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Article

Northern Refuge or New Thermophilic Hotspot? Citizen Science Evidence of Rare, Thermophilic, and Alien Fishes in the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean)

by
Alessandro Nota
1,2,*,
Alfredo Santovito
3 and
Francesco Tiralongo
2,4
1
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
2
Ente Fauna Marina Mediterranea, Scientific Organization for Research and Conservation of Marine Biodiversity, 96012 Avola, Italy
3
Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy
4
Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Oceans 2025, 6(2), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans6020025
Submission received: 25 March 2025 / Revised: 22 April 2025 / Accepted: 29 April 2025 / Published: 6 May 2025
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Abstract

:
The Ligurian Sea, located in the northwestern Mediterranean, is undergoing a dramatic shift in fish biodiversity due to climate change and species immigration. This study adopted a citizen science approach to provide new data on the current distribution of rare, thermophilic, and alien fish species in the Ligurian Sea. Observations were collected through social networks and personal acquaintances, involving fishermen, divers, and fishmongers. We obtained a total of 47 records, encompassing 18 species belonging to 18 different fish families. Considering existing literature, some species appear to prefer this part of the Mediterranean Sea, likely due to the Ligurian Sea’s unique hydrodynamic and oceanographic conditions that support nutrient-rich environments. Others appear to be less common in the region, probably due to the lower temperatures of the Ligurian Sea compared to other Mediterranean sectors. Our findings emphasize the dual and controversial role of the Ligurian Sea as a refuge for cold-adapted species and a hotspot for thermophilic invaders. Moreover, this research highlights the role of citizen science in complementing traditional survey approaches, providing an efficient tool to monitor many taxa across several diverse ecological niches.

1. Introduction

The Mediterranean Sea is home to a wide variety of marine species (~17,000), including thousands of endemic taxa [1]. However, recent changes in temperature regimes, together with increased human disturbance and the arrival of new species, raise concerns about the future of Mediterranean biodiversity [2]. Indeed, researchers forecast a future decrease in rare and endemic species in the basin, together with an increase in thermophilic and generalist counterparts [3].
The Ligurian Sea, located in the northwestern Mediterranean, is susceptible to such changes. Indeed, while Mediterranean waters become warmer, species start migrating northward [4,5], reaching the extreme ends of the basin, including Ligurian waters.
In a context of changing Mediterranean biodiversity, two different challenges arise: first, the necessity to map relict populations of rare, endemic, and demographically declining species, in order to understand their abundance and possibility to recover; second, the need to monitor expanding species, including both aliens introduced by common human activities (e.g., [6]) or entering through the Suez Canal (e.g., [7]), and neonatives coming from the southern Mediterranean or the eastern Atlantic (e.g., [8]).
Fishes are among the main actors in these immigrations. At the end of the last century, the Mediterranean fish diversity was estimated to include 664 species [9], reflecting the variety of Mediterranean hydrological and climatic conditions, which allow the coexistence of tropical taxa adapted to the warmer southeastern sectors and of boreo-Atlantic species established in the northern and colder areas [1]. Nevertheless, due to the continuous arrival of new species through the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar [10,11,12], this figure is continuously increasing and now probably exceeds 700 taxa.
One of the most useful approaches adopted to investigate the presence and abundance of fishes relies on citizen involvement. Indeed, citizen science has proved to be a powerful technique to study rare species [13] and to enable the early detection of new invaders [14]. Notably, the involvement of divers, fishmongers, and recreational and professional fishermen has led to the reporting of several unrecorded and overlooked species, including many invaders [15]. The aim of this research is to provide new data on the current distribution of rare thermophilic, native, and alien fish species in the Ligurian Sea.

