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Article

First Records with Biological Notes of Umbrina ronchus, Valenciennes, 1843 (Osteichthyes, Sciaenidae) in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea)

by
Giacomo Sardo
1,
Michele Luca Geraci
1,*,
Fabio Falsone
1,
Salvatore Gancitano
1,
Vita Gancitano
1,
Daniela Massi
1,
Charles Odilichukwu R. Okpala
2,3,
Danilo Scannella
1,
Antonino Titone
1,
Sergio Vitale
1,4 and
Fabio Fiorentino
1,5
1
National Research Council–CNR, Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology (IRBIM), 91026 Mazara del Vallo, Italy
2
UGA Cooperative Extension, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
3
Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 51-630 Wrocław, Poland
4
National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 61, 90133 Palermo, Italy
5
Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN), Lungomare Cristoforo Colombo 4521, 90149 Palermo, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Fishes 2023, 8(9), 434; https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8090434
Submission received: 31 July 2023 / Revised: 13 August 2023 / Accepted: 17 August 2023 / Published: 24 August 2023
(This article belongs to the Section Biology and Ecology)
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

:
Between September and October 2021, a total of seven adult specimens (five females and two males) of Umbrina ronchus Valenciennes, 1843 were caught in the waters off Portopalo di Capo Passero and Porto Empedocle (the south-eastern coast of Sicily). This was the first record of this species in the Strait of Sicily and the deepest record of this species within the Mediterranean Sea. Individuals of U. ronchus ranged from 180–240 mm total length and 69–149 g total weight. Gonad stages ranged from maturing to spent/resting. Otoliths sagittae were oval shaped with high rectangular yet complex contour. Counting the growth zones by transverse section, the estimated age ranged from 3 to 5 years. Since sciaenids are considered a high-longevity species, a quite recent settlement of U. ronchus in the Strait of Sicily is suggested. As the biogeographic nature of the Strait of Sicily is the main boundary between the western basin, which is characterized by a high affinity for (sub)tropical Atlantic species such as U. ronchus, and the eastern basin, which has an affinity for the indo-pacific warm waters species, the present records could be the limit to the eastward expansion of the geographic distribution of U. ronchus in the Mediterranean Sea.
Keywords:
Fusca drum; biometries; meristics; otolith; age estimation; geographical distribution
Key Contribution: This study presents the first records of U. ronchus in the Strait of Sicily and provide useful information, including some biological parameters; morphometric and meristic data; an otolith morphometric description; and age estimation, together with an update of the geographical distribution within the Mediterranean Sea.

1. Introduction

The family Sciaenidae of the order Eupercaria incertae sedis [1] includes 70 genera [2] with around 296 species distributed in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans [3]. Sciaenidae species are common in warm coastal waters and estuaries, where they may form large shoals on soft or sandy bottoms [4,5,6]. In the Mediterranean Sea, the family Sciaenidae is present with three genera such as Argyrosomus De la Pylaie, 1835, Sciaena Linnaeus, 1758, Umbrina Cuvier, 1816, and five species [7]. In particular, Sciaena umbra Linnaeus, 1758 and Umbrina cirrosa (Linnaeus, 1758) species are common along the coast of the entire Mediterranean Sea; the former inhabits rocky grounds while the latter occur on sandy bottoms at the depths that range from the shoreline to about 100 m [8,9]. Further, these sciaenids are highly prized resources based on their size for small-scale fisheries [10]. The genus Umbrina, which consists of 54 species [1], would be distinguished from other genera in the family given the presence of a simple, wholly abdominal swim bladder, together with a chin barbell with a median pore at its tip [7,11]. Among this genus, Umbrina canariensis Valenciennes, 1843, and Umbrina ronchus Valenciennes, 1843, show a particularly wide distribution. The former occurs from the western Mediterranean to the West African coast (Cape Point, South Africa) and the western Indo-Pacific (Mozambique to Oman, excluding the Red Sea) [12,13] whereas the latter is reported in the eastern Atlantic from Gibraltar to Angola and Canary Islands [14], the western Mediterranean, and the western Indian Ocean from the Cape to the Persian Gulf along the East coast of Africa [4]. Apart from a few scattered findings in the westernmost areas of the Mediterranean, to the best of our knowledge, there is a paucity of relevant information regarding the biology of U. ronchus specific to the Strait of Sicily of the Mediterranean Sea. Therefore, to supplement the existing knowledge, this study presents the first records of U. ronchus in the Strait of Sicily and provides: (i) some biological parameters such as length, weight, sex, and maturity stage; (ii) morphometric and meristic data; (iii) otolith morphometric description; (iv) an age estimation; as well as (v) an update of the geographical distribution of U. ronchus within the Mediterranean Sea.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Schematic Overview of the Experimental Study

