Life goes on: Oblada melanura (Linnaeus, 1758) (Perciformes, Sparidae), the saddled seabream, expands its distribution range westwards to the Azores

Resumo

A group of 10 individuals of the saddled seabream, Oblada melanura (Linnaeus, 1758), was photographed at Lajes do Pico Bay, on Pico Island, Azores. This finding represents a significant westward expansion of the known range of this species and may be linked to global warming. A call is therefore made for a monitoring program of the coastal fish fauna of the Azores which would improve the understanding of the effects of climate change and other anthropogenic stressors on marine communities.