2. Materials and Methods

Data collection spanned between January 2020 and December 2024. With the exception of one observation (N = 23 in Table 1), directly provided by the first author, data collection was entirely based on a citizen science approach, involving two main sources (see the methods reported by Tiralongo et al. (2020) [15] for the AlienFish project): (i) Social networks were used to search for photos and videos of rare, alien, and thermophilic species. Notably, Facebook marine biology and fishing groups were used to scan for posts depicting rare or unrecognized species, using keywords like “pesce raro” (meaning “rare fish” in Italian) or for targeted research using the common or scientific name of species of relevance. The same was done on Instagram, using hashtags, and on iNaturalist, looking for the rarest fish species spotted in the area. On all three social networks, the owner of the profile was privately contacted to gather more information about the observation/catch. (ii) Further records were collected by personal acquaintances who contacted the authors upon finding a rare or unrecognized species.
Involved divers, fishmongers, and recreational and professional fishermen were asked the following information: date, site (with coordinates, when possible), depth, number of specimens, size of the specimen(s), and method of observation. Lastly, for each record, we also requested at least one piece of photographic evidence of the spotted/captured individual(s). When the exact coordinates or size of the specimen were unknown, they were estimated through the provided geographic information and photographic material, respectively.

3. Results

A total of 47 records including 18 fish species from 18 different families were collected, as listed in Table 1.
The depth of observations ranged between 0 (beached) and 2500 m, and the observations were scattered throughout the Ligurian Sea (Figure 1). The highest richness was observed in Imperia, with eight species recorded (Evermannella balbo, Lampris guttatus, Nemichthys scolopaceus, Katsuwonus pelamis, Diplodus cervinus, Tetragonurus cuvieri, Sudis hyalina, Somniosus rostratus). This was followed by Genoa (three species: Abudefduf sp., Diplodus cervinus, Dalatias licha), Ventimiglia (two species: Regalecus glesne, Sparisoma cretense) and Capo Mele (two species: Evermannella balbo, Lampris guttatus). All other locations reported a single species each. Among the 18 species recorded, 13 are native non-thermophilic, 4 are native but thermophilic (S. cretense, K. pelamis, D. cervinus, Stromateus fiatola), and 1 is alien and thermophilic (Abudefduf sp.).
A total of 58 specimens were reported, but this count does not include the species E. balbo, for which one collaborator reported a single record of around 100 specimens altogether. A record of a single specimen per species was reported for Ruvettus pretiosus, Gouania willdenowi, Luvarus imperialis, Ranzania laevis, N. scolopaceus, Abudefduf sp., R. glesne, S. cretense, K. pelamis, T. cuvieri, S. hyalina, and S. rostratus. Two records were obtained for E. balbo, S. fiatola, Cetorhinus maximus, and D. licha. Finally, 13 records were collected for L. guttatus, and 14 for D. cervinus.
Eight of the observed species are represented in Figure 2.
The methods of observation (Figure 3) were photography (18 observations, of which 1 was a beached specimen of L. imperialis, 1 was a floating, dead specimen of D. licha, and 16 were live specimens of other species photographed underwater), longline (14 observation, of which 4 were recorded by drifting longlines and 10 by an unspecified type of longline), trammel nets (4 observations), set trap nets (the ‘tonnarella’ of Camogli, see [16], 4 observations), spearfishing (3 observations), trawling (1 observation), trolling (1 observation), fishing rod (1 observation), and stomach content analysis (1 observation).

