New records of non-indigenous fishes (Perciformes andTetraodontiformes) from the Canary Islands(north-eastern Atlantic)

New records of non-indigenous fishes (Perciformes and Tetraodontiformes) from the Canary Islands (north-eastern Atlantic) by Raül TRiay-PoRTella (1), José G. PaJuelo (1, 2), Pablo ManenT (1), Fernando esPino (3), Raquel Ruiz-Díaz (1), José M. loRenzo (1, 2) & José a. González* (2) Cybium 2015, 39(3): 163-174. (1)FacultaddeCienciasdelMar,UniversidaddeLasPalmasdeGranCanaria,CampusdeTafira,LasPalmasdeGranCanaria, 35017 las Palmas, spain. [[email protected]] [[email protected]] [[email protected]] (2) instituto universitario de estudios ambientales y Recursos naturales (i-unaT), universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canaria, CampusdeTafira,LasPalmasdeGranCanaria,35017LasPalmas,Spain.[[email protected]][[email protected]] (3)CentrodeInvestigaciónenBiodiversidadyConservación(BIOCON),UniversidaddeLasPalmasdeGranCanaria,CampusdeTafira, las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 las Palmas, spain. [[email protected]g] * Corresponding author [[email protected]] Many authors have postulated on a tropicalizationprocessoffishassemblages in temperate biogeographic transition zones, including the Macaronesian region and some parts of the Mediterranean sea (Brito et al., 2005; Wirtz et al., 2008; afonso et al., 2013; Horta Costa et al., 2014), associated with global warming in many cases (Brito et al., 2005; Perry et al., 2005; occhipinti-ambrogi, 2007). a recent review by Vergés et al. (2014) accounts for this topic in temperate marine ecosystems, emphasizing that climate-driven changes in biotic interactions can profoundly alter ecological communities, particularly when they impact foundation species. During the last thirty years, ichthyologists have reported the presence (and sometimes establishment) of non-indigenousmarinefishspeciesaroundtheCanaryIslands(Fig.1), generally arriving from subtropical and tropical nearby areas (i.e. the north-western african coasts and the Cape Verde islands) (e.g. Brito, 1991; Brito et al., 2002, 2005). Within the Macaronesian archipelagos, this phenomenon has also been reported at Madeira (e.g. Wirtz et al., 2008) and azores (e.g. afonso et al., 2013). early examples of these findings from the Canaries include Lutjanus goreensis (Valenciennes, 1830) (Lutjanidae) (González and santana, 1986), Corniger spinosus agassiz, 1831 (Holocentridae) (lozano and Brito, 1989), Epinephelus itajara (lichtenstein, 1822) (serranidae), Argyrosomus regius (asso, 1801) (sciaenidae), Dentex canariensis steindachner, 1881, Pagrus africanus akazaki, 1962 (sparidae), Trachurus trecae Cadenat, 1950 (Carangidae), Chaetodon hoefleri steindachner, 1881, Prognathodes marcellae (Poll, 1950) (Chaetodontidae), Abudefduf saxatilis (linnaeus, 1758) (Pomacentridae), Acanthurus monroviae steindachner, 1876 (acanthuridae), Aluterus monoceros (linnaeus, 1758) (Monacanthidae), Orcynopsis unicolor (Geoffroy saint-Hilaire, 1817), Scomberomorus tritor (Cuvier, 1832) (scombridae) (Brito, 1991), Dentex angolensis Poll & Maul, 1953 (sparidae) (Rico et al., 1995) or Holocentrus adscenaBsTRaCT. – We report the collection of specimens of Paranthias furcifer (serranidae), Abudefduf hoefleri (Pomacentridae), Acanthurus bahianus, A. chirurgus, A. coeruleus (acanthuridae), and Cantherhines pullus (Monacanthidae)asfirstrecordsforthesetropicalandsubtropicalspeciesfromtheCanaryIslands(north-eastern atlantic). Most of these records coincide with the presence of oil platforms towards and within the Port of las Palmas.Regardingthemanagementofthearrivalofwarm-affinityfishspecies,itwouldbenecessarytoimplement control and monitoring measures to avoid they become invaders, displacing indigenous species and changing the ecosystems. RÉSUMÉ. - Premier signalement d’espèces non-indigènes (Perciformes et Tetraodontiformes) aux îles Canaries (atlantique nord-est). la capture de spécimens de Paranthias furcifer (serranidae), Abudefduf hoefleri (Pomacentridae), Acanthurus bahianus, A. chirurgus, A. coeruleus (acanthuridae) et Cantherhines pullus (Monacanthidae) représente le premier signalement pour ces six espèces tropicales et subtropicales aux îles Canaries (atlantique nord-est). les zones autochtones de ces espèces coïncident avec les zones d’origine et l’arrivée de plates-formes pétrolières au PortdeLasPalmas.Lecontrôleetlesuividel’introductiond’espècesayantdesaffinitésavecleseauxchaudes devraient être mis en œuvre pour éviter qu’elles deviennent invasives, déplaçant les espèces indigènes et modifiantlesécosystèmes. © SFI Received: 6 Jul. 2015 Accepted: 18 Aug. 2015 Editor: R. Causse Key words serranidae Pomacentridae acanthuridae Monacanthidae eastern atlantic Canary islands new record oil platforms Fishes introduced to the Canaries Tr i a y -PorTella e t a l . 