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Dott.ssa Chiara Caruso (Responsible of Tartanet)
Dott.ssa Lucia Venturi (President of Regional Park of
Maremma)
Dott. Sergio Ventrella (Tuscany Observatory of Biodiversity)
VERTEBRATES in the Aquarium
Osteichthyes
 The bony fishes have a skeleton primarily composed
of bone tissue, as opposed to the cartilage skeleton of
Chondrichthyes.
 Osteichthyes is an extremely diverse group, consisting
of 28,000 species, and it is the largest class of
vertebrates in existence today.
 The group Osteichthyes is divided into the ray-finned
fish
(Actinopterygii)
and
lobe-finned
fish
(Sarcopterygii).
Parablennius incognitus Bath, 1968
Blenniidae, Actinopterygii
Blenny Bavosa Mediterranea
Blennies are primarily marine fishes,
but some species occur in estuaries or
in fresh water, for example, in lakes in
Italy. Blennies are generally benthic,
occupying grass beds, tide pools, or
areas near rocks. The different species
have in common oblong shape and long
dorsal fin. Their colour helps
camouflage in the seabed.
A major threat is habitat degradation
due to coastal development and
pollution.
This species is classified as Least
Concern in the IUCN Red List and it is
found in the eastern Atlantic, in the
Mediterranean, and Black Sea.
Springer, V. 1994. Blennies. Pp. 214-217 in W Eschmeyer, J
Paxton, eds. Encyclopedia of Fishes – second edition. San
Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Coris julis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Mediterranean Rainbowfish
Donzella
This species is widespread and common in the
Mediterranean Sea and in the Atlantic Ocean
(from Sweden to Senegal), but the populations
show strong morphological and genetic
differentiation. It is typically found near the
shore in seagrass or subtidal rocks and rocky
reefs. It is a neritic species, its range of depth is
from 1 metres to 120 metres. It feeds on benthic
invertebrates or clean other fish.
C. julis is a protogynous hermaphrodite with
pronounced sexual dimorphism. The females
change to males before reaching 18 cm in
length. All individuals above 18 cm in length are
males. Sex change can take from several weeks
up to 5.5 months. It reproduces from May to
August. Larger terminal phase males hold
territories and spawn sequentially with haremic
females. Smaller terminal phase males or initial
phase males live in groups without territories.
Coris julis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Mediterranean Rainbowfish
Donzella
Populations of this species are apparently
increasing in the Gulf of Lion (France,
north-western Mediterranean Sea).
This may be explained by the installation
of artificial reefs, providing an increase in
suitable reef habitat, the increase of
water temperatures because of climate
change and the construction of dams on
the Rhone River, which have reduced cold
water inflow. It is occasionally used for
food, and also as an aquarium display
species. In the Red List Category is
classified as Least Concern.
Pollard, D. & Afonso, P. 2010. Coris julis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T187752A8621739.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T187752A8621739.en.
Eschmeyer, W.N. (ed.). 2014. Catalog of Fishes. Updated 27 August 2014. Available at:
http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp.
Aurelle,D., Guillemaud, T., Afonso, P., Morato, T., Wirtz, P., Santos, R.S.S. and Cancela, M.L. 2003. Genetic study of
Coris julis (Osteichthyes, Perciformes, Labridae) evolutionary history and dispersal abilities. Comptes Rendus Biologies
326(8): 771-785.
Triggerfish, Balistidae, Actinopterygii
Pesce Balestra
Triggerfish have an oval-shaped, highly
compressed body and the anal and posterior
dorsal fins are capable of undulating from side to
side to provide slow movements. The large head
terminates in a small but strong-jawed mouth
with teeth adapted for crushing shells. All these
characters are useful for feeding on bottomdwelling invertebrates in rocky reefs.
As a protection against predators, triggerfish can
erect the first two dorsal spines. The anterior
spine is locked and nunlocked by the short
second spine, hence the family name
“triggerfish”.
They are known to exhibit a level of intelligence
that is unusual among fishes, and have the ability
to learn from previous experiences.
Triggerfish, Balistidae, Actinopterygii
Pesce Balestra
Triggerfish males migrate to their traditional
spawning sites prior to mating, establish
territories, defend it actively, and mate with
all of the females residing in or visiting his
territory.
Male and female triggerfish perform certain
pre-spawning behaviors.
Triggerfish spawning is timed in relation to
lunar cycles and tides.
Some species of triggerfish are toxic, others
are excellent food.
Some species are classified as Least Concern in
the Red List Category
Matsuura, K (2014). "Taxonomy and systematics of
tetraodontiform fishes: a review focusing primarily on
progress in the period from 1980 to 2014". Ichthyological
Research. 62 (1): 72–113. doi:10.1007/s10228-014-0444-5.
Dicentrarchus labrax (LINNAEUS, 1758)
European seabass
Spigola o Branzino
Its habitats include estuaries, lagoons, coastal waters, and rivers. It is found in the
eastern Atlantic Ocean (from Norway to Senegal), in the Mediterranean Sea, and in the
Black Sea. It is a seasonally migratory species, moving further inshore and north in
summer. Initially they are pelagic, but as they develop, they move into estuaries.
It is mostly a night hunter, feeding on small fish and invertebrates. They spawn from
March to June, mostly in inshore waters. It can grow to a total length over 1 m and 15 kg
of weight.
This fish has come under increasing pressure from commercial fishing and has recently
become the focus of a conservation effort. The total biomass, assumed as the best stock
size indicator, has been declining since 2005. It is the most important commercial fish
widely cultured in coastal lagoons of Mediterranean. In the Red List Category is
classified as Least Concern.
Pollard, D. & Afonso, P. 2010. Coris julis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T187752A8621739.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-4.RLTS.T187752A8621739.en.
 Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. 2008. Dicentrarchus labrax. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2.
<www.iucnredlist.org Archived June 27, 2014.
Diplodus sargus Linnaeus, 1758
White seabream Sarago maggiore
It is found in the eastern Atlantic, in the
Mediterranean Sea and rarely in the Black
Sea. They feed crushing the shells of
invertebrates with their strong jaws .
Diplodus
sargus
is
protandrous
hermaphrodite, with individuals starting
out life as males, and some becoming
female later on. It is commercially fished
and it is reared using aquacultural
techniques.
In the Red List Category is classified as
Least Concern.
"Diplodus sargus". Fisheries Global Information System. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2010). "Diplodus sargus sargus" in
FishBase. October 2010 version.
"Diplodus sargus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 4 May
2011.
Diplodus sargus Linnaeus, 1758
White seabream
Sarago maggiore