4. Discussion

The Ligurian Sea is the northernmost sector of the western Mediterranean and offers unique environmental conditions that historically allowed the presence of cold-adapted species. However, a general increase in Mediterranean temperatures is promoting the spread of new and thermophilic taxa in the region, reducing the overall diversity and jeopardizing native communities [5,17]. The spread of thermophilic and alien species in what have historically been cooler waters raises serious concerns about the changing trends of marine life at a Mediterranean scale. In this context, a main challenge for the area is understanding the distribution of both rare native species and new, thermophilic, expanding ones. Citizen science is increasingly used to address this issue, being now often employed to monitor the presence and distribution of rare and alien marine fishes [15]. Here, we provide a brief discussion on the distribution of the reported species, also highlighting some of their relevant ecological or economic aspects.
  • Evermannella balbo
While E. balbo was described in Nice [18], Mediterranean records of the species are very rare and scattered in the basin. Among these, the fish has been reported along the western Iberian Mediterranean [19], in the Strait of Sicily [20], in the Tyrrhenian [21], and in Turkish waters [22]. Studies on the faunistic composition of deep bottom trawls in the central Tyrrhenian Sea did not show its presence among catches [23], and the species was not detected in eDNA surveys in the northwestern Mediterranean [24]. Historical records from the Ligurian Sea mainly include records from mesopelagic hauls [25,26]. Despite the overall small number of records for the species, the high abundance of captured specimens reported by two independent professional fishermen close to Imperia (Table 1) suggests that the fish might be particularly common locally. However, living in deep waters and not being generally caught by traditional fishing gear (also due to its small size), it might have been largely unnoticed and unreported until now, at least in some areas.
  • Ruvettus pretiosus
The oilfish has a circumtropical distribution that includes the Mediterranean Sea [27]. The fish generally lives in relatively deep and cool waters, swimming to the surface during the darkest nights, such as those without moonlight [28]. In the eastern sectors of the basin [28,29] and in waters around Sicily (Tiralongo pers. comm.), this species is commonly caught with drifting longlines targeting swordfish. Notably, catch rates are related positively to longitude, suggesting that the fish remains in the Levantine Sea throughout the whole year [28]. Indeed, R. pretiosus is seldom reported in the northern, western, and northwestern Mediterranean, including the Ligurian Sea. Personal correspondence with professional fishermen using longlines in the Ligurian Sea revealed that most of them had never captured or seen the fish.
  • Gouania willdenowi
The genus Gouania is endemic to the Mediterranean and includes five distinct species. Gouania willdenowi inhabits the western sectors of the basin, including the Ligurian Sea. The distribution of the species does not overlap with the other four congeneric ones, and the chromatic patterns of our specimens match the ones described [30]. Therefore, our specimen can be confidently attributed to the species G. willdenowi.
  • Lampris guttatus
Opahs have a worldwide distribution [27] and represent a valuable commercial resource in some parts of the world [31,32]. Recent revisions of L. guttatus led to the description of several distinct species [33,34]. Notably, Underkoffler et al. [33] reported the presence of both L. lauta and L. guttatus in the Mediterranean. According to the morphological description provided by the authors, the species here reported is L. guttatus in all records provided. Interestingly, although our citizen science project involves partecipants from all across Italy, the species was recorded almost exclusively in the Ligurian Sea (13 records here reported), with only two records from other Italian localities. These results are consistent with those reported by Albano et al. [35], who reviewed the presence of L. guttatus in the Mediterranean and suggested that the area between the Gulf of Lion and the Ligurian Sea represents the preferred region for the species within the Basin. Several specimens of L. guttatus have been caught with the ‘tonnarella of Camogli’ (Camogli, Genoa), i.e., a system of set nets that is active 6 months per year. The first record of the species in such fishing gear dates back to 1974 and is reported in the book La Tonnarella e la pesca tradizionale a Camogli [16], together with three captures reported in 2008.
  • Luvarus imperialis
This oceanic and epipelagic species has a wide distribution, including the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans [26]. In the Mediterranean, the fish has been seldom observed. Notably, the species was reported in the Balearic Islands, in the Strait of Sicily [36], in the Aegean [37], Adriatic [38], and Ionian [39], and along the Tunisian [40] and Algerian [41] coasts. In the Ligurian Sea, the species is reported for Finale Ligure [42]; to the best of our knowledge, this is the second record of L. imperialis locally.
  • Ranzania laevis
