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Gaidropsarus granti from a Ligurian seamount: a Mediterranean native species?
Author(s) -
Orsi Relini Lidia,
Relini Giulio
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
marine ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.668
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1439-0485
pISSN - 0173-9565
DOI - 10.1111/maec.12122
Subject(s) - seamount , mediterranean climate , mediterranean sea , fish <actinopterygii> , biology , ecology , zoology , geography , fishery , paleontology
Two specimens of the A zorean rockling G aidropsarus granti (Regan 1903) were caught in the period August 1989–January 1990 on a seamount located about 29 nautical miles south of G enoa, L igurian S ea. The records remained unpublished because of errors in the literature concerning the two M acaronesian species G aidropsarus granti and G aidropsarus guttatus . Old and recent records of G . granti are now used to characterize morphological and ecological traits of this species. In particular, G . granti is unmistakably adapted to a sedentary life on hard substrata, and all records occurred in offshore slope waters, frequently on banks and seamounts. Ecological characteristics and biogeographical considerations are introduced in the discussion about the origin of the Mediterranean records of G . granti , specifically whether this fish should be considered an introduced or a native species.