A schematic overview of the experimental study, showing major steps of the work, from monitoring commercial catch/trawl survey information activity, through catching U. ronchus, to the analytical methods used, is shown in Figure 1. This schematic overview aligns constructively with the objective of this work, which for emphasis, reports the first records of U. ronchus in the Strait of Sicily, given considerations of some biological parameters, morphometric/meristic data, otolith description/age estimation, followed by geographical distribution.

2.2. Sample Collection and Identification

On 2nd September 2021, one specimen of U. ronchus was caught off Portopalo di Capo Passero (trawl haul points: 36°37.17′ N, 014°95.75′ E) at a depth of about 80 m, whilst monitoring commercial catch within the European Data Collection Framework. Moreover, on 13 October 2021, an additional six specimens of U. ronchus were caught in the same haul off Porto Empedocle harbor (trawl haul points: 37°17.50′ N, 013°49.66′ E) at a depth of about 168 m, during a trawl survey collecting information on Descriptor 6 of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) 2008/56/EC within the GFCM Fisheries Restricted Area (FRA) known as the “West of Gela Basin”. In particular, this FRA is characterized by coastal terrigenous mud bottoms [15] and low fishing pressure due to the bottom trawling ban implemented in July 2019. The taxonomical identification was carried out at the laboratory of CNR-IRBIM of Mazara del Vallo according to Tortonese [16] and Chao and Trevanas [17].

2.3. Morphometric Measurements

The morphometric measurements to the nearest 0.1 mm, and weight with an accuracy of 0.01 g, were recorded. In particular, total length (TL), standard length (SL), maximum body height, eye horizontal diameter, pre-orbital length, and sub-orbital length were measured in accordance with Dardignac [18]. Further, meristics were recorded and compared with the information reported in the literature [18,19,20]. Sex was assigned via macroscopical observation of gonads, whereas the maturity stage was assessed according to the scale for bony fishes of the International Bottom Trawl Survey in the Mediterranean (MEDITS), namely: Stage 0—undetermined; Stage 1—immature; Stage 2a—developing virgin; Stage 2b—recovering; Stage 2c—maturing; Stage 3—mature/spawner; Stage 4a—spent, and Stage 4b—resting [21].

2.4. Otolithometry and Age Estimation

The otoliths were extracted according to the method described by [22,23], which entailed the cleaning of the blood, otic sac, and other membranes using distilled water. These were subsequently stored in labeled vials and then allowed to air-dry for 48 h. The weight of each otolith was measured to 0.0001 mg using an analytical balance (Entris® II Advanced Line; Sartorius AG, Göttingen, Germany).
The otolithometric measures included area (Ao), perimeter (Po), length (Lo, maximal distance from the anterior tip to the posterior edge, parallel to the sulcus [24]) and height (Ho, maximal distance from the dorsal otolith edge to the ventral one, perpendicular to the sulcus). The otolith parameters were recorded using the ImageJ v.1.53t software (Wayne Rasband (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA), which cumulatively enabled dimensionless shape indices such as the otolith relative length (100(Lo/TL), 100(Lo/SL)), otolith relative size (OR, 1000(Ao/TL2)), aspect ratio (Ar, shape tendency of otolith, Ho/Lo), form factor (Ff: its values range from 0 to 1, with a value of 1 corresponding to a perfect circle; fpr 4ΠAo/P2, Π is the pi, i.e., about 3.14), ellipticity (El, with values close to 0 indicating a tendency towards circularity, (Lo–Ho)/(Lo + Ho)), roundness (for Ro, the larger it is, the more the otolith shape approximates that of a disk, 4Ao/ΠLo2), rectangularity (Re, for which a value of 1 indicates a perfect rectangle or square, Ao/(Lo × Ho)) and circularity (Ci, complexity of otolith contour, P2/Ao) [25,26,27]. Otoliths were grouped into four categories according to OR, namely: very small (OR < 0.10), small (0.10–0.32), medium (0.33–065) and large (>0.65) [28]. Regarding length (Lo), height (Ho), and weight (Wo) measurements, descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, minimal, and maximal values) were calculated and differences between the right and left otolith measurements were analyzed using a paired t-test. Moreover, the otoliths of the current study were compared with those of U. ronchus reported in the Canary Islands waters (Atlantic Ocean) collected from the AFORO database [29]. All statistics were carried out with R 4.2.1 [30].
Otoliths were embedded in epoxy resin and cut transversely through the focus using a low-speed saw (IsoMet™; Buehler Ltd., Lake Bluff, IL, USA), equipped with two diamond blades separated by a metallic spacer, in order to remove thin sections of about 0.6 mm thick [31,32,33]. Sections were mounted on glass slides followed by grinding/polishing techniques and placed on a black background upon which the growth marks were examined under reflected light using a stereomicroscope (Leica Wild Mz12.5; Leica Microsystems GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany) at 1.0× magnification. The contrast between opaque and translucent zones was enhanced by Adobe Photoshop software (v. 22.0, Adobe, San Jose, CA, USA). The age was assigned independently by two readers using the images of otolith sections without any additional information. If there was disagreement about the number of marks, the otolith was re-read by both readers. The growth zones of the otoliths were visible across the height (dorsal–ventral) as well as the length (anterior–posterior) surfaces, whereas the presumptive annuli (a couple of translucent and opaque zone) were identified and counted along the sulcus acusticus.