The slender sunfish is a cosmopolitan species that usually inhabits depths from 1 to 140 m [26,43]. In the Mediterranean, the fish has been reported in the Adriatic [44,45], Aegean [46], Ionian [47], and lower Tyrrhenian [48] and along the Turkish [49,50], Lebanese [51], Cretan [52], and Libyan [53] coasts. In the Ligurian Sea, the species is cited for Genoa [54], but this record could be referring to a specimen captured in the historical trap nets of Camogli, reported also by Tortonese [55]. The record here reported likely represents the second observation of the species in the Ligurian Sea.
  • Nemichthys scolopaceus
Single records of the species have been reported throughout the whole Mediterranean, from western Iberian [19] to the eastern sectors [56,57,58], including the Tyrrhenian [59], Adriatic [60], and Aegean seas [61]. In the Ligurian Sea, this fish has been collected in mesopelagic hauls [24]. Nevertheless, personal correspondence with Ligurian professional fishermen revealed that it is extremely rare among their catches. Overall, despite its apparent rarity, N. scolopaceus appears to be a widespread species with generally low demographic densities.
  • Abudefduf sp.
Sporadic records of the alien Abudefduf spp. have started to accumulate in the Mediterranean. Due to the scattered occurrence of such taxa in the basin [6], it is highly likely that most records originate from released individuals, rather than from self-sustaining populations in the wild. Our observation agrees with this expectation. The static behavior of the fish, which remained for several days between four rocks, strongly indicates that the specimen had risen in captivity, between the four walls of an aquarium. Therefore, this suggests that the fish is unlikely to represent an invasive presence locally, at least for the moment. However, on the other hand, this also underlies the role that recreational aquarists may have in the spread of alien invaders [62]. Environmental and educational campaigns are still necessary to raise the public awareness on delicate environmental issues like the one of alien species.
  • Regalecus glesne
While R. glesne appears to be generally rare in the Mediterranean, the record here reported adds to an already substantial list of sightings of the fish in the area [35]. Indeed, several specimens of R. glesne have been spotted in the close proximity of a scientific buoy located approximately 32 miles away from the mainland (Bordighera, Italy), and a video documentary has been produced by Loyer [63]. Our record refers to that same exact site. On the 5th of April 2018, another specimen was found beached in the Bay of Port-Cros [64], located approximately 80 miles southwest. Historical records of the species in the area also include catches from mesopelagic hauls [25]. Overall, everything suggests that the Ligurian Sea likely represents an important site for the species in the Mediterranean.
  • Sparisoma cretense
The Mediterranean parrotfish has been rapidly expanding over the last decade [65,66,67,68]. The male specimen observed by the first author in Ventimiglia swam along an artificial breakwater, where it remained for at least two days. After a survey of several other coastal sites in the waters off the city, including several breakwaters, no other specimens were found. Given that the species has been reported along the Provence coast [67], in Sardinia [65], and in northern Tyrrhenian [66], it is difficult to understand the route of arrival of this single specimen, likely transported by currents in an egg or larval stage. The only other mention of the species in the Ligurian Sea dates back to 2015 and always refers to Ventimiglia [69]. Repeated visual census surveys along the coasts of Ventimiglia conducted over the last decade allow us to exclude the presence of stable populations locally, but we cannot exclude a future demographic increase.
  • Katsuwonus pelamis
The skipjack tuna is a cosmopolitan and highly migratory scombrid species [26]. The fish can spawn in the westernmost sectors of the Mediterranean, and it has been hypothesized that increasing temperatures will expand its historical spawning areas [70]. On the other hand, the species has been rarely reported in the central and eastern Mediterranean [54,71,72], probably subject to an ongoing expansion [52]. Our record, together with another recent observation of the species in the Ligurian Sea [5], suggests that K. pelamis might be expanding locally.
  • Diplodus cervinus
This demersal fish has a wide distribution along the eastern Atlantic, often representing an abundant species in coastal ecosystems [26,73,74]. The species appears to be common in western Mediterranean [75], but uncommon in central and eastern sectors, with the exception of waters around Sicily [15]. Its presence in the Ligurian Sea has been historically reported [54]. Records include observations around the islands of Gallinara and Bergeggi [69], as well as in several other sites [15,69]. The record here reported in Bordighera, dating back to 2004, refers to a population that inhabited the area in these years but later disappeared. Our massive number of new records confirms the presence of the fish around three of the main islands of the Ligurian Sea: Bergeggi, Gallinara, and Palmaria. D. cervinus is the only species here reported that appears to have this strong preference for island environments. This could suggest that, despite its proposed thermophilic nature [69], it still prefers less disturbed habitats.
  • Stromateus fiatola
