A tale of two Atlantic fish migrants : records of the lesser amberjack Seriola fasciata and the African hind Cephalopholis taeniops from the Maltese Islands

Abstract

The Mediterranean Sea is witnessing an unprecedented influx of non-indigenous species from contiguous marine areas. The influx of Atlantic species is gaining attraction, although it has been overshadowed in terms of species numbers by the Lessepsian migration, with the number of Atlantic additions to the Mediterranean marine biota on the increase. This study documents records of the lesser amberjack (Seriola fasciata) and the African hind (Cephalopholis taeniops) made in Maltese waters in recent years, with findings suggesting that the range of these two Atlantic migrants in the Mediterranean is expanding.