2.5. Geographical Distribution

The updated geographical distribution of U. ronchus was prepared by compiling all existing information concerning reported records in the Mediterranean Sea. Every published article and volume regarding species identification we found that contained reports of U. ronchus in the Mediterranean Sea was scrutinized in order to extract the spatial data. Moreover, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility ([34]; www.gbif.org (accessed on 5 January 2023) was consulted to obtain further records on its distribution. Lastly, the records of U. ronchus were mapped with the help of R software version 4.2.1 [30].

3. Results

The photographic image of the U. ronchus specimen caught in the Strait of Sicily (specimen no 1) is shown in Figure 2.
The body is elongated and somewhat compressed and is covered with short cycloid scales with a relatively large head and steeply inclined pre-dorsal surface. The ventral fins are blackish-brown while the dorsal and anal fins are long, almost like the whole body. The main biometric measures of the specimens collected are shown in Table 1, while the main statistics of morphometrics and meristics are reported in Table 2.
Overall, specimens were adults ranging from 180 to 240 mm in total length (TL) and from 66 to 149 g in total weight, with males being smaller than females. The gonad stages ranged from maturing to spent/resting phases.
The distal and proximal surface views of the otoliths are shown in Figure 3A,B, and appeared thick and opaque.
The description of the otolith morphology, according to the terminology used by Smale et al. [35] and Tuset et al. [36], is reported in Table 3.
Comparisons between the right and left sides of otolith length (Lo, mm), otolith height (Ho, mm) and otolith weight (Wo, mg) measurements of U. ronchus specimens are reported in Table 4.
A paired t-test showed no significant differences between the right and left otolith measurements (Lo, t = 1.04, p = 0.338; Ho, t = −0.16, p = 0.871; Wo, t = 1.24, p = 0.259). Therefore, the right otoliths were chosen for the estimation of shape parameters as well as indices and compared to the literature for the Canary Islands (Atlantic Ocean) (Table 5).
Enhanced image of the cross-section of the U. ronchus otolith used to count presumptive annuli for age estimation is shown in Figure 4.
The transverse section of sagittae showed an alternation of opaque and translucent zones. The otolith nucleus, visible as the inner central dark region, appears surrounded by a translucent zone encircling narrow line-shaped opaque zones, followed by an evident narrow opaque zone, whereas the edge type of the otolith was not clearly discernible. The annuli were counted along the dorsal margin of the sulcus acusticus, where the deposition of growth rings appeared more defined. Based on the annuli count, the putative age of specimens ranged between 3 and 5 years.