The blue butterfish is an Atlanto-Mediterranean species [26] that appears to be relatively common in western sectors of the basin [76]. Nevertheless, the species is rare in the central and eastern Mediterranean [15,77,78], where some authors suggest that it might have been more abundant decades ago. In the Ligurian Sea, the fish has already been reported in Lerici and in the close Carrara [15], where our further two records corroborate the presence of a stable, albeit small, population.
  • Tetragonurus cuvieri
The species has a wide distribution around the globe, including the eastern and western Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, the western Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic [26]. In the Mediterranean, it is considered rare throughout the whole basin [15,71,79,80]. The record here reported refers to the stomach content of a swordfish (Xiphias gladius). Other records of the species include individuals beached [15] or observed in shallow waters [71,81]. However, the fish might often inhabit higher depths [79,82], suggesting that the lack of records might also be attributed to its solitary behavior (as suggested by Ragonese and Giusto [79]) and to its ability to escape traditional fishing gear.
  • Sudis hyalina
This fish is widely distributed in the Mediterranean, including most parts of the eastern sector [46], the Tyrrhenian [21], and the Strait of Sicily [20]. In the Ligurian Sea, the species has been recorded in mesopelagic hauls [24] and as a bycatch of the swordfish longline fishery [83], similarly to some areas around Sicily [39]. Albeit S. hyalina is traditionally considered rare in the Mediterranean [46,84], it has been evidenced that the choice of a specific fishing gear can relevantly influence the chance of its capture [83]. Therefore, we hypothesize that this deep water species [26] might be still unrecorded in many parts of the basin due to the lack of capture with the traditional fishing gear.
  • Cetorhinus maximus
Mediterranean records of this cosmopolitan species have mostly been reported in the western and central sectors of the basin [85,86]. Our first record refers to an accidental capture of the species in trammel nets, which, as evidenced by Mancusi et al. [86], is quite common during spring. Interestingly, the only other record we collected for the species refers to just three days after, and less than 8 miles away from the location record of the first one. Given that the gregarious behavior of the species is well known [26], this suggests that the two specimens might have been part of the same group, possibly also with other individuals. Contrary to other small, deep, or dull species here reported, which might be able to remain unnoticed (e.g., E. balbo, T. cuvieri), the basking shark, due to its huge size and surface-feeding behavior [26], is certainly more likely to be observed. In addition, its charismatic nature probably also makes it more likely to be photographed and shared on social networks. Our general lack of observations of C. maximus in the Ligurian Sea suggests that the species is currently quite rare, despite this area having a historically high number of basking shark observations compared to other Mediterranean sites [86].
  • Dalatias licha
This cosmopolitan species is considered rare in several parts of the Mediterranean [87,88,89]. Nevertheless, in the Ligurian Sea, it is frequently caught as a bycatch of the trawl fishery. This, together with the general decrease in observations of the shark, raises severe concerns about its conservation. Our records fall in the same site as the individuals of a previous study [90], suggesting that the area might be particularly suitable for the species.
  • Somniosus rostratus
This Atlantic species is seldom reported in the Mediterranean, making it considerably rare in the basin [91,92]. However, it appears that the introduction of mesopelagic longlines in the Ligurian Sea has drastically increased the number of captured specimens [83,93], suggesting that the species might be more abundant than generally thought.
Our results underlie the role that citizen science plays in providing useful information about the presence of rare fish species, as in the case of the AlienFish project for Italian waters [15]. The large number of observational methods that citizens used to spot the specimens here reported, together with the wide bathymetric range investigated (0–2500 m), indicate that citizen science is a valuable supplement to traditional survey techniques. Indeed, due to this versatility, it is possible to collect records on many different species and with different ecological niches. This is confirmed by the fact that some of the records here reported refer to already well-known sites for the species, as determined with other traditional fish survey approaches. As discussed above, examples include R. glesne, D. cervinus, and D. licha. At the same time, citizen science approaches also have several limitations. Indeed, citizens often focus on more conspicuous and charismatic species that appear easier and more interesting to spot [94], leading to a large potential for data bias. Reducing the records for dull and less noticeable taxa [95], the collected data usually do not fully capture the whole biodiversity of an area. In addition, the presence of cryptic species can hamper species-level ID, even with good photographic material [6]. In this work, the uneven distribution of the observers and their variable survey effort during the year prevent us from describing spatial or temporal abundance patterns for the reported taxa.

