Madeira Canary Islands Azores – Fishes Dr. Peter Wirtz
Madeira Canary Islands Azores – Fishes Dr. Peter Wirtz Madeira Canary Islands Azores – Fishes Dr. Peter Wirtz
Duck-billed ray (Pteromylaeus bovinus) Up to 2.2 m wing span. Madeira, Canary Islands. 10 – 150 m depth. Duck-billed rays have snouts projecting even more forward than those of eagle rays. The species can also be recognized by the stripes on its back. At Madeira and the Canary Islands, duck-billed rays are much rarer than eagle rays. Like eagle rays, they dig in sand, in search of bivalves and snails. The young are born with a wing span of already 30 to 45 cm. Photo Peter Wirtz. 16 Skates (Rajidae) Madeira ray (Raja maderensis) Up to 80 cm long. Madeira, Azores. 1 – 200 m depth. The Madeira ray looks quite similar to the Thornback ray (Raja clavata), which is common in the Northeastern Atlantic and it probably originated from this species. New, genetic research indicates that it should perhaps only be considered a colour variant of the Thornback ray. At the Azores, it can be locally common. It feeds on bivalves, crabs and small fish. Skates do not have stings on their tail Madeira rays have a row of thorns along their tail. Like all skates, they lay eggs that are surrounded by a horny pouch. Photo Peter Wirtz Electric rays (Torpedinidae) Marbled electric ray (Torpedo marmorata)
Up to 55 cm long. Madeira, Canary Islands. 5 – 500 m depth. To stun their prey or to defend themselves, electric rays can emit electric pulses of up to 220 V. Divers who touch an electric ray, also receive a current impulse which subjectively corresponds in strength to that of an electric cow fence. Electric rays are night active; they are usually buried in the sand during the day and only the outline of the body can be seen (or nothing at all). The almost circular body shape and two small fins on the tail are typical for electric rays. After a gestation period of nine months, three to 16 live young are born in autumn. Photo Peter Wirtz. 18 Whale sharks (Rhincodontidae) Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) Up to 12 m long. Madeira, Canary Islands, Azores. 0 – 150 m depth. Whale sharks are tropical animals. In the area from the Canary Islands to the Azores, they have been seen more and more frequently during the last years, probably because of global warming, which of course also affects the sea. The Whale shark is the largest fish of the world. It is an inoffensive plankton eater, which does, however, not reject a school of small fish that happens to get into its mouth. It can easily be recognized by the many small white spots on its body. Whale sharks are ovoviviparous, that is the young hatch out of the egg still inside the body of the female, just before being born. Pilot fish are swimming in front of the whale shark in the photo. Photo Aschi Haas. Angel sharks (Squatinidae) Angel shark (Squatina squatina)
- 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: The Round sting ray is easily told
- 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 and 52: Up to 12 cm long. Madeira, Canary I
- Page 53 and 54: Up to 2.1 m long. Madeira, Canary I
- Page 55 and 56: Soles (Soleidae) Four-eyed sole (Mi
- Page 57 and 58: Brown filefish (Stephanolepis hispi
Duck-billed ray (Pteromylaeus bovinus)<br />
Up to 2.2 m wing span. <strong>Madeira</strong>, <strong>Canary</strong> <strong>Islands</strong>. 10 <strong>–</strong> 150 m depth.<br />
Duck-billed rays have snouts projecting even more forward than those of eagle rays. The species can also be<br />
recognized by the stripes on its back. At <strong>Madeira</strong> and the <strong>Canary</strong> <strong>Islands</strong>, duck-billed rays are much rarer than<br />
eagle rays. Like eagle rays, they dig in sand, in search of bivalves and snails. The young are born with a wing<br />
span of already 30 to 45 cm. Photo <strong>Peter</strong> <strong>Wirtz</strong>.<br />
16<br />
Skates (Rajidae)<br />
<strong>Madeira</strong> ray (Raja maderensis)<br />
Up to 80 cm long. <strong>Madeira</strong>, <strong>Azores</strong>. 1 <strong>–</strong> 200 m depth.<br />
The <strong>Madeira</strong> ray looks quite similar to the Thornback ray (Raja clavata), which is common in the<br />
Northeastern Atlantic and it probably originated from this species. New, genetic research indicates that it<br />
should perhaps only be considered a colour variant of the Thornback ray. At the <strong>Azores</strong>, it can be locally<br />
common. It feeds on bivalves, crabs and small fish. Skates do not have stings on their tail <strong>Madeira</strong> rays have a<br />
row of thorns along their tail. Like all skates, they lay eggs that are surrounded by a horny pouch. Photo <strong>Peter</strong><br />
<strong>Wirtz</strong><br />
Electric rays (Torpedinidae)<br />
Marbled electric ray (Torpedo marmorata)
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