4. Discussion

The taxonomic identification of U. ronchus is a complex story. The holotype of this species, originally believed to be lost, was of limited value for morphometric measurements [37], whereas Trewavas [38] thought that specimens found in waters off Morocco by Dardignac [18], initially considered as U. fusca, were possibly identified as U. ronchus and synonymized them. Hence, Palmer [19] described a neotype from two specimens collected from the Canary Islands. According to Hutchings and Griffiths [20], U. ronchus differs from U. canariensis in terms of its smaller scales, shorter pectoral fins, and the depths of its body, its longer ventral caudal peduncle, lower modal number of dorsal fin rays, as well as its upper gill-rakers. Further, patterns of rostral pores are of importance when distinguishing the Umbrina spp. [17,18,20]. Overall, the morphology and the livery of the U. ronchus specimen caught in the Strait of Sicily were consistent with the description by Tortonese [16] and Chao and Trevanas [17]. In particular, their livery appeared gray with golden reflections, with neither oblique brown stripes nor markings. Figure 5 shows the pattern of upper rostral pores (URP), marginal rostral pores (MRP), mental pores (MP), and barbel with a pore (BP) of U. ronchus specimens caught in the Strait of Sicily (a), compared with those reported by Dardignac [18] (b) and Chao [7] (c). Snout of U. ronchus herein revealed ten pores placed in two rows: (i) five in the upper rostrum and (ii) five in the marginal rostrum. Contrary to what is reported in the literature, lateral pores of the upper rostrum and the central pore of the marginal rostrum appear particularly marked with a triangular shape. The typical two pairs of pores on the lower jaw (MP) and one at the barbell tip (BP) were also present in the examined specimens.
Given the difference in fish size, the observed shape parameters of examined otoliths appeared smaller compared to those reported from the Canary Islands, while the shape indices reported a higher circularity in the otoliths of the specimen from the Strait of Sicily (Table 5). Otoliths of U. ronchus from the Canary Islands, according to Schwarzhans [39] closely resembled those of U. canariensis, with somewhat elongate and thick-set, distinct post-central umbo on the outer face, alongside crenulated rims, especially in the smaller otoliths. At times, variations in otolith shape might be associated with differences in habitat [40]. Moreover, environmental factors like feeding conditions, salinity, depth, and temperature might also influence the otolith shape [41,42]. Notably, the appearance, as well as the shape of otolith (most often, the sagitta) in fish specimens remain species specific and can help us differ between populations of the same species in different locations [29,43] which makes shape analysis a valuable tool for the identification of fish species and stock [44].
The putative age of the U. ronchus specimens ranged from three to five years. A small number of specimens caught in the Strait of Sicily did not allow otolith growth validation by the marginal increment analysis (MIA) [45]. Thus, we assumed that pattern of opaque and translucent zones in sectioned otoliths is annual, as reported in sciaenids species [46]. Sciaenidae are generally considered long-lived species [47,48]. Indeed, Fiorentino et al. [49] reported ages of an aggregation of 234 spawners of S. umbra, caught within the Maltese Management Fishing Zone in the Strait of Sicily, between 3 and 26 years by means of transverse otolith sections, whereas La Mesa et al. [50] reported ages of S. umbra up to 16 and 19 years in the Adriatic Sea. Considering the longevity of sciaenids species, the age of specimens examined in the current study might suggest a quite recent settlement of U. ronchus in the Strait of Sicily.
The updated geographical distribution of U. ronchus based on all available information in the Mediterranean Sea is shown in Figure 6.
According to the literature, U. ronchus occurs in the western Mediterranean Sea along European and African coasts of the Alboran Sea, as well as the Catalan Sea and the Algero-Provencal basin, which are strictly connected to the Atlantic Ocean [34,51,52,53]. In particular, the presence of U. ronchus found in the western Mediterranean basin, through the Strait of Gibraltar, might depict its spatial distribution expanding in two directions, namely: (i) northward from the Alboran Sea to the Gulf of Lion across the Catalan Sea [34,53] and (ii) eastward along the coasts of Algeria [51]. Notably, two specimens (SL, 220–230 mm) were reported in the Strait of Messina [16], where the peculiar hydrodynamic regime, characterized by strong tidal currents, prevents stratification of the water column and affects the organisms’ spatial and vertical distribution [54], forming a favorable habitat for species with Atlantic affinity [55,56,57]. In particular, the fresh Atlantic water enters into the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar, flowing eastwards along the coasts of North Africa, as the Algerian current, and arrives in the Strait of Sicily, where it becomes the Atlantic Ionian Stream (AIS) [58]. The interaction of AIS with the complex topography of the Strait of Sicily and wind-driven currents results in a large cyclonic vortex, called Adventure Bank Vortex (ABV), which implies an enrichment of waters due to a stable upwelling [59] that increases the marine productivity [60] and provides shrimps, worms, as well as bottom-dwelling invertebrates believed to comprise the diet of U. ronchus [7]. Further, one specimen of U. ronchus was recorded in a local fish market of Istanbul [34] with its skeleton preserved. Given the known spatial distribution of U. ronchus in the Mediterranean Sea, the single specimen reported in the Sea of Marmara should not be considered as representative of the species distribution in the Mediterranean. Moreover, the absence of meristic and biometric information regarding the specimen from the Sea of Marmara cannot exclude a misidentification with U. cirrosa, which is widespread within the Mediterranean basin [51], or S. umbra, which is widespread along the coasts of the Sea of Marmara [47]. While investigating the bathymetric distribution in the Mediterranean Sea, Bertrand and Relini [53] reported the occurrence of U. ronchus in the Catalan Sea at depths ranging between 33 and 83 m. Conversely, U. ronchus specimens in the Strait of Sicily can be found up to 168 m depth, compared with juvenile specimens of the congeneric species U. canariensis between 140 and 171 m depth on the eastern side of the Malta Bank [49], which suggests that U. ronchus and U. canariensis in the Strait of Sicily prefer deeper and less warm waters compared to the shallow waters in which the species occur in the western Mediterranean Sea.