164 Cybium 2015, 39(3) sionis (osbeck, 1765) (Holocentridae) (Castro-Hernández and Martín-Gutiérrez, 2000). Many other records of subtropical and tropical fish species in waters of the Canary islands were compiled by Brito et al. (2002), for instance Rhincodon typus smith, 1828 (Rhincodontidae), Grammonus longhursti (Cohen, 1964) (Bythitidae), Antennarius striatus (shaw, 1794) (antennariidae), Myripristis jacobus Cuvier, 1829 (Holocentridae), Epinephelus caninus (Valenciennes, 1843) (serranidae), Priacanthus arenatus Cuvier, 1829 (Priacanthidae), Caranx hippos (linnaeus, 1766), C. latus agassiz, 1831, C. lugubris Poey, 1860, Decapterus punctatus (Cuvier, 1829), Elagatis bipinnulata (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825), Selene dorsalis (Gill, 1863), Seriola carpenteri Mather, 1971 (Carangidae), Erythrocles monodi Poll & Cadenat, 1954 (emmelichthyidae), Lobotes surinamensis (Bloch, 1790) (lobotidae), Mulloidichthys martinicus (Cuvier, 1829) (Mullidae), Microlipophrys velifer (norman, 1935) (Blenniidae), Gnatholepis thompsoni Jordan, 1904 (Gobiidae), Balistes punctatus Gmelin, 1789, Canthidermis sufflamen (Mitchill, 1815), Melichthys niger (Bloch, 1786) (Balistidae), Chilomycterus reticulatus (linnaeus, 1758) or Diodon hystrix linnaeus, 1758 (Diodontidae). in recent years,othersubtropicalandtropicalfishspecieshavebeen reported from the Canaries, including Cephalopholis taeniops (Valenciennes, 1828) (serranidae) (Brito et al., 2011), Echiophis punctifer (Kaup, 1859) (ophichthidae), Hypleurochilus sp. (Blenniidae) (espino et al., 2014), and Lutjanus dentatus (Duméril, 1861) (Lutjanidae)(García-Mederosand Tuset, 2014). it is also noteworthy that some of these non-native species have been found in port waters (mainly in the Port of las Palmas, Gran Canaria island, and in the Port of santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife island) or in their vicinity (Fig. 1). some examples are Cephalopholis nigri (Günther, 1859), Epinephelus costae (steindachner, 1878) (serranidae) (Brito, 1991), Chaetodon sanctaehelenae Günther, 1868 (Chaetodontidae) (Brito and Falcón, 1996) or Monodactylus sebae (Cuvier, 1829) (Monodactylidae) (Brito et al., 2002). Outofthesefishspecieshavingwarmwateraffinity,at least Caranx crysos (Mitchill, 1815), Decapterus macarellus (Cuvier, 1833) (Carangidae), Lutjanus goreensis (Brito et al., 2002), Diodon eydouxii Brisout de Barneville, 1846 (Diodontidae) (Brito et al., 2005), Gnatholepis thompsoni, Chilomycterus reticulatus (espino et al., 2014), Canthidermis sufflamen and Abudefduf saxatilis (author obs.) seem to have currently well-established populations around the Canary islands. Thepresenceofnon-nativemarinefishspeciesinbiogeographical regions well separated from their donor regions has been related with the natural population extensions, in many cases associated with climate change (e.g. Brito et al., 2005; Perry et al., 2005; occhipinti-ambrogi, 2007). in responsetowarmerconditions,marinefishestendtoshift their distributions to higher latitudes (Perry et al., 2005; spencer 2008; nye et al., 2009; lucey and nye, 2010; Horta Costa et al., 2014). However, in the case of human-caused factors, the arrival areas are linked to transport vectors (shipping)ofnon-nativefishspecies(e.g.Vitouseket al., 1997). in the context of the Canary islands, the transport vector has been mainly associated with ballast waters [Brito et al. (2011), C. taeniops] and, to a lesser extent, with aquarium trade [Brito et al. (2002), Pomacanthus maculosus (Forsskål, 1775)(Pomacanthidae)].However,Pajueloet al. (unpubl. data)havevideo-recorded,forthefirsttimefromtheCanaries, that oil platforms are an important vector for the translocation and introduction of non-native species. Onceverifiedthat,inthelastfiveyears,oilrigsoperating in West africa and south america have increasingly consolidated the Port of las Palmas as the most important base for oil platforms in the north-eastern atlantic, a network of volunteer observers has reported sightings and/or catches of non-indigenous species. Following this strategy, useful information was gathered and several specimens of different non-native species were collected and taxonomically identified. Thepresentpaperdescribestherecords,forthefirsttime, ofsixteleostfishesfromtheCanaryIslands:Paranthias furcifer (Valenciennes, 1828) (serranidae), Abudefduf hoefleri (steindachner, 1881) (Pomacentridae), Acanthurus bahianus Castelnau, 1855, Acanthurus chirurgus (Bloch, 1787), Acanthurus coeruleus Bloch & schneider, 1801 (acanthuridae), and Cantherhines pullus (Ranzani, 1842) (Monacanthidae) (Fig.2).Moreover,thepresenceoffivetropicalorsubtropical non-native fish species previously recorded from the Figure 1. - The Canary islands and the study area. Tr i a y -Po r T e l l a e t a l . Fishes introduced to the Canaries Cybium 2015, 39(3) 165 Canariesisconfirmed:Holocentrus adscensionis (Holocentridae), Cephalopholis taeniops (serranidae), Prognathodes marcellae (Chaetodontidae), Abudefduf saxatilis (Pomacentridae), and Acanthurus monroviae (acanthuridae) (Fig. 2). Biogeographical data on these species have been gathered and they are provided herein. MATERIAL AND METHODS Volunteer observers (sCuBa divers, professional and recreationalfishermen)reportedsightingsand/orcatchesof non-nativefishspeciesalongthenorth,east,andsouth-east coasts of Gran Canaria (Fig. 1). The number of sightings/ catches and the total number of individuals are given for eachnon-indigenousfishspecies.Foreachfish(observedor caught), collection information (locality, coordinates, date, depth, type of substratum, among others) was recorded. Mostnon-nativespecimenscollectedbyspearfishingor professionalfishinggearwereexaminedatthelaboratoryfor taxonomicidentificationanddeterminationofsexandmaturity condition. Just two specimens of two non-indigenous specieswereidentifiedfromphotographsoffreshlycaught animals; in these cases, the size of specimens was indirectly estimated. Meristic and morphometric measurements (inmm)weremadefollowingHubbsandLagler(1958):TL, total length and sl, standard length. This study follows the best practices approach to overcomingunverifiedandunverifiable“firstrecords”,asproposed by Bello et al. (2014). Voucher specimens were deposited in the collections of the Tenerife Museum of natural History (TFMC, spain) and the Funchal natural History Museum (MMF, Portugal). Muscle tissue samples taken from each specimen, as well as some voucher specimens, were stored at iCCM (initiative for Marine science Collections, in english) from the Department of Biology of the university of las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The systematic arrangement of the present account of species followed nelson (2006), and their taxonomical status was assigned according to eschmeyer and Fong (2015) and Froese and Pauly (2015). RESULTS Holocentrus adscensionis (Osbeck, 1765), squirrelfish Material examined. – iCCM399, one resting male, 219mmTL,167mmSL,offLaLajaBeach,28°03’N 15°25’W,15–24m,15Feb.2015,rockswithsand(Fig.2A). Sightings and catches. – once, n = 1, same locality (Fig. 3). Remarks. – a tropical and subtropical reef-associated species, living from the shoreline to 180 m of depth (smith, 1997), usually at 8-30 m (Wyatt, 1983). it occurs in shallow coral reefs as well as deeper offshore waters (Woods and Greenfield,1978).Anocturnalspecies,hidingindeepcrevices or under coral ledges during the day; at night, it usually moves over sand and seagrass beds, taking mainly crabs andothersmallcrustaceans(Greenfield,1981).Maximum length published is 610 mm Tl. an amphi-atlantic species. in the West atlantic, it ranges from north Carolina, usa and Bermuda to Brazil (Woods and Greenfield, 1978; Robins andRay,1986;Greenfield,2003).Inthemid-Atlantic:St. Paul’s Rocks, ascension and st. Helena islands (Wirtz et al., 2007). in the east atlantic, it is known from annobón island (Wirtz et al., 2007) and são Tomé island (osório, 1898; afonso et al., 1999; Wirtz et al., 2007), and from Gabon toAngola(Greenfield,1981);absentfromtheCapeVerde islands (Wirtz et al., 2013; Hanel and John, 2015). H. adscensioniswasfirstreportedfromtheCanariesby Castro-Hernández and Martín-Gutiérrez (2000) based on one individual caught off Castillo del Romeral, south-eastern coast of Gran Canaria. Brito et al. (2002) reported on a total of nine individuals all collected at the eastern coast of Gran Canaria. one more individual was sighted and photographed alive off Punta de la sal, eastern coast of Gran Canaria (espino et al., 2014). another individual (220 mm Tl, 168 mm sl) caught at the Port of santa Cruz de Tenerife (rockybreakwater,20-30m)inOctober2014wasidentified by the second author and deposited as a museum voucher (TFMCBM-VP/1949). Cephalopholis taeniops (Valenciennes, 1828), African hind or blue-spotted seabass Material examined. – iCCM404, one resting male, 390mmTL,325mmSL,offBajadeMelenara(Melenara reef),27°59’N15°22’W,15-24m,15Oct.2014,rockswith sand (Fig. 2B). Sightings and catches.–Twice,n=3:Melenarareef, 15-24m,rockswithsand;offthePortofAgaete,28°06’N 15°42’W,20-30m,rockswithsand(Fig.3). Remarks. – a demersal species, found on shallow tropical rocky reefs and sandy bottoms up to 200 m depth in the eastern atlantic from the Western sahara to angola, including Cape Verde and são Tomé and Príncipe islands (Rocha et al., 2008; Craig et al., 2011; Tariche et al., 2014). This is a large-sized carnivorous species (Tariche 2002; Brito et al., 2011). Maximum length published is 700 mm Tl. C. taeniopswasfirstreportedfromtheCanariesbyBrito et al. (2011) based on one individual caught at the Port of las Palmas. Paranthias furcifer (Valenciennes, 1828), creole-fish Material examined. – MMF44365, one post-spawning male,340mmTL,264mmSL,olddikeofArinaga,27°51’N 15°23’W,6-8m,16Apr.2015,rockysubstrate(Fig.2C). Fishes introduced to the Canaries Tr i a y -PorTella e t a l . 