5. Conclusions

Overall, it is possible that some species historically considered rare in the Mediterranean might actually be rather common, at least in some areas. The role of fishing gear in influencing the catch composition must therefore be considered during surveying efforts [15,83]. Additionally, some species appear to have a generally higher rate of observations in the Ligurian Sea, compared to other Mediterranean sectors, as evidenced by previous studies and confirmed by our results. Notable examples include R. glesne and L. guttatus, for which observations are particularly abundant in this area, compared to other Mediterranean ones [35]. This might be the result of different factors, including the peculiar hydrodynamic and oceanographic conditions of the Ligurian Sea, where the counterclockwise water flow and the presence of anticyclonic vortices promote the upwelling of nutrients from deep waters, strongly supporting the growth of phyto- and zooplankton assemblages [16,96]. These conditions have historically been linked to the regular presence of some species, like C. maximus [86]. On the other hand, while the Mediterranean is becoming warmer, the strategic position of the Ligurian Sea, being the northernmost sector of the western Mediterranean, makes it potentially able to host cold-adapted species that cannot live in southern sectors anymore. Future research should expand citizen science monitoring initiatives to the whole Mediterranean, supporting a long-term monitoring network for both rare native fishes and new arrivals. The obtained data will need to be combined with standardized surveys (e.g., visual census, baited cameras) so that changes in abundance and distribution can be tracked systematically. Together, targeted ecological work (e.g., diet and isotope analyses) on the new invaders will be essential to elucidate their impact on local food webs.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, A.N.; methodology, A.N and F.T.; validation, F.T. and A.S.; investigation, A.N.; data curation, A.N, F.T. and A.S.; writing—original draft preparation, A.N.; writing—review and editing, F.T. and A.S.; visualization, A.N. and A.S.; supervision, F.T.; project administration, A.N. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the divers and fishermen who provided the required information, making this research possible. In particular, we are very grateful to Antonio Gustavino, Carlo Mangano, Claudio Lanza, Cosimo Cappucciati, Davide Miano, Diletta Gabrielli, Elena Fontanesi, Fabio Borchi, Fabrizio Picco, Federico Rametta, Fondation Biotope (Rémy Dubas, Lucas Bérenger, Thomas Menut), Francesco Caroli, Gian Franco Martini, Gianni Savia, Liliana Molin Pradel, Luca Bozzo, Luca Greco, Luca Marchese, Marco Navone, Marco Taverni, Matteo Moschetti, Maurizio Zanello, Mauro Cacciola, Michelangelo Tomassini, Nicola Benaglio, Pablo Xerra, Roberto Sindaco, Rino Prestigiacomo, Simone Auditore, Stefano Porrozzi, Umberto Agnese, and Vincenzo Luppi. Many thanks also to the fishmongers who provided useful data, namely Antonio Verrini e Figli, Pescheria La Boutique del Mare (Alassio), and Pescheria L’Orizzonte (Albenga).

