallaoro) 150 ANNALES • Ser. hist. nal. ■ 13 • 2003 • 2 J,)k —T^T---------------------- 83 Tab- 1: Morphometric (in mm) and meristic data of the imperial h lack fish, white trevally and Atlantic pom fret in the Eastern Adriatic. Tab. 1: Morfometrični (v mm) in meristični podatki o vrsia/i Schedophiius oval is, Pseudocaranx dentex in Brama bra ma, ujetih v vzhodnem Jadranskem morju. ANN ALES • Ser. hist. nat. • 13 ■ 2003 • 2 jafceiv OLILČIC Pi NEW ADDITIONM RLCORDSOF IMPERIAL iSLACKFISH, XHFDOPHII US OVA! is lO'VISR. 1833> . 141-1-■¡4 philic species has increased; several species, sea ice or rare until now, are more abundant, while others are new records {Duidc era/., 1999). The auihors {ibid.) believe that the occurrence of the imperial blackfish and Cornish blackfish S. medusophagus in the Adriatic waters is ihe result of water warming, The northward extension of 5. ovalis to the Bay of Biscay (Quero et al., 2000) and recent occurrences of young 5. ovalis along the French Mediterranean coasts (Francour & javel 2003) could support this hypothesis. Francour & Javel (2003) assume that the observations of small to medium sized 5. ovalis they made in 2000-200! in the Alpes-maritimes department (Cannes, Antibes, Beaulieu/Mer) could be also explained by the present water warming (Francour et a/., 1994). According to Orsi-Relini et al. (1990), the size of the imperial blackfish specimen of about 45 cm TL corresponds to ¡he first year of its life, and taking this into consideration, the caught specimen from our study is a juvenile (0+). The results of Deudero er al. (1999) confirm the rare observations of the imperial blackfish made by Relini ei al. (19941 in the Ligurian Sea. Moreover, only 3 catches of this species have been reported from the Balearic Sea (Massuti& Stefariescu, 1994}. Several different groups of organisms were found in the stomach of the specimen: Narcomedusae (7 specimens of Solmissus albescens), Oecapoda (12 pieces of legs and remains of carapax), Chaetognalha (1 specimen of Sagitta sp.)f Tunicata (Appendicular^, 3 specimens of Oikopleura longicauda, some parts of Pyrosoma community), and fish scales (n=5). Maul (1964) found several indigested Pyrosoma sp. in the stomachs of the black imperial fish. Orsi-Relini et al. (1990) also found a lot of Pyrosoma sp., as well as 8 specimens of pteropod Cymbulia peroni (in one stomach) and euphausiidae shrimp Meganychtiphanes norvegica (in one stomach). Relini et al. (1994) discovered undigested pyrosomes and few fragments of jelly plankton in the stomachs of young black imperial fish. The meristic and morphometric data on the imperial blackfish presented in Table 1 are the first for this species from the Adriatic Sea and are in agreement with the data presented for the specimen from the Corvo Island (Azores) (www.fishbase.org) and with partially presented data by Haednch (1986a). The specimen of white trevally caught during this study is the fourth of this species in the Eastern Adriatic. P. dentex was recorded for the first time in the Eastern Adriatic, near Duba area (F'eljesac Peninsula). This specimen was (TL=34.4 c m) caught on 11 July 1986 at 6 rn depth with a net called "prostrca* (Pallaoro & jardas, 1996). Second specimen was caught with Song line near Lastovo Island in 1986 (Milisic, 1994). Third specimen was captured In November 2001 near Vis Island (TL= 35.8 cm) with trammel bottom set (Malic, pers. comm.). The meristic and morphometric data for the white trevaUy presented in Table 1 are the first for this species from the Adriatic Sea and are in agreement with the data presented for the specimen from Bianco Islet (Cape Verde Islands) (www.fishbase.org) and the data presented by Smith-Vaniz (1986). We found digested fish larvae and postlarvae and specimens of Mysidacea in the caught specimen's stomach (we were unable to determine any species, since the material was completely digested). This species feeds on plankton by ram-filtering and suction on bottom invertebrates (Smith-Vaniz, 1986). Russell (1983) reported that this species (Coat Island, northeastern coast of New Zealand) feeds on euphausiids (larvae), amphipods (juveniles and adults), copepods (juvenile and acluits) and gastropods (juvenile and adults). Its diet is also composed of squid, cuttlefish, finfish, crabs, shrimps, sea