5. Conclusions

These first records of U. ronchus in the Strait of Sicily could represent the limit to the eastward expansion of the species geographical distribution in the Mediterranean Sea. Indeed, the reported records of U. ronchus reiterate the crucial role of the Strait of Sicily as the main hydrodynamic and biogeographical boundary, especially between the western basin, which has been characterized by a high affinity for (sub)tropical Atlantic species since the beginning of the last interglacial period [58,59,60,61,62,63], and the eastern basin with an affinity with the indo-pacific warm water species of lessepsian migration from the Red Sea [61,62,64,65].

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, G.S. and F.F. (Fabio Fiorentino); methodology, S.G., F.F. (Fabio Falsone) and D.S.; validation, S.G.; investigation, D.M., V.G. and A.T.; writing—original draft preparation, G.S. and S.V.; writing—review and editing, M.L.G. and C.O.R.O.; supervision, F.F. (Fabio Fiorentino) and S.V.; project administration, D.M. and V.G.; funding acquisition, D.M. and V.G.; All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

Funding was provided by the ISPRA CNR-IRBIM convention on Descriptor 6 of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive and by the European DGMARE and the Italian MIPAAF under the EU Data Collection Framework.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Ethical review and approval were waived for this study due to the fact that the individuals were already dead once unloaded on deck.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

