Latest news with #ActaIchthyologicaetPiscatoria
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
10-foot-long predator — with toxic flesh — is first-of-its-kind catch off Mexico
Off the coast of Veracruz, Mexico, fishermen attached hunks of bonito fish to a longline and dropped it in the water. The nearly 400-foot line drug through the water until something heavy chomped down on the bait and was reeled to the surface. The fishermen recorded a video of the creature on the end of the line as it approached the boat on the July day in 2024, possibly not realizing the significance of the catch. The hook was caught in the mouth of a bluntnose sixgill shark — the first ever confirmed catch 'for Mexican waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.' The shark was brought to shore to be weighed and measured, according to a study published June 6 in the peer-reviewed journal Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria. The nearly 10-foot-long shark has a 'robust body' and a 'large and broad head,' researchers said. The shark's 'big mouth' holds 'six rows of large, serrated comb-shaped teeth on each side of the lower jaw.' The shark has a 'prominent tapetum lucidum,' or reflective layer in the eye, that makes their eyes appear 'fluorescent greenish' while alive. The shark was a sexually mature male, likely at the peak of its size, researchers said. Bluntnose sixgill sharks, or Hexanchus griseus, can be found globally, but in patches of ocean instead of widely distributed, according to the study. The first record of the shark in the Gulf of Mexico was in 1962 when a 14-foot female was caught off the coast of Alabama, according to the study. A 10-foot male bluntnose sixgill shark was caught off the coast of Texas in 1984. This record, however, confirms the species's distribution to the southwest region of the Gulf. 'Local fishermen have reported capturing the species on several occasions, however the specimens were released since the flesh is bland and not well appreciated due to its consistency,' according to the study. 'It also has a large amount of fat which is considered toxic. For this reason, species of the genera Hexanchus and Heptranchias have been dubbed milk sharks by local fishermen.' The shark's flesh has an incredibly high concentration of oil, leading to the meat being considered ichthyosarcotoxic, and not safe to eat, according to the study. This means that when the sharks are caught it is typically incidental and they are not specifically targeted in any commercial operations, researchers said. The sharks are usually found below 300 feet, though juveniles swim closer to coastal areas, according to the study. The shark was caught 12 miles north of the community of Salinas Roca Partida. The Gulf of Mexico was renamed as the Gulf of America by executive order on Jan. 20 by President Donald Trump. This change is not recognized outside the United States. The research team includes Luis Fernando Del Moral-Flores, Sergio Alejandro Lozano-Quiroz, Viridiana R. Escartín-Alpizar, Eduardo García-Mercado and Rolando Hernández-Ortiz.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Science
- Miami Herald
Fishermen catch ‘twilight zone' creature marking its first record in Taiwan
Commercial fishing vessels trawling the waters off the coast of Taiwan pulled in several deep-sea creatures never before reported in the region. Four Japanese lanternfish were collected from northeastern and southwestern Taiwan, marking the first time the species has been recorded in Taiwanese waters, according to a study published June 9 in the peer-reviewed journal Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria. The species inhabits the mesopelagic or 'twilight zone,' at depths below 980 feet during the day and migrate up to depths of 65-650 feet at night, according to the study. These are the southernmost records of Japanese lanternfish, researchers said. The species was previously only known from the Northern and Central Pacific, according to the study. The specimens were described as having large mouths, pale slender bodies with pockets of scale outlined in black, 'dusky' fins, and a 'uniformly black' head, according to the study. While the Taiwan specimens shared many of the same characteristics as other Japanese lanternfish, 'several major differences were noted' when compared with other specimens, including eye diameter and distance between eyes, fin length, and the number of pelvic fin rays, according to researchers. 'We suggest that more specimens are needed to determine if these differences are intraspecific variations or not,' researchers said. The research team included Yo Su, Jian-Fu Huang and Fan-Yi Yang.
Miami Herald
13-03-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Anglers snag ‘unusual' 2-foot-long sea creature in first-of-its-kind catch for Malta
Anglers dropped several lines into the Mediterranean Sea and waited until something took the bait. Their catch — an 'unusual' 2-foot-long sea creature — turned out to be a first-of-its-kind record for Malta. The first known record of a wahoo in the Mediterranean Sea came in 1872 after the fish ended up in a trap near Palermo, Italy. Ever since, the species has been an 'uncommon' catch in the region. But 2024 was different. Last year, wahoo fish were found at 'relatively high frequency' throughout the Mediterranean. A combination of factors, including a 'greater fishing effort,' 'extended period of fair weather' and 'exceptionally high seawater temperatures,' likely contributed to the 'unexpected' number of sightings, according to a study published March 12 in the peer-reviewed journal Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria. Off the coast of Malta, anglers David Ellul and Jean Paul Sciberras caught two wahoos last October and November — the country's first record of the species, researchers said. Scientifically known as Acanthocybium solandri, wahoos are also commonly referred to as barracudas or kingfish, according to the Florida Museum. These 'very long' fish live in open, tropical oceans around the world, generally being 'solitary or forming small, loose aggregations.' Wahoo have a 'high commercial value' and are 'considered very valuable in recreational fishery,' the study said. These fish are 'a generalist top predator' capable of reaching swimming speeds of about 28 miles per hour. Photos show the pair of young male wahoos caught off Malta. They measured between 23 and 24 inches in length and weighed about 2.3 and 2.7 pounds, the study said. One wahoo was caught 'by a professional fisherman' using a Fishing Aggregated Device, a floating object used to attract oceanic fish, at a depth of about 1,700 feet, researchers said. The other fish was caught at a depth of about 1,150 feet with fishing lines placed off the end of the boat and 'baited with (an) artificial lure stuck to a feather.' Researchers said the first-of-their-kind wahoo catches add 'another species to the checklist of marine fishes reported for the Maltese archipelago.' Malta is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea situated south of Italy and north of Libya. The research team included Alan Deidun, Maria Corsini-Foka, Alessio Marrone, Gianni Insacco, Jean Paul Schembri, Arnold Sciberras, Mario Santoro, Flavia Occhibove, Antonio Di Natale and Bruno Zava.