166 Cybium 2015, 39(3) MMF44490, one post-spawning male, 352 mm Tl, 279 mm SL,dikeReinaSofía,28°07’N15°24’W,15moverabottom of 24 m of depth, 11 May 2015, rocks. Sightings and catches.–Fourtimes,n=27:dikeReina sofía, 12-15 m over a bottom of 21 m of depth, rocky breakwater;offLaIsleta,28°10’N15°24’W,19–20m,rocks;old dike of arinaga, 6-8 m, rocky substrate (Fig. 3). Remarks. – a tropical and subtropical reef-associated species (Heemstra and Randall, 1993), living between 8 and 100 m of depth (lieske and Myers, 1994), usually at 10-66 m (Randall, 1996). inhabits coral reefs and hard bottom areas. observed in feeding aggregations above reefs. Feeds mainly in midwater on zooplankton (copepods, pelagic tunicates, shrimps and shrimp larvae) (Heemstra and Randall, 1993; lieske and Myers, 1994). Paranthias Guichenot, 1868 is a unique genus of groupers that have a small mouth [with a moreprotrusibleupperjawthaninothergroupers],small teeth, numerous [long] gill rakers, fusiform body, and deeply forkedcaudalfin–allrepresentingdeparturesfromthetypical grouper morphology, and all specializations for feeding in mid-water on zooplankton (Randall, 1967). Paranthias feed mainly on small planktonic animals that are picked individually from the water, and their shortened snout (compared to other groupers), which facilitates close-range binocular vision, is thus another specialization for this type of plankton feeding (Heemstra and Randall, 1993). Maximum length published is 300 mm sl. it seems to be primarily a western atlantic species, distributed from Bermuda and south Florida, usa to são Paulo, Brazil (Heemstra and Randall,1993).Inthemid-Atlantic:AscensionIsland(Cadenat and Marchal, 1963; Wirtz et al.,2014).IntheEastAtlantic: known from the Gulf of Guinea islands of annobón, são Figure 2. - non-native species introduced to the Canaries. A: Holocentrus adscensionis; B: Cephalopholis taeniops; C: Paranthias furcifer; D:Prognathodes marcellae; E: Abudefduf saxatilis; F:Abudefduf hoefleri; G:Acanthurus bahianus; H:Acanthurus coeruleus; I: Acanthurus chirurgus; J:Acanthurus monroviae; K:Cantherhines pullus. scale bars = 5 cm. Tr i a y -Po r T e l l a e t a l . Fishes introduced to the Canaries Cybium 2015, 39(3) 167 Tomé and Príncipe (osório, 1893; Wirtz et al., 2007) and Bioko (Wirtz et al., 2007). This is the first record for P. furcifer from the Canary islands. Prognathodes marcellae (Poll, 1950), French butterflyfish Material examined. – no voucher specimens. one individual caught on a fish-trap and photographed, and then identified by the authors. an adult, approximately 97 mm TL,offElBurreroBeach,27°54’N15°23’W,40-50m,16 aug. 2014, sand (Fig. 2D). Sightings and catches.–Twice,n=2:offElBurrero Beach,40-50m,sand;BajadeGando(=Gandoreef),27º 56’N15º21’W,23m,rocks(Fig.3). Remarks. – a tropical reef-associated species, living from 12 to 140 m of depth (Maugé, 1990). Most specimens were collected on soft bottoms (Maugé, 1990). oviparous; form pairs during breeding (Breder and Rosen, 1966). no information exists on its feeding habits in literature. Maximum length published is 116 mm Tl (Reiner, 2005). an eastern atlantic species, known from senegal and Cape Verde islands (Maugé, 1990; Brito et al., 1999; Wirtz et al., 2013; Hanel and John, 2015) to angola (Bianchi, 1986), including the Gulf of Guinea islands of são Tomé and Rolas where is common at 5-20 m (Wirtz et al., 2007). P. marcellaewasfirstreportedfromtheCanariesbyBrito (1991), as a demersal littoral species on rocky bottom, based on one individual caught in the south of Tenerife island. Figure3.-CollectionlocationsforthenewrecordsfromtheCanaries.1:Holocentrus adscensionis, 2: Cephalopholis taeniops, 3: Paranthias furcifer, 4:Prognathodes marcellae, 5: Abudefduf saxatilis, 6:Abudefduf hoefleri, 7:Acanthurus bahianus,8:Acanthurus coeruleus,9:Acanthurus chirurgus,10:Acanthurus monroviae,11:Cantherhines pullus. Fishes introduced to the Canaries Tr i a y -PorTella e t a l . 168 Cybium 2015, 39(3) Abudefduf hoefleri (Steindachner, 1881), African sergeant Material examined. – MMF44366, one resting female, 228mmTL,173mmSL,dikeReinaSofía,28°07’N 15°24’W,18-19moverabottomof21mofdepth,21Mar. 2015, rocky breakwater (Fig. 2e). Four maturing males, offSanCristóbal,28°04’N15°24’W,18m,24Apr.2015, rockswithsand:MMF44375,219mmTL,155mmSL; MMF44376, 220 mm Tl, 155 mm sl; iCCM405, 193 mm Tl, 138 mm sl; iCCM406, 195 mm Tl, 144 mm sl. Sightings and catches.