Madeira Canary Islands Azores – Fishes Dr. Peter Wirtz
Madeira Canary Islands Azores – Fishes Dr. Peter Wirtz Madeira Canary Islands Azores – Fishes Dr. Peter Wirtz
This species was believed to live only in deep water but at Madeira it is quite common in shallow water, on sandy bottom in protected bays. Because of its inconspicuous colour, it has probably been overlooked in the past. Photo Peter Wirtz. 128 Leopard spotted goby (Thorogobius ephippiatus) Up to 13 cm long. Madeira, Canary Islands, Azores. 5 – 40 m depth. The spotted colour makes this species unmistakable. It lives in dark places, mainly in caves, on sandy and rocky bottom. It reaches sexual maturity with three to four years and can attain nine years of age. Photo Peter Wirtz. Canary goby (Vanneaugobius canariensis) Up to 5 cm long. Madeira, Canary Islands. 2 – 20 m depth. Easily overlooked! The first rays of the dorsal fin of males are elongated. Photo Peter Wirtz. Painted goby (Pomatochistus pictus) Up to 5 cm long. Madeira, Canary Islands, Azores. 2 – 50 m depth. This species forms schools over sandy bottom. These usually contain females and small males, whereas large males sit on the bottom below the schools (insert). Reaches an age of only two to three years. Photos Peter Wirtz. 130 Mackerels and Tunas (Scombridae) Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri)
Up to 2.1 m long. Madeira, Canary Islands, Azores. 0 – 15 m depth. On first glance, this species looks like a very fat barracuda. It usually swims directly below the surface and can only rarely be seen near the coast. Photo Christina Ludwig. Atlantic Bonito (Sarda sarda) Up to 80 cm long. Madeira, Canary Islands, Azores. 0 – 50 m depth. This small tuna species can easily be recognized by the stripes on the back. A quite similar species (on first glance), the Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), has stripes on the belly, not on the back. Both species move in groups through the open sea and hunt fish, mainly sardines and mackerel. The body is torpedo-shaped and the tail fin deeply forked. In coastal waters, you are more likely to see the Atlantic bonito, which is even quite common at the Azores. Large Tunas, like the Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) (insert), which can reach a size of 2.8 m, can almost never be seen near the coast. Photo Sarda Peter Wirtz; photo Thunnus Christina Ludwig. 132 Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) Up to 42 cm long. Madeira, Canary Islands, Azores. 3 – 100 m depth. Mackerels form big schools in the open water. The small photo shows the similar Chub mackerel Scomber japonicus. These two species can often not be told apart under water. S. colias is more common in our area. Both reach an age of up to four years. Photo S. colias Rogelio Herrera, photo S. japonicus Peter Wirtz. Blackfish (Centrolophidae)
- Page 1 and 2: Madeira Canary Islands Azores - Fis
- Page 3 and 4: Skorpion fishes (Scorpaenidae) 50 G
- Page 5 and 6: 6 Devil rays (Mobulidae) Manta ray
- Page 7 and 8: The Round sting ray is easily told
- Page 9 and 10: Up to 55 cm long. Madeira, Canary I
- Page 11 and 12: Reproduction in May. The golden pat
- Page 13 and 14: they sleep in their tubes. At dawn,
- Page 15 and 16: As the name implies, this fish has
- Page 17 and 18: the myth of giant sea snakes. Photo
- Page 19 and 20: The first dorsal fin of rocklings i
- Page 21 and 22: Up to 15 cm long. Madeira, Canary I
- Page 23 and 24: also has such white skin flaps but
- Page 25 and 26: lighter in colour and much rarer th
- Page 27 and 28: At Madeira and the Azores, this spe
- Page 29 and 30: 66 Cardinal fishes (Apogonidae) Car
- Page 31 and 32: Pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) Up to
- Page 33 and 34: One of the most common shore fish t
- Page 35 and 36: to be very rare but have now increa
- Page 37 and 38: Young animals (insert, below) are c
- Page 39 and 40: Usually silvery but they can also b
- Page 41 and 42: Up to 1 m long. Madeira, Canary Isl
- Page 43 and 44: Up to 18 cm long. Madeira, Canary I
- Page 45 and 46: eproduce. Juvenile Rainbow wrasses
- Page 47 and 48: 116 Stargazers (Uranoscopidae) Star
- Page 49 and 50: Most blennies feed on small animals
- Page 51: Up to 12 cm long. Madeira, Canary I
- Page 55 and 56: Soles (Soleidae) Four-eyed sole (Mi
- Page 57 and 58: Brown filefish (Stephanolepis hispi
- Page 59 and 60: Sunfishes are unmistakeable. But lo
- Page 61 and 62: Diplodus sargus 76 Diplodus vulgari
- Page 63 and 64: Pagellus erythrinus 84 Pagrus aurig
- Page 65 and 66: Symphodus mediterraneus 106 Symphur
Up to 2.1 m long. <strong>Madeira</strong>, <strong>Canary</strong> <strong>Islands</strong>, <strong>Azores</strong>. 0 <strong>–</strong> 15 m depth.<br />
On first glance, this species looks like a very fat barracuda. It usually swims directly below the surface and<br />
can only rarely be seen near the coast. Photo Christina Ludwig.<br />
Atlantic Bonito (Sarda sarda)<br />
Up to 80 cm long. <strong>Madeira</strong>, <strong>Canary</strong> <strong>Islands</strong>, <strong>Azores</strong>. 0 <strong>–</strong> 50 m depth.<br />
This small tuna species can easily be recognized by the stripes on the back. A quite similar species (on first<br />
glance), the Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), has stripes on the belly, not on the back. Both species<br />
move in groups through the open sea and hunt fish, mainly sardines and mackerel. The body is torpedo-shaped<br />
and the tail fin deeply forked. In coastal waters, you are more likely to see the Atlantic bonito, which is even<br />
quite common at the <strong>Azores</strong>. Large Tunas, like the Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) (insert), which<br />
can reach a size of 2.8 m, can almost never be seen near the coast. Photo Sarda <strong>Peter</strong> <strong>Wirtz</strong>; photo Thunnus<br />
Christina Ludwig.<br />
132<br />
Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias)<br />
Up to 42 cm long. <strong>Madeira</strong>, <strong>Canary</strong> <strong>Islands</strong>, <strong>Azores</strong>. 3 <strong>–</strong> 100 m depth.<br />
Mackerels form big schools in the open water. The small photo shows the similar Chub mackerel Scomber<br />
japonicus. These two species can often not be told apart under water. S. colias is more common in our area.<br />
Both reach an age of up to four years. Photo S. colias Rogelio Herrera, photo S. japonicus <strong>Peter</strong> <strong>Wirtz</strong>.<br />
Blackfish (Centrolophidae)
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