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Figure 1. Collected records in the Ligurian Sea (edited in QGIS 3.34.12).
Figure 1. Collected records in the Ligurian Sea (edited in QGIS 3.34.12).
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Figure 2. Observed specimens of (A) Evermannella balbo (photo by Simone Auditore), (B) Gouania willdenowi (photo by Roberto Sindaco), (C) Lampris guttatus (photo by Federico Rametta), (D) Luvarus imperialis (photo by Stefano Porrozzi), (E) Ranzania laevis (photo by Diletta Gabrielli), (F) Abudefduf sp. (photo by Francesco Caroli), (G) Regalecus glesne (photo by Thomas Menut/Biotope), (H) Sparisoma cretense (photo by the first author).
Figure 2. Observed specimens of (A) Evermannella balbo (photo by Simone Auditore), (B) Gouania willdenowi (photo by Roberto Sindaco), (C) Lampris guttatus (photo by Federico Rametta), (D) Luvarus imperialis (photo by Stefano Porrozzi), (E) Ranzania laevis (photo by Diletta Gabrielli), (F) Abudefduf sp. (photo by Francesco Caroli), (G) Regalecus glesne (photo by Thomas Menut/Biotope), (H) Sparisoma cretense (photo by the first author).
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Figure 3. The eight observation methods employed in the collected data.
Figure 3. The eight observation methods employed in the collected data.
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Table 1. Collected records, with information on the species, date, site (with coordinates in WGS84), number of individuals (when present, round brackets indicate the number of specimens caught), size, method of observation (L = longline, DL = drifting longline, P = photography, SN = set trap nets, TR = trawl, B = beached, S = spearfishing, TN = trammel nets, SC = stomach content, DP = dead specimen photographed floating, FR = fishing rod), depth, and status (T = thermophilic, N = native, A = alien). * The fisherman here reported a generally high abundance of the species.
Table 1. Collected records, with information on the species, date, site (with coordinates in WGS84), number of individuals (when present, round brackets indicate the number of specimens caught), size, method of observation (L = longline, DL = drifting longline, P = photography, SN = set trap nets, TR = trawl, B = beached, S = spearfishing, TN = trammel nets, SC = stomach content, DP = dead specimen photographed floating, FR = fishing rod), depth, and status (T = thermophilic, N = native, A = alien). * The fisherman here reported a generally high abundance of the species.
Osteichthyes
NFamilySpeciesDate(s)SiteLatitudeLongitudeNSizeMethodDepthStatus
1 *EvermannellidaeEvermannella balbo (Risso, 1820)16 February 2018Imperia43.8008.129115 cmL600–1000N
2 January and February 2020Capo Mele43.8358.492~10015 cmDL1700–2500N
3GempylidaeRuvettus pretiosus Cocco, 183314 December 2020Marina di Andora43.9158.4281130 cmDL750N
4GobiesocidaeGouania willdenowi (Risso, 1810)14 August 1993Noli44.1998.42114 cmP2N
5LampridaeLampris guttatus (Brünnich, 1788)2008Camogli44.3259.148318–24 kgSNN/AN
6 October 2015Camogli44.3259.148140 kgSNN/AN
7 April 2017Imperia43.7068.208330 kgDL2250N
8 2019Camogli44.3259.148218–24 kgSNN/AN
9 6 July 2019Arenzano44.3128.775132 kgLN/AN
10 17 January 2020Capo Mele43.8338.595148 kgDL2300N
11 2 February 2020Imperia43.8158.077135 kgL350N
12 4 April 2020Alassio43.9778.266145 kgLN/AN
13 4 April 2020Imperia43.8238.140135 kgL600–1000N
14 22 June 2020Imperia43.8298.097142 kgLN/AN
15 26 January 2021Camogli44.3259.148139 kgSNN/AN
16 2 March 2021Capraia Island43.0799.821140 kgTR450N
17 28 March 2021Sanremo43.7597.810140 kgLN/AN