–Threetimes,n>100:dike Reina sofía, 21 m, rocky breakwater; off san Cristóbal, 18 m, rocks with sand (Fig. 3). Remarks. – a tropical reef-associated species (allen, 1991). a littoral species that inhabits rocky reefs (lloris and Rucabado, 1990). oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding; eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate; males guard and aerate the eggs (Breder and Rosen, 1966). no information exists on its feeding habits in literature. Maximum length published is 200 mm Tl. an eastern atlantic species, known from senegal and Cape Verde islands (edwards, 1986; Wirtz et al., 2013; Hanel and John, 2015) to Benin, including são Tomé island and ilheu das Rolas (osório, 1891; lloris and Rucabado, 1990; Wirtz et al., 2007). This is the first record for A. hoefleri from the Canary islands. Abudefduf saxatilis (Linnaeus, 1758), sergeant-major Material examined. – iCCM400, one resting male, 125mmTL,98mmSL,offLaLajaBeach,28°03’N 15°25’W,15-24m,15Feb.2015,rockswithsand(Fig.2F). Sightings and catches.–Twentytimes,n>310:dike Reina sofía, 12 m over a bottom of 21 m of depth, rocky breakwater;offLaGaritaBeach,28°00’N15°22’W, 15-24 m, rocks with sand; off las Canteras Beach’s sedimentaryreef,28°09’N15°28’W,6-7m,largerockswith sand;offBajadeMelenara(=Melenarareef),15-24m,rocks withsand;offRiscoVerde,27º51’N15º23’W,5-8m,verticalcliff;offElCabrónBeach,27º52’N15º23’W,8-10m, verticalcliff;offthePortofSardinadelNorte,28º09’N 15º41’W,5-8m,sandwithrocks;aroundtheKalais(33m, sand) and arona (27-30 m, sand), shipwrecks, in the Bay of LasPalmasnearthePortofLasPalmas;BajadeJinámar(= Jinámarreef),28º02’N15º22’W,anisolatedrockyoutcrop (an urchin-grazed barren) 1.5 km away from the coast at ca. 39 m of depth (Fig. 3). Remarks. – a subtropical benthopelagic reef-associated species (allen, 1991), living from the shoreline to 20 m of depth (Feitoza et al., 2003). Juveniles are common in tidal pools, while adults are found over shallow reef tops. adults frequently form large feeding aggregations of up to several hundred individuals. Food items include algae, small crustaceans and fish, and various invertebrate larvae (emery, 1978). adult males adopt a bluish ground colour when guarding eggs. oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding; eggs are demersal and adhere to the substrate (Breder and Rosen, 1966). Maximum length published is 229 mm Tl (Claro, 1994). it seems to be primarily an amphi-atlantic species.WestAtlantic:fromCanada(ScottandScott,1988) to uruguay, abundant on Caribbean reefs (allen, 1991). Inthemid-Atlantic:AscensionIsland(CadenatandMarchal, 1963; Wirtz et al.,2014).EastAtlantic:fromSenegal south to angola, including the Cape Verde islands (Franca and Vasconcelos, 1962; Wirtz et al., 2013; Hanel and John, 2015), são Tomé and Príncipe islands (osório, 1891; afonso et al., 1999; Wirtz et al., 2007), Bioko island, annobón island and other offshore islands (Wirtz et al., 2007). also reportedatMadeira(FreitasandAraújo,2006;Wirtzet al., 2008) and Malta, central Mediterranean (Deidun and Castriota, 2014). Foster and Willan (1979) reported this species from the western Pacific (solomon islands), based on the observation of a couple of individuals adopted by a semisubmersible exploratory drilling platform in coastal waters of the solomon islands. A. saxatiliswasfirstreportedfromtheCanariesbyBrito (1991, as A. marginatus) based on one individual caught at the Port of santa Cruz de Tenerife. Brito et al. (2002) reported on one more individual sighted in a beach near that port. Acanthurus bahianus Castelnau, 1855, ocean surgeon Material examined. – MMF44367, one resting female, 168mmTL,131mmSL,ElAltillo,28°11’N15°33’W,4m, 8 aug. 2014, reef platform (Fig. 2G). Sightings and catches. – once, n = 1, same locality (Fig. 3). Remarks. – a tropical reef-associated species (Robins and Ray, 1986), living from 2 (Baensch and Debelius, 1997) to 40 m of depth (Desoutter, 1990), usually at 2-25 m, between 21and25°C(BaenschandDebelius,1997).Inhabitsshallow bottoms with coral or rocky formations (Cervigón, 1994). Usuallyoccursingroupsoffiveormoreindividuals.Mainly diurnal. Feeds on algae (Robins and Ray, 1986). Maximum length published is 381 mm sl (Humann, 1994). an amphiAtlanticspecies.WestAtlantic:Massachusetts,USAand Bermuda southward to southern Brazil (Froese and Pauly, 2015, anderson et al.,2015).Inthemid-Atlantic:Ascension (Cadenat and Marchal, 1963; Wirtz et al., 2014) and st. HelenaIslands(Desoutter,1990).EastAtlantic:offAngola (smith, 1997). ThisisthefirstrecordforA. bahianus from the Canary islands. Acanthurus chirurgus (Bloch, 1787), doctorfish Material examined. – MMF44368, one mature female, 307mmTL,244mmSL,dikeReinaSofía,28°07’N Tr i a y -Po r T e l l a e t a l . Fishes introduced to the Canaries Cybium 2015, 39(3) 169 15°24’W,18-19moverabottomof21mofdepth,21Mar. 2015, rocky breakwater (Fig. 2H). Sightings and catches. – once, n = 1, same locality (Fig. 3). Remarks. – a subtropical reef-associated species, living from 2 (Baensch and Debelius, 1997) to 25 m of depth (Desoutter, 1990), usually at 2-15 m, between 22 and 25°C(BaenschandDebelius,1997),ranging37°N,7°S, 89°W-34°W(RobinsandRay,1986).Inhabitsshallowreefs or rocky areas. Found in loose aggregations (lieske and Myers, 1994). Mainly diurnal. ingests sand when feeding on algae (Randall, 1996), other plants, detritus, worms, molluscs and other invertebrates (Robins and Ray, 1986). Maximum length published is 390 mm Tl (male) (Figueiredo et al., 2002). larvae are planktonic (Figueiredo et al., 2002). an amphi-atlantic species (Robins and Ray, 1986). West Atlantic:Massachusetts,USAandBermudatosouthernBrazil.EastAtlantic:Senegal,theCapeVerdes(Osório,1909; Brito et al., 1999; Reiner, 2005; Hanel and John, 2015) and ascension island (Rocha et al., 2002; Bingeman and Bingeman, 2005; Wirtz et al., 2014; anderson et al., 2015). ThisisthefirstrecordforA. chirurgus from the Canary islands. Acanthurus coeruleus Bloch & Schneider, 1801, blue tang surgeonfish Material examined. – Two specimens, dike Reina sofía, 28°07’N15°24’W,rockybreakwater:MMF44369,one maturing female, 237 mm Tl, 188 mm sl, 12 m over a bottom of 21 m of depth, 9 Feb. 2015 (Fig. 2i); iCCM401, one immature male, 276 mm Tl, 211 mm sl, 18-19 m over a bottom of 21 m of depth, 21 Mar. 2015. Sightings and catches. – Twice, n = 2, same locality (Fig. 3). Remarks. – a tropical reef-associated species, living from 2 to 40 m of depth (Desoutter, 1990), usually at 2-18 m, between24and26°C(BaenschandDebelius,1997),ranging42°N,15°S,100°W-4°W(RobinsandRay,1986).Inhabits coral reefs, inshore grassy or rocky areas. Forms small groups (Coupal et al., 1992). Mainly diurnal. Feeds entirely on algae (Böhlke and Chaplin, 1993). Maximum length published is 390 mm Tl (Figueiredo and Menezes, 2000). it seems to be primarily a western atlantic species, known from new york, usa and Bermuda to southern Brazil. also reported from the mid-atlantic island of ascension (Cadenat and Marchal, 1963; lubbock, 1980; Desoutter, 1990; Bingeman and Bingeman, 2005; Wirtz et al., 2014; anderson et al., 2015). ThisisthefirstrecordforA. coeruleus from the Canary islands. Acanthurus monroviae Steindachner, 1876, Monrovia doctorfish Material examined. – Four specimens, dike Reina sofía, 28°07’N15°24’W,21m,21Mar.2015,rockybreakwater: MMF44370, one immature female, 251 mm Tl, 195 mm sl (Fig. 2J); MMF44371, one immature male, 242 mm Tl, 184 mm sl; TFMCBM-VP/1950, one immature female, 235 mm Tl, 176 mm sl; TFMCBM-VP/1951, one immature male, 228 mm Tl, 174 mm sl. Two specimens, off LaIsleta,28°10’N15°24’W,20m,rocks:ICCM402,one unsexed adult, 350 mm Tl, 239 mm sl, 13 Jul. 2013; iCCM403, one spawning male, 392 mm Tl, 286 mm sl, 18 apr. 2015. Sightings and catches.–Threetimes,n=5:dikeReina sofía, 21 m, rocky breakwater; off la isleta, 19-37 m, rocks (Fig. 3). Remarks. – a tropical demersal species, living from 5 to 200 m of depth (Desoutter, 1990), usually at 5-40 m, between20and25°C(BaenschandDebelius,1997).Found on rocky and coral bottoms (schneider, 1990). it is also a brackish coastal species found in the mouth of rivers and lagoons (Desoutter, 1990). Feeds on zooplankton, phytoplankton and detritus (Diouf, 1996). Maximum length publishedis450mmSL(Randall,1981).Itisfirstlyaneastern Atlanticspecies:fromPortugal(CostaandGonçalves,2013, at38.43°NinDecember2007)andMoroccotoAngola, including the Cape Verdes (Franca and Vasconcelos, 1962; Wirtz et al., 2013; Hanel and John, 2015) and são Tomé island (osório, 1891; afonso et al., 1999; Wirtz et al., 2007). RecentlyreportedfromtheWestAtlantic:Brazil(LuizJúnior et al., 2004). A. monroviae was first reported from the Canaries by Brito(1991)basedonfiveindividualscaughtatthePortof santa Cruz de Tenerife. Brito et al. (2002) reported on several sightings and another four individuals caught in Gran Canaria. one more observation was reported off el Cabrón Beach in august 2014 by espino et al. (2014). Cantherhines pullus (Ranzani, 1842), orange-spotted filefish Material examined. – no voucher specimens. one individualcaughtonafishtrapandphotographed,andthenidentifiedbyanexpert.Anadult,approximately114mmTL,off CastillodelRomeral,27°47’N15°27’W,18-30m,14Jan. 2015, rocks (Fig. 2K). Sightings and catches. – once, n = 1, same locality (Fig. 3). Remarks. – a subtropical reef-associated species, living from 3 to 50 m of depth (Harmelin-Vivien and Quéro, 1990), usually at 3-20 m (Gasparini and Floeter, 2001). Found in shallow water and around coral and rocky reefs (Tyler, 1978). usually remains near the bottom, hiding among gorgonians and branching coral (lieske and Myers, 1994). Fishes introduced to the Canaries Tr i a y -PorTella e t a l . 