First record of the yellowbar angelfish Pomacanthus maculosus (Forsskal, 1775) in the Central Mediterranean (Maltese Islands)

Abstract

The yellowbar angelfish Pomacanthus maculosus (Forsskål, 1775) is reported for the first time from the central Mediterranean, based on a specimen caught from the Maltese Islands in December 2012. This is also the first record of the Family Pomacanthidae from the central Mediterranean region. No other individuals of this species have been observed since. As the only other Mediterranean records of P. maculosus are from the eastern Levantine Sea, the occurrence of this species in Maltese waters is probably due to a direct introduction via the aquarium trade or through shipping, although unaided dispersal of larvae or adults cannot be definitively excluded. The present record represents a further addition to the growing list of thermophilic fish recorded from the central Mediterranean in recent years.