Dominance of Scorpaena maderensis among scorpaenids of littoral rocky reefs in Corsica ( NW Mediterranean ): Further evidence of Mediterranean Sea warming

Abstract

The population of Scorpaenidae was investigated in the Nature Reserve of Scàndula (Corsica, France, NW Mediterranean). While absent from Corsica a few decades ago, the Madeira rockfish Scorpaena maderensis is now the most abundant scorpaenid species in shallow rocky reef areas, far outnumbering Scorpaena notata and Scorpaena porcus . Considered as a subtropical species of Atlantic origin, the northward progression of the thermophilic S. maderensis and its dominance in Corsican waters is further evidence of the ongoing warming of the Mediterranean Sea.

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