stars, sea urchins and bivalves (www.fishbase.org). Records of the Atlantic pomfret in the Adriatic are not as scarce as of the previous two species. It should be pointed that all records of this species were made in relatively shallow waters, in spite or the fact that this bathv- and epipelagic species could be found at depths of 1,000 m. It is highly migratory and occasionally comes close to shore. It is a seasonal migrant occurring in small schools and its movements are apparently temperature-related (Jardas, 1996). Three records for the Eastern Adriatic were reported in local newspapers (in 1980, 1981 and 1982 near the town of Rijeka), while one record was made by Pallaoro & jardas (1996) in the Kasteia Bay-Split, area on 7 February 1984 (TL=45.7 cm). One specimen is deposited in the lehthyologica! Collection of the Natural History Museum in Rijeka (Croatia) without any data (Kovacic, 1998). Two larval stages fig. 4: Map with the locations of records (A - Schedo-philus ovalis, H ~ Pseudoc.aranx dentex, C - Brama brama). SI. 4: Zemljevid z lokacijami zabeleženih vrst (A - Schedophilus ovalis, B - Pseudocaranx dentex, C -Brama brama). ANNALES • Ser. his?, nal. • 13 ■ 2003 • 2 likov OUICIČ ti al.: NEW ADOITIONAL RECORDS Of IMKUUAI KlACKflSI-l, SCHEDuFl-m.OS OVW.IS (CTJVIER. I8JJ), 140-154 were recorded for the first lime in the River Nerelva Estuary al a depth of 22 m (TL-4,36 mm and 11=5.00 mm) (Duicic, 1999). The meristic and morphometric data for the Atlantic pomfret presented in Tabie 1 are the first for this species from the Eastern Adriatic and are in agreement with the data presented by Haedrich (1936b), while they slightly differ from those regarding the specimen from Boavista Island (Cape Verde Islands) (www.fishbase.org). We found only two specimens of Argentina sphy-raena fish in the stomach of the caught Atlantic pomfret from Pomo Pit. Haedrich (1986b) described the Atlantic pomfret as an opportunistic feeder on small fishes, cephalopods, amphipods and euphausiids. According to Morovic (1973), the rarity of certain fish species could be evaluated from the records in scientific literature. Same author have pointed that if the species is recorded less than five times, it should be treated as a very rare species. According to this suggestion we could treat the imperial blackfish and white tre-vally (4 records in scientific literature until now) as very tare species tn the Eastern Adriatic, and the Atlantic pomfret as a rare species. We must also he careful with tools (gears) for providing target species if wishing to evaluate their rarity, as it is hard to sample the imperial blackfish (during different Itfe phases) using conventional methods. FADs (Fishing Attractive Devices) provide 3 useful tool for studying the mentioned species (Deudero et al., 1999), so it could be proposed for next studies on fish assemblages in the Adriatic, The status of investigated species needs to be evaluated on a continuous basis, as it is becoming increasingly apparent that uncommon species, and particularly those on the edge of their distribution, can be essential indicators of environmental change (Swabby & Potts, 1990). NOVI PODATKI O VRSTAH SCHEDOPHILUS OVALIS (CUVIER, 1 833), PSEUDOCARANX DENTEX (BLOCH & SCHNEIDER, 1 801) IN BRAMA BRAMA (BONNATERRE, 1 788), UJETIH V VZHODNEM JADRANSKEM MORJU lakov DULČiČ & Amvn PALLAORO inštitut za oceanografijo in ribištvo, HR-21000 f>f)lit, P.O.BOX 500 F mail: diifcieelizor.hr Vlado ONOFR! & Davor LUČIČ Inštitut za oceanografijo in ribištvo. Laboratorij v Dubrovniku, H R-20000 Dubrovnik Ivan JARDAS Inštitut 7.2. oceanografijo in ribištvo, HR-21000 Split, P.O.BOX S00 POVZETEK V vzhodnem Jadranu so bile v zadnjih dveh letih ujete vrste Schedophilus ovalis, Pseudocaranx dentex in Brama brama, v tem morju sicer neobičajne ribe. V članku so podani morfometrični in meristični podatki vseh treh vrst. Kljub dejstvu, da o njih obstaja vrsta znanstvenih zapisov, smemo reči, da sta Schedophilus ovalis in Pseudocaranx dentex zelo redki, Urama brarna pa redka vrsta v vzhodnem Jadranu. Ključne besede: Schedophilus ovalis,, Pseudocaranx dentex, Brama brama, novi podatki, vzhodni Jadran 153 ANNALES - Set. hist. nat. -13- 2003 ■ 2 laûwOW.