The data supporting the results of the current manuscript are already provided.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Figure 1. Schematic overview of the experimental study, showing major steps of the work, from monitoring commercial catch/trawl survey information activity, through catching U. ronchus, to the analytical methods used.
Figure 1. Schematic overview of the experimental study, showing major steps of the work, from monitoring commercial catch/trawl survey information activity, through catching U. ronchus, to the analytical methods used.
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Figure 2. U. ronchus specimen caught in the Strait of Sicily.
Figure 2. U. ronchus specimen caught in the Strait of Sicily.
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Figure 3. (A) Distal surface of the sagittal otoliths from U. ronchus; (B) morphological characterization of the proximal surface of the right otolith showing sulcus acusticus (SA, continuous line), ostium (O—dashed line), cauda (C—dotted line), caudal joint (CJ), dorsal depression (DD), caudal depression (CD).
Figure 3. (A) Distal surface of the sagittal otoliths from U. ronchus; (B) morphological characterization of the proximal surface of the right otolith showing sulcus acusticus (SA, continuous line), ostium (O—dashed line), cauda (C—dotted line), caudal joint (CJ), dorsal depression (DD), caudal depression (CD).
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Figure 4. Enhanced image of the cross-section, under reflected light, of U. ronchus otolith used to count presumptive annuli (one translucent + one opaque zone) for age estimation; F: focus; S: solcus acusticus; roman numbers (I, II, III, IV, V): annuli.
Figure 4. Enhanced image of the cross-section, under reflected light, of U. ronchus otolith used to count presumptive annuli (one translucent + one opaque zone) for age estimation; F: focus; S: solcus acusticus; roman numbers (I, II, III, IV, V): annuli.
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Figure 5. Underside of head of U. ronchus. (A) Snout pores of the specimen of the present study; (B) representation of snout pores of U. ronchus as reported by Dardignac [18] and (C) Chao [7] showing upper rostral pores (URP), marginal rostral pores (MRP), mental pores (MP), and barbel with a pore (BP).
Figure 5. Underside of head of U. ronchus. (A) Snout pores of the specimen of the present study; (B) representation of snout pores of U. ronchus as reported by Dardignac [18] and (C) Chao [7] showing upper rostral pores (URP), marginal rostral pores (MRP), mental pores (MP), and barbel with a pore (BP).
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Figure 6. Map showing the geographical distribution of U. ronchus based on the previous and the presently reported study within the Mediterranean Basin; the black arrow indicates the expansion of the spatial distribution of U. ronchus [51].
Figure 6. Map showing the geographical distribution of U. ronchus based on the previous and the presently reported study within the Mediterranean Basin; the black arrow indicates the expansion of the spatial distribution of U. ronchus [51].
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Table 1. Basic biometric measures of U. ronchus collected in the Strait of Sicily.
Table 1. Basic biometric measures of U. ronchus collected in the Strait of Sicily.
SpecimenTL (mm)SL (mm)W (g)SexMaturity StageAge
1225180123.67F2c5
218014065.96M4a4
320516596.37F34
4240195149.51F35
5210170102.19F35
618515569.44M2c3
7 *215175119.48F33
TL, total length; SL, standard length; W, weight; * U. ronchus specimen caught off Portopalo di Capo Passero.
Table 2. Main statistics of morphometric parameters and meristic data of U. ronchus from the Strait of Sicily. Data provided, respectively, by Palmer [19] from Canary Islands (Atlantic Ocean) and Dardignac [18] from Morocco are also reported.
Table 2. Main statistics of morphometric parameters and meristic data of U. ronchus from the Strait of Sicily. Data provided, respectively, by Palmer [19] from Canary Islands (Atlantic Ocean) and Dardignac [18] from Morocco are also reported.
Present Study
n = 7		Palmer et al. [19]Dardignac [18]
BMNH
1964.12.30.1		BMNH
1964.12.30. 2		n = na
Morphometric ParametersMin–MaxMean ± sdValue *Value *Min–MaxMean
Total length [TL, mm]180–240 517575--
Standard length [SL, mm]140–195 444
(436)		484
(465)		--
Measurement [% SL]
Head length27.8–30.429.1 ± 1.03131-22.6 [%TL]
Pre-dorsal length34.0–37.435.4 ± 1.13839--
Maximal body height31.3–33.132.2 ± 0.9313124.1–27.326.0 [%TL]
Pre-anal length62.3–68.865.0 ± 2.2----
Caudal peduncle height8.9–10.39.8 ± 0.58.79.5--
First dorsal fin length15.2–19.817.2 ± 1.6----