170 Cybium 2015, 39(3) Feeds on bottom growth, primarily sponges and algae, but stomachs often contain tunicates, bryozoans and other sessile benthic invertebrates (Böhlke and Chaplin, 1993). young are pelagic and highly important food items in the diet of large predaceousfishessuchastunasandbillfishes(Tyler,1978). Maximum length published is 200 mm Tl (Robins and Ray, 1986).Anamphi-Atlanticspecies.WestAtlantic:known from Massachusetts, usa and Bermuda to southeastern Brazil (Harmelin-Vivien and Quéro, 1990), including Trindade Island(GaspariniandFloeter,2001).EastAtlantic:offsome Gulf of Guinea islands (Harmelin-Vivien and Quéro, 1990), são Tomé and Príncipe (osório, 1891; afonso et al., 1999; Wirtz et al., 2007) and annobón (Wirtz et al., 2007). absent from the Cape Verde islands (Wirtz et al., 2013). This is the first record for C. pullus from the Canary islands. DISCUSSION Pajueloet al. (unpubl. data) have observed that the appearanceofthesetropicalandsubtropicalfishspeciesin waters of Gran Canaria island is related to the heavy overseas traffic of oil platforms, with destination towards the PortofLasPalmas(docked).Thisalsoincludestheadjacent Bay of las Palmas (anchor area) and the auxiliary (when overbooking) Port of arinaga (docked) located 16 nm down south on the east coast of the island. importantly, all specimensidentifiedinthisworkwerecaughtinsideportwaters, in the pathway to the Port of arinaga (eastern corridor of the island)orinadjacentwaterstothemainports.H. adscensionishasbeencaughtintheadjacentwatersoftheBayof las Palmas, but also in the Port of santa Cruz de Tenerife, which also provides mooring for oil rigs. C. taeniops has been collected in the above mentioned pathway and it was also previously reported (Brito et al., 2011) from the Port of las Palmas. P. furcifer has been captured in the Port of LasPalmas,andalsoinadjacentwatersofthesetwoports. P. marcellae has been sighted at two localities in the eastern insular corridor between the two mentioned ports (las Palmas and arinaga). A. hoefleri has been caught in the Port ofLasPalmasandfishedofftheBayofLasPalmas.A. saxatilishasbeenfishedintheadjacentwatersoftheBayofLas Palmas, but has also been sighted in port waters and from several localities northand southward from the Port of las Palmas. A. bahianus has been captured in waters northward from the Port of las Palmas. Both A. chirurgus and A. coeruleus have been caught inside the main port. A. monroviae hasbeencapturedinportwaters,andalsoinadjacentwaters to the north and south. Finally, C. pullushasbeenfishedin the eastern pathway, slightly southward from the Port of arinaga. so, proximity to the Port of las Palmas is the key. Moreover, H. adscensionis, P. furcifer, Abudefduf saxatilis, Acanthurus bahianus, A. chirurgus, A. coeruleus, and C. pullus have been observed associated with oil platforms off the southern coast of Brazil (Barreiros et al., 1998; Ferreira et al., 2006; anderson et al., 2015). The introduced species in waters of the Canaries reported herein exhibit various feeding habits, including herbivorous, planktivorous, planktivorous-detritivore, omnivorous or carnivorous/predatorfishes. A. saxatilis seems to have a stable population around Gran Canaria island. Two adult males of A. saxatilis were observed and photographed at Jinámar reef in october 2014 (withaseatemperatureof23.5ºC)exhibitingthetypical dark bluish pattern which is an evidence of reproduction activity of this guarder nester species (Breder and Rosen, 1966). so, this species seems to be well suited to conditions in the Canaries. The reasons why A. saxatilis has recently become abundant in the Canaries may be that it has occupied vacant niches that have opened from the effects of extirpationofpredatorsbyoverfishingonlocalfishspecies;italso presents low mortality and has no efficient competitors (Moyle, 1985; liao et al., 2010). However, because A. saxatilis is larger than native pomacentrids (Similiparma lurida (Cuvier,1830)),interspecificcompetitionbetweenthisspecies and native pomacentrids is expected as a result of the territorial behaviour. Robertson (1996) demonstrated that interspecificcompetitioncontrolsabundanceandhabitatuse byterritorialCaribbeandamselfishes.A. saxatilis has also beenreportedatMadeira(FreitasandAraújo,2006;Wirtzet al., 2008), and more recently from the central Mediterranean (Deidun and Castriota, 2014, Malta, 6-7 individuals). This species is included in the 2015 Fao Database on introductions of aquatic species (Dias) from the Red sea to italy, and therefore considered as an alien/invasive species by FishBase (Froese and Pauly, 2015). The remaining ten tropical or subtropical non-indigenous speciesrecordedherewereaccountedbysporadicfindings. A. monroviae currently inhabits Tenerife and Gran Canaria islands. This species has been included in the CiesM atlas ofExoticSpeciesintheMediterranean:firstrecordedfrom southern spain (Crespo et al., 1987, almería); later from israel (Golani and sonin, 1996); several specimens have been sighted and photographed off the Mediterranean coast of algeria in late 2001 and august 2002 (Hamida et al., 2004); more recently, it has been recorded along the coasts ofTunisia(lastupdateofthespeciessheet:November 2013). Besides, this species is included in the iaBin Brazil catalogue of invasive species, and therefore considered as an alien/invasive species by FishBase (Froese and Pauly, 2015). C. taeniops has been included in the CiesM atlas of ExoticSpeciesintheMediterranean:Malta,Lampedusa island, libya (Ben abdallah et