Fish species alien to Mediterranean picked up in Maltese waters

The Guinea angelfish (Holacanthus africanus), a species alien to the Mediterranean, has been located in Maltese waters, oceanographer Alan Deidun has reported.

The team behind the Spot the Alien Fish campaign, a citizen science campaign which kicked off earlier this year, were alerted to the capture this spring of two individuals of the Guinea angelfish, which had previously been unknown in the Mediterranean, making this find a highly significant one.

According to Deidun, who heads the Spot the Alien Fish campaign, the fact that the Guinea angelfish is a non-migratory species associated with reefs at shallow depths in its native range (such as waters off Ghana and Guinea, in West Africa) suggests that the species was introduced to our waters through a human-mediated process.

In fact, the two individuals of this species were literally caught within tens of metres of each other at Senglea, leading researchers to speculate that the species might have been introduced along with the oil rig stationed at Senglea for repairs and maintenance work, given that both the fish and the oil rig originate from the tropical west coast of Africa. The intentional release of the species within our waters through the aquarium industry is yet another possibility given its popularity within such an industry. The Guinea angelfish is not dangerous to humans and can be consumed, although it’s not prized in commercial fisheries.

Reports of new species can be sent to the Spot the Alien Fish campaign by email (aliensmalta.eu), through the campaign website (www.aliensmalta.eu) or through the campaign Facebook page. The campaign is dedicated to documenting the arrival of new species to our waters, with such records surging in recent years. The text of the scientific paper emerging from this interesting find can be accessed at: http://www.reabic.net/journals/bir/2017/Accepted/BIR_2017_Deidun_etal_correctedproof.pdf