First records of two rays and three bony fishes for the Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands lie within the oceanic ecoregion of the Tropical Eastern Pacific, which has a unique fish assemblage composition due to the influence of several ocean currents and El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. In the El Nino phase of these events, water temperature changes facilitate the movement of fish species between oceanic ecoregions, as well as across the Eastern Pacific Barrier. Here, we present five new fish records for the Galapagos Marine Reserve based on underwater imagery. These include two rays (Mobula thurstoni and Myliobatis longirostris) and three bony fishes (Lobotes pacifica, Lutjanus colorado and Sphyraena stellata). Of these, the first species is proposed as potentially resident to the Galapagos, and the latter four as vagrant species in the Galapagos until further sightings can conclusively determine their status. The effects of ENSO, the use of underwater video technology, and the importance of up-to-date and accurate species listings to understand the impact of the climate crisis are discussed.

Automated summary

This article presents the unique fish assemblage composition of the Galapagos Islands and introduces five new fish records. It discusses the influence of the El Nino phenomenon on fish species distribution and emphasizes the importance of using underwater video technology and accurate species listings to understand the impact of the climate crisis.