al., 2007; Guidetti et al., Tr i a y -Po r T e l l a e t a l . Fishes introduced to the Canaries Cybium 2015, 39(3) 171 2010) up to the eastern levant (salameh et al., 2009), and therefore considered as an alien/invasive species by FishBase (Froese and Pauly, 2015). H. adscensionis and P. marcellae currently inhabit, at least, the central islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife (the unique islands within the archipelago, which have received oil platforms to date). P. furcifer, A. hoefleri, A. bahianus, A. chirurgus, A. coeruleus, and C. pullus are currently living, at least, in Gran Canaria (the island within the archipelago, which has receivedthevastmajorityofoilplatformstodate). H. adscensionis, P. furcifer, A. saxatilis, Acanthurus bahianus, Acanthurus chirurgus, Acanthurus coeruleus, and C. pullus have been observed associated with oil platforms off the southern coast of Brazil (Barreiros et al., 1998; Ferreira et al., 2006; anderson et al., 2015). There are many recent works that account for the tropicalizationprocessoffishassemblagesintemperatemarine ecosystems (Vergés et al., 2014), particularly in biogeographic transition zones as in the case of the Macaronesian archipelagos of the Canaries, Madeira and azores, and even some parts of the Mediterranean sea (Brito et al., 2005; Wirtz et al., 2008; afonso et al., 2013; Horta Costa et al., 2014), generally associated with climate-mediated changes (Brito et al., 2005; Perry et al., 2005; occhipinti-ambrogi, 2007). The introduction of non-native fish species is also due to several human-caused factors, and the new distributionareasaremajorlylinkedwithtransportvectors(e.g. Vitousek et al., 1997). in waters of the Canary islands, some fish species may have been introduced via ballast waters (mainly small species like gobiids or blenniids) or aquarium trade (mainly chaetodontids and monodactylids). obviously, ocean warming facilitates the establishment and survival of these species once they colonize new areas out of their original ranges. an important process driving massive introduction of non-indigenoustropicalandsubtropicalfishspecies(including the families mentioned right now) is taking place, in the lastfiveyears,throughoilplatformsnavigatingalongseveral Canary islands coastal corridors, docking at their main commercialportsandmooringattheiradjacentwaters. Theseanthropogenicvectorsofintroductionofwarmaffinity exotic species are synergic with the natural range extensions and,therefore,allcausestogetheraresignificantlyreinforcing the tropical and subtropical component of their littoral andupperbathyalfishassemblages.Theecologicalimpact ofthesenon-indigenousfishesonthenativefishcommunity remains unknown. in the last 30 years, around 56 fish species (including thepresentsixnewrecords)withwarm-affinityhavebeen observed in waters of the Canary islands. of them, only eight species have developed small stable populations. according to Molnar et al.(2008),asmallproportionofthefishspecies introduced outside of their native distribution area is able to thrive and invade new habitats. Regarding the management ofthislargearrivaloffishspecies,itwouldbenecessaryto implement control and monitoring measures to avoid these species become invaders, displacing indigenous species and changing the ecosystems. in this regard, authors have recentlyappliedforoneresearchprojecttotheSpanishGovernment in order to study this topic. The proposal has been supported by the Port of las Palmas authority. Acknowledgements. – Many thanks are due to the renowned ichthyologists Dr John e. (Jack) Randall (Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawai’i, usa) (Monacanthidae) and Dr Gerald (Gerry) R. allen (Western australian Museum, Department of Fishes, Perth,Australia)(Pomacentridae)forhelpingusintheidentification of the tropical non-indigenous species. authors are indebted to the observers and collaborators adexe, Daniel, Domingo, Fernando, Fran, Jonathan and Maite, as well as to e. Faber, B. Ramírez, and e. Vera. our gratitude is also extended to Dr Fátima HernándezandAlejandoVerafromtheTFMCandtoDrManuelBiscoito from the MMF for accepting our vouchers. special thanks are due to Captain ignacio soler (simrad Marine electronics, spain) and Óliver González (MeT engineering and Consulting, las Palmas de Gran Canaria) for useful comments on oil platforms. Finally, thanks to Mrs. Tucson for reviewing the english. REFERENCES aFonso P., PoRTeiRo F.M., sanTos R.s., BaRReiRos J.P., WORMSJ.&WIRTZP.,1999.-CoastalmarinefishesofSão Tomé island (Gulf of Guinea). Arquipélago – Life Mar. Sci., 17A:65-92. aFonso P., PoRTeiRo F.M., FonTes J., TeMPeRa F., MoRaTo T., CaRDiGos F. & sanTos R.s., 2013. - new andrarecoastalfishesintheAzoresislands:occasionalevents or tropicalization process? J. Fish Biol.,83:272-294. allen G.R., 1991. - Damselfishes of the World. 271 p. 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