Second dorsal fin length40.6–48.143.9 ± 2.6----
Pectoral fin length19.7–23.021.9 ± 1.21818--
Ventral fin length21.0–23.222.2 ± 0.92019--
Anal fin length17.1–22.419.4 ± 1.6191918.0–19.9-
Measurement [% HL]
Pre-orbital length20.4–28.425.7 ± 3.6212133.6–40.036.4
Sub-orbital length15.2–20.717.5 ± 1.6--21.0–24.522.2
Eye horizontal diameter25.9–28.827.5 ± 1.1151514.0–25.020.5
Interorbital space23.2–25.825.2 ± 1.32929--
Meristic DataCountsCountsCountsCounts
1st dorsal fin spine10101010
2nd dorsal fin spine1111
2nd dorsal fin soft ray25–27 (25 1)252523–27 (25 1)
Pectoral fin rays16–18161617–18
Anal fin spine2221
Anal fin soft ray7777
Upper gill-rakers35 (3 *)5 (3 *)-
Lower gill-rakers87 (8 *)7 (9 *)-
Rostral pores101010-
Mental pores444-
* Ratios, standard length () and upper/lower gill-rakers provided by Hutchings and Griffiths [20]. 1 Mode; na, not available.
Table 3. Description of the otolith characters of U. ronchus specimens collected in the Strait of Sicily.
Table 3. Description of the otolith characters of U. ronchus specimens collected in the Strait of Sicily.
Otolith CharactersDescription
Shape:Approximately oval, dorsal margin angled and irregular, ventral margin rounded and slightly irregular
Thickness:Very thick
Form:Mesial convex, lateral concave with cluster of nodules in centre
Sulcus acusticus:Pseudo-ostial, supramedian, heterosulcoid
Ostium:Mushroom shaped, lateral, occupying the anterior part of the otolith
Cauda:Tubular, strongly flexed, narrows at tip
Ostio-cauda differentiation:Dorso-ventral constriction
Dorsal depression:Shallow, elongated from ostium to caudal tip
Anterior region:Round, rostrum long, antirostrum absent, excisura absent
Posterior region:Round
Table 4. Comparison between the right and left sides of otolith length (Lo, mm), otolith height (Ho, mm) and otolith weight (Wo, mg) measurements of U. ronchus specimens from the Strait of Sicily according to the paired t-test.
Table 4. Comparison between the right and left sides of otolith length (Lo, mm), otolith height (Ho, mm) and otolith weight (Wo, mg) measurements of U. ronchus specimens from the Strait of Sicily according to the paired t-test.
MeasurementnOtolithMean ± sdMinMax
Lo7Dx8.34 ± 0.667.408.96
Sx8.29 ± 0.587.468.93
Ho7Dx6.43 ± 0.385.986.95
Sx6.43 ± 0.395.946.91
Wo7Dx0.192 ± 0.040.130.24
Sx0.191 ± 0.040.130.24
Table 5. Shape parameters and indices from otolith of U. ronchus specimens caught in the Strait of Sicily compared to extant literature in the Canary Islands (Atlantic Ocean).
Table 5. Shape parameters and indices from otolith of U. ronchus specimens caught in the Strait of Sicily compared to extant literature in the Canary Islands (Atlantic Ocean).
Present StudyLombarte et al. [29]
Shape ParametersMean ± sdValue 1Value 2
Area (Ao) [mm2]41.20 ± 5.37121.78113.13
Perimeter (Po) [mm]28.30 ± 3.6144.6841.83
Weight (Wo) [mg]0.192 ± 0.04--
Length (Lo) [mm]8.34 ± 0.6614.7513.91
Height (Ho) [mm]6.43 ± 0.3810.7510.24
Shape Indices
Otolith relative length (TL)4.01 ± 0.134.034.16
Otolith relative length (SL)4.96 ± 0.22--
Otolith relative size (OR)0.95 ± 0.070.911.01
Aspect ratio (Ar)0.77 ± 0.030.730.74
Form factor (Ff)0.65 ± 0.090.770.81
Ellipticity (El)0.13 ± 0.020.160.15
Roundness (Ro)0.75 ± 0.030.710.74
Rectangularity (Re)0.77 ± 0.010.770.79
Circularity (Ci)19.53 ± 2.82 16.3915.47
1 U. ronchus specimen: TL = 334 mm 2 U. ronchus specimen: TL = 336 mm.
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Sardo, G.; Geraci, M.L.; Falsone, F.; Gancitano, S.; Gancitano, V.; Massi, D.; Okpala, C.O.R.; Scannella, D.; Titone, A.; Vitale, S.; et al. First Records with Biological Notes of Umbrina ronchus, Valenciennes, 1843 (Osteichthyes, Sciaenidae) in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea). Fishes 2023, 8, 434. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8090434

AMA Style

Sardo G, Geraci ML, Falsone F, Gancitano S, Gancitano V, Massi D, Okpala COR, Scannella D, Titone A, Vitale S, et al. First Records with Biological Notes of Umbrina ronchus, Valenciennes, 1843 (Osteichthyes, Sciaenidae) in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea). Fishes. 2023; 8(9):434. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8090434

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sardo, Giacomo, Michele Luca Geraci, Fabio Falsone, Salvatore Gancitano, Vita Gancitano, Daniela Massi, Charles Odilichukwu R. Okpala, Danilo Scannella, Antonino Titone, Sergio Vitale, and et al. 2023. "First Records with Biological Notes of Umbrina ronchus, Valenciennes, 1843 (Osteichthyes, Sciaenidae) in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea)" Fishes 8, no. 9: 434. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8090434

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