18LuvaridaeLuvarus imperialis Rafinesque, 18105 June 2017Albenga44.0488.227165 kgB0N
19MolidaeRanzania laevis (Pennant, 1776)13 April 2014Forte dei Marmi43.93010.131160 cmTN20N
20NemichthyidaeNemichthys scolopaceus Richardson, 184817 May 2019Imperia43.8188.095180 cmL800N
21PomacentridaeAbudefduf sp.13–15 September 2020Genoa44.3918.96518 cmP0.5A, T
22RegalecidaeRegalecus glesne Ascanius, 177216 April 2016Ventimiglia43.3467.9171200 cmP2250N
23ScaridaeSparisoma cretense (Linnaeus, 1758)10–11 August 2024Ventimiglia43.7857.619120 cmP4N, T
24ScombridaeKatsuwonus pelamis (Linnaeus, 1758)7 September 2019Imperia43.8318.105270 cmTN/AN, T
25SparidaeDiplodus cervinus (Lowe, 1838)2004Bordighera43.7747.67411.7 kgS7N, T
26 August 2017Palmaria44.0249.8573 (1)2 kgS20N, T
27 Apr 2019Nervi44.3819.03613.1 kgS8N, T
28 29 June 2019Gallinara Island44.0268.230135 cmP18N, T
29 1 September 2019Gallinara Island44.0268.232335 cmP23N, T
30 7 September 2019Gallinara Island44.0268.230235 cmP15N, T
31 27 September 2019Bergeggi Island44.2348.447125 cmP15–20N, T
32 11 July 2020Bergeggi Island44.2358.446335 cmP12–15N, T
33 18 July 2020Gallinara Island44.0238.225135 cmP15–25N, T
34 19 July 2020Bergeggi Island44.2358.448135 cmP25N, T
35 September 2021Genoa44.3918.96516 cmP1N, T
36 10 September 2021Riomaggiore44.0979.737135 cmP10N, T
37 18 September 2021Bergeggi Island44.2358.446135 cmP22N, T
38 8 August 2022Imperia43.8728.015123 cmP3N, T
39StromateidaeStromateus fiatola Linnaeus, 17586 November 2020Lerici44.0449.931125 cmTNN/AN, T
40 27 December 2020Lerici44.0589.915140 cmTNN/AN, T
41TetragonuridaeTetragonurus cuvieri Risso, 181025 June 2020Imperia43.8068.110130 cmSC550N
42ParalepididaeSudis hyalina Rafinesque, 181016 January 2020Imperia43.7878.156135 cmL800N
Chondrichthyes
NFamilySpeciesDate/datesSiteLatitudeLongitudeNSizeMethodDepth
43CetorhinidaeCetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765)5 May 2020Varazze44.3538.5681350 cmTN7–8N
44 8 May 2020Zinola44.2808.4571350 cmP40N
45DalatiidaeDalatias licha (Bonnaterre, 1788)12 August 2020Portofino44.3109.2281110 cmDP30N
46 25 November 2020Genoa43.9038.9431110 cmFR790N
47SomniosidaeSomniosus rostratus (Risso, 1827)7 February 2020Imperia43.7878.112190 cmL800N
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MDPI and ACS Style

Nota, A.; Santovito, A.; Tiralongo, F. Northern Refuge or New Thermophilic Hotspot? Citizen Science Evidence of Rare, Thermophilic, and Alien Fishes in the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean). Oceans 2025, 6, 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans6020025

AMA Style

Nota A, Santovito A, Tiralongo F. Northern Refuge or New Thermophilic Hotspot? Citizen Science Evidence of Rare, Thermophilic, and Alien Fishes in the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean). Oceans. 2025; 6(2):25. https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans6020025

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nota, Alessandro, Alfredo Santovito, and Francesco Tiralongo. 2025. "Northern Refuge or New Thermophilic Hotspot? Citizen Science Evidence of Rare, Thermophilic, and Alien Fishes in the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean)" Oceans 6, no. 2: 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans6020025

APA Style

Nota, A., Santovito, A., & Tiralongo, F. (2025). Northern Refuge or New Thermophilic Hotspot? Citizen Science Evidence of Rare, Thermophilic, and Alien Fishes in the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean). Oceans, 6(2), 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/oceans6020025

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