ÎIC et NEW ADDrriONAt RECORDS Or (MPfRlAl W.ACKHSH, SCHCOOI'HUUSOV/UISICUVIE*. »MM. U9-1 54 REFERENCES Deudero, S., P. Merella, B. Morales-Nin, E. Massutf. & F. Alemany (1999): Fish communities associated with FADs. Sci. Mar., 63, 199-207. Dulcic, j. (1999); First record of larval Brama brama (Pisces; Bramidae) and Corypha&ta hippurus (Pisces: Co-ryphaenidae) in the Adriatic Sea. j. Plankton Res., 6, 1171-1174. Dulcic, J., B. Grbec & L. Lipcj (1999): Information on the Adriatic ichthyofauna - Effect of the water warming? Acta Adriat., 40, 33-43. Francour, P. & F. Javel (2003): Recent occurrences of young Schedophilus ovalis (Centrolophidae) along French Mediterranean coasts. Cybium, 27, 57-58. Francour, P., C. F. Boudouresque, J. G. Hairnet in, M. Harmelin-Vivien. & J. P. Quignard (1994): Are the Mediterranean waters becoming warmer? Information from biological indicators. Mar. Poll. 8ul!., 28, 523-526. Frimodt, C. (1995): Multilingual illustrated guide to the world's commercial coldwater fish. Fishing News Books, Osney Mead, Oxford, England. 215 pp. Haedrich, R. L. (1986a): Centrolophidae. In: Whitehead, P. ). P., M. L. Bauchot, .1. C. Hureau, ). Nielsen & E. Tortonese (eds.); Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Vol. 2. UNESCO, Paris, p. 11771182. Haedrich, R. L. (1986b): Bramidae. In: Whitehead, P. J. P., M. L. Bauchot, I. C. Hureau, ). Nielsen & E. Tortonese (eds.): Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Vol. 2. UNESCO, Paris, p. 847-853. Haedrich, R. L. (1990): Centrolophidae. In: Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). In: Quero, ,f. C, j. C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post, & L. Sal-danha eds.): .¡NICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris, and UNESCO, Paris, p. 1011-1013. http.//www.fishbasc.org/search. html Jardas, i. (1985): Pregied riba fsensu lalo) ladranskog mora (Cyclostomata, Selachii, Osteichthyes) s obzirom na taksonomiju i utvrdeni broj. Biosistematika, 11, 4574. fardas, I. (1996): Jadranska ihtiofauna. Skolska knjiga, Zagreb, 533 pp. Kolombalovic, f. (1902): Contribuzioni alia Fauna dot vertebrati della Dalmazia. Cias, naravoslov. drustva, 13, 22-37. Kovacic, M. (1998): ichthyological collection (Cyclostomata, Selachii, Osteichthyes) of the Natural History-Museum Rijeka. Prirodoslovna isirazivanja Rijeckog po~ druCja, 1. 685-698. Massuti, E. & C. Stefanescu (1994): Sobre la presfencia de dues espècies de peixos pelàgics associais a objectera f lofants en el Mar Català. Boll. Soc. Hist. Nat. Bal ears, 37, 117-123. Maul, P. (1964): Observation on young live Mupus maculatus and Mupus ovalis. Copeia, 1964, 93-97. May, j. L. & J. G. H. Maxwell (1986): Trawl fish from temperate waters of Australia. CSIRO Division of Fisheries Research, Tasmania, 492 pp. MiliSic, N. (1994): Sva riba Jadranskog mora. NIVA, Split, 463 pp. Morovic, D. (1973): Rijetke ribe u jadranu. Pomorski zbornik, 11, 367-383. Onofri, I. (1986): The rare saw-cheeked fish (Schedo-phiius medusophagus Cocco, 1839) (Pisces, Centrolophidae) in central Adriatic. Zbornik Matice srpske za pri-rodne nauke. 70, 135-141. (in Serbian) Orsi-Relini, L„ B. Fida & M. Relini (1990): Notes about Schedophikis ovalis (Osteichthyes, Centrolophidae) in the Ligurian Sea. Rapp. Comm. Int. Mer Médit-, 31, p. 272, Pallaoro, A. & I. Jardas (1996): Ichthyological Collection of the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Split (Croatia). Nat. Croat, 3, 177-219. Quero, J. C, M. H. Du Bu it, }. L. laborde & J, j. Vayne (2000): Observations ichtyoiogiques effectuees en 1999. Ann. Soc, Sci. nat. Charente-Marit., 8, 1039-1045. Relini, M. L., L. Relini & G. Reiini (1994): An offshore buoy as a FAD in the Mediterranean. Bull. Mar. Sci., 55, 1099-1105. Russe», B. C (1983): The food and feeding habits of rocky reef fish of north-eastern New Zealand. N. Z. J. Mar. Freshw. Res., 17(2), 121-145. Smith, M. M. (1986): Bramidae. In: Smith, M. M. & P. C. Heemstra (eds.): Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Veriag, Berlin, p. 633-636. Smith-Vaniz, W. F. (1986): Carangidae. in: Whitehead, P. j. P., M. !.. Bauchot, j. C. Hureau, J. Nielsen & E. Tortonese (eds.): Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Vol. 2. UNESCO, Paris, p. 815-845. Swabby, S. E. & G. W. Potts (1990): Rare British marine fishes - identification and conservation, j. Fish. Biol., 37, 133-143. 154