Brama brama (Bonnaterre, 1788)

González-Lorenzo, Gustavo, González-Jiménez, José F., Brito, Alberto & González, José A., 2013, The family Bramidae (Perciformes) from the Canary Islands (Northeastern Atlantic Ocean), with three new records, Cybium 37 (4), pp. 295-303 : 297

Brama brama (Bonnaterre, 1788)

Material examined. - Seven specimens (spms) caught off La Palma in April 2012, cruise CETOBAPH, with pelagic trawl between 28°32’N 17°59’W and 28°35’N 18°00’W: TFMC-VP / 1937, 129 mm TL, 94 mm SL, TFMC-VP/1938 , 95 mm TL, 70 mm SL , 138-194 m, sta. LP5 , 11 May 2012 ; TFMC-VP / 1939, 124 mm TL, 89 mm SL, 415-442 m, sta. LP6 , 11 May 2012 ; TFMC-VP/1940 , 81 mm TL, 57 mm SL , 410-620 m, sta. LP9 , 13 May 2012 ; TFMC-VP/1941 , 56 mm TL, 39 mm SL , 40-206 m, sta. LP12 , 14 May 2012 .

Additional material. - Cruise EMBELHIERRO-1009,

Oct 2009, 35 spms, 470-840 mm TL, off El Hierro, 460-600 m, fishing operations for alfonsinos Beryx spp. , HL. Cruise CETOBAPH, May 2012, pelagic trawl, 3 spms deposited in the collection of the IEO at Tenerife with no register number: 125-181 mm TL, 87-135 mm SL, off La Palma, 28°32’N 17°59’W (sta. LP2 ) and 28°35’N 18°00’W (sta. LP7 ), 40-620 m ; 1 spm, 100 mm TL, 69 mm SL, off El Hierro, 27°38’N 18°02’W (sta. EH1 ), 30- 190 m.

Remarks. - An oceanic epipelagic (at night time) and mesopelagic species ranging from surface down to about 1000 m of depth ( Smith, 2003), usually between 0-200 m ( McMillan et al., 2011), widespread in the Atlantic, Indian and South Pacific oceans (e.g. Mead and Haedrich, 1965; Last and Moteki, 2001; Carvalho-Filho et al., 2009; Froese and Pauly, 2013). In the Eastern Atlantic, it has been recorded from central Norway ( Haedrich, 1986) southward to Algoa Bay, South Africa ( Smith, 2003), including the Mediterranean and the Macaronesian archipelagos ( Froese and Pauly, 2013). This highly migratory species has specific temperature requirements ( Mead, 1972; see Discussion).

The presence of small specimens (39-135 mm SL) of B. brama among the material examined was especially considered as these size-classes do not normally appear in fish markets; they were identified according to descriptions and characteristics given by Mead (1972), Thompson and Russell (1996) and Last and Moteki (2001). Their most signifi- cant meristic measurements were: 35-37 dorsal rays, 29-31 anal rays, 21-22 pectoral rays, 82-85 scales on lateral series, and 16-18 gillrakers.

Brama brama was first recorded in the Canary Islands by Valenciennes (1837 -1844, as Brama raii ), where it is the most abundant bramid. This is a secondary species of small-scale fisheries with artisanal gear (handlines, vertical longlines and surface longlines) around the Canaries, especially when it rises up to midwater and surface at night. Although common when it approaches the islands in autumn and winter ( Franquet and Brito, 1995), the level of captures remains low. Uiblein et al. (1998) reported a scientific collection of adults using bottom longlines at 278-882 m, suggesting that the species may also belong to the benthopelagic community. During the recent cruise CETOBAPH off the Canaries in 2012, small individuals were caught with pelagic trawls between 30 and 620 of depth.