First record of the atlantic tarpon Megalops atlanticus (Elopiformes: Megalopidae) in the Southeast Pacific, Peru

Yuri Hooker

doi:10.53554/boletin.v40i1.430

Authors

Yuri Hooker Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Facultad de Ciencias e Ingeniería, Laboratorio de Biología Marina, Lima, Perú. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3564-0679

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53554/boletin.v40i1.430

Keywords:

Migration, biogeography, transoceanic, non-native species

Abstract

The tarpon Megalops atlanticus Valenciennes, 1847, a native fish of the Atlantic Ocean, is recorded for the first time in the Southeast Pacific region (Peru). It is presumed that about 80 years ago this species crossed from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the Panama Canal, adapting and expanding its distribution to the north and south in the Tropical Eastern Pacific (currently distributed from Guatemala to southern Colombia). A specimen measuring 129 cm in length and 18 kg in weight was recorded, caught by an artisanal fisherman with his net, in the locality of Bonanza, Tumbes, in northern Peru (3°42’44.47”S - 80°44’35.51”W). This is the first record of Megalops atlanticus in Peru extending >500 km to the south its distribution range in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Alternative Metrics

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Adams, A., Guindon, K., Horodysky, A., MacDonald, T., McBride, R., Shenker, J. & Ward, R. (2019). Megalops atlanticus (errata version published in 2020). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, e.T191823A174796143. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T191823A174796143.en

Bañón, R., Farias, C., De Carlos, A., Arronte, J. C., Varela, J. L., Arias, A., Barros-García, D. & Gonzalez-Ortegon, E. (2019). New record and revised list of Megalops atlanticus (Elopiformes: Megalopidae) from Atlantic European waters. Cybium, 43(2), 203-207. https://doi.org/10.26028/cybium/2019-423-009

Barraza, J. E. (2018). New distribution record of Megalops atlanticus Valenciennes, 1847 (Elopiformes, Megalopidae) in El Salvador, Eastern Pacific Ocean. Check list, 14(5), 933-935. https://doi.org/10.15560/14.5.933

Castellanos-Galindo, G. A., Robertson, D. R., Sharpe, D. M. T. & Torchin, M. E. (2020). A new wave of marine fish invasions through the Panama and Suez canals. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 4(11), 1444-1446. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-01301-2

Castellanos-Galindo, G. A., Robertson, D. R., Pacheco-Chaves, B., Angulo, A. & Chong-Montenegro, C. (2019). Atlantic Tarpon in the Tropical Eastern Pacific 80 years after it first crossed the Panama Canal. Rev Fish Biol Fisheries, 29, 401-416. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-019-09565-z

Costello, K. E., Lynch, S. A., McAllen, R., O’Riordan, R. M. & Culloty, S. C. (2022). Assessing the potential for invasive species introductions and secondary spread using vessel movements in maritime ports. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 177, 113496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113496

Froese, R. & Pauly, D. (Eds.). (2024). Megalops atlanticus. FishBase. Consultado en febrero 2024. https://www.fishbase.se/summary/1079

Griffin, L. P., Casselberry, G. A., Markowitz, E. M., Brownscombe, J. W., Adams, A. J., Horn, B., Cooke, S. J. & Danylchuk, A. J. (2023). Angler and guide perceptions provide insights into the status and threats of the Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) fishery. Marine Policy, 151, 105569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105569

Hildebrand, S. F. (1937). The tarpon in the Panama Canal. The Scientific Monthly, 44, 239–248. https://www.jstor.org/stable/16181

Hildebrand, S. F. (1939). The Panama Canal as a passageway for fishes, with lists and remarks on the fishes and invertebrates observed. Zoologica, 24, 15–45.

Hixon, M. A., Green S. J., Albins, M. A., Akins, J. L. & Morris Jr., J.A. (2016) Lionfish: a major marine invasion. Mar Ecol Prog Ser., 558, 161-165. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11909

Luo, J., Ault, J. S., Ungar, B. T., Smith, S. G., Larkin, M. F., Davidson, T. N., Bryan, D. R., Farmer, N.A., Holt S.A., Alford A. S., Adams A. J., Humston, R., Marton A.S., Mangum D., Kleppinger R., Requejo, A. & Robertson, J. (2019). Migrations and movements of Atlantic tarpon revealed by two decades of satellite tagging. Fish and Fisheries, 00, 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12430

McCosker, J. E. & Dawson, C.E. (1975) Biotic passage through the Panama Canal, with particular reference to fishes. Marine Biology, 30, 343–351. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00390639

Neira, A. & Acero P., A. (2016). Megalops atlanticus (Megalopidae), un nuevo pez en el Océano Pacífico; información sobre su importancia pesquera. Revista MVZ Córdoba, 21(3), 5525-5534. https://doi.org/10.21897/rmvz.826

Robertson, D., Allen, G., Peña, E. & Estape, A. (2024). Peces Costeros del Pacífico Oriental Tropical: sistema de Información en línea (Versión 3.0). Instituto Smithsonian de Investigaciones Tropicales. https://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/sftep/es/thefishes/taxon/2544

Stephens, S. A., Dance, M.A., Zapp Sluis, M., Kline, R. J., Streich, M.K., Stunz, G. W., Adams, A. J., David Wells, R. J. & Rooker, J. R. (2024). Spatial distribution and movement of the Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Plos One, 19(3), e0298394. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298394

Swanson, P. L. (1946). Tarpon in the Pacific. Copeia, (3), 175. https://doi.org/10.2307/1438751

Yu, R., Wu, Q., Li, F., Zhan, A., Zhou, J. & Li, S. (2024). Risk Assessment of Invasive Aquatic Species and a Survey of Fish Diversity Using Environmental DNA Metabarcoding Analysis in Shanghai. Diversity, 16, 29. https://